Joshua Becker's Blog, page 146

Our Rationale for Purchasing a Smaller Home

A little over one year ago, I was interviewed by CBS SmartPlanet on the topic of living with less. The time was exciting for minimalism. Tammy Strobel's story was in the New York Times, MSNBC, and the Today Show. Everett Bogue was featured on the CBS Nightly News. Courtney Carver's Project 333 was about to hit the AP.  100-Thing Challenge was in final edits. Each of us were cheering for one another. And I was excited to play a small part in the promotion of the counter-cultural lifestyle.

At the time of my interview, we were visiting family in Nebraska. I can remember sitting on their back porch in the humid August morning answering Christina Hernandez's questions about living with less. At one point she asked, "What has been the toughest place for you to apply minimalism?" And as good interviews typically do, it pressed me to further define minimalism in my life. My answer went like this:

[There are] two things I want to take the next step on minimally speaking. We bought our house five years ago and embraced this minimalist lifestyle two years ago. I want to live in a smaller home and haven't been able to take that step yet. I don't think it's a sentimental attachment. It's just a logistical issue of selling and buying and moving. We still have two cars. As part of that suburban mindset, my wife takes the kids to school and runs them around all day. I work on the other side of town. How do we logistically go down to one car? Those aren't sentimental attachments, but they are steps I want to take.

It was the first time I had verbally articulated those two desires. It was no small coincidence that the two biggest investments in my life (both financially and strategically speaking) were the two that had become the most difficult. They were going to require the most emotional energy to complete. After all, it's one thing to clean out your garage – it's something completely different to reduce the number of vehicles in your garage and/or change garages completely.

But subtly, over the past four months, we have accomplished both goals in our lives.

We have been living with one car for the past three months. And we just put our signatures on the purchase of a new, smaller home this past weekend. We moved in on Saturday.

As I have mentioned previously, our family recently moved from Vermont to Arizona and with it, came the process of selling an old home and buying a new one. The housing markets are markably different between the two regions and we could have easily embraced a massive upgrade because of the move. But even in a world where large homes are often considered the greatest symbols of worldly success, we never considered buying a larger home… instead, we looked forward to purchasing a smaller one.

This excitement was based on a number of reasons rarely considered in today's market (or mentioned by realtors). A smaller home means…

Less burdensome mortgage payments.
Less maintenance.
Less furniture/decorations/housewares to purchase.
Less cleaning time.
Less environmental impact.
Less opportunity to accumulate.
Less financial risk.

We still had a number of criteria that we searched for in our new home. Smaller was not the only goal – it still had to function in a way that fits our young family and promotes our values. Our final list of nonnegotiables consisted of 3 bedrooms, dining room/family room sufficient for entertaining, space for housing overnight guests, pleasant outdoors, quality school district, lovely neighborhood, and high craftsmanship. Needless to stay, we were overjoyed to find one that fit our criteria exactly.

Ultimately, through the process, we reduced our home size from over 2,200 sq. feet to less than 1,700 sq. feet (and 4-levels to 1-level). But more importantly, we reduced our mortgage payments by almost 50%, we selected quality over quantity (always a wise decision), we removed anxiety inherent in burdensome monthly payments, and we have fallen in love with every square inch of our new home.

And minimalism made it all possible. Once again, we have found more joy in living with less than we had in living with more.

Now, how we do get this message back into the mainstream media?

Minimalism. Inspiration over Instruction.

"The best way to get something done is to begin." 

Just over three years ago, we decided to begin living a minimalist life. The exact moment in time I can still recall with sharp detail. It includes a beautiful spring morning in Vermont… a typical suburban neighborhood… a long morning of cleaning the garage… a 5-year old son patiently waiting for me to play… and a short conversation with a neighbor who said, "You know, you don't need to own all this stuff."

At the time, the lifestyle of minimalism was completely foreign to me. It was entirely new. It was counter-cultural. The thought of actually trying to live with fewer possessions had never been introduced to me. Yet, it sounded surprisingly attractive. It resonated with something deep inside me. And was quickly embraced by both myself and my wife.

It was a decision that found its roots in our finances, our family, and our faith. Simply put, we had grown weary of living paycheck to paycheck, weary of trading time with our children to tend our possessions, and weary of pursuing worldly gain rather than spiritual gain. Minimalism offered more than escape from the clutter in our homes and lives. It offered the very things our hearts most desperately desired. We jumped in with both feet… and found that the water was both warm and refreshing.

Over the next several months and years, we sought to discover what minimalism meant for our family. We knew that minimalism was always going to look different for us than it would for others. After all…

We lived in the suburbs, so we were going to keep personal transportation.
We lived in Vermont, so we were going to keep shovels for the snow and rakes for the autumn leaves.
We had kids, so we were going to keep some toys and books and games.
We enjoyed company, so we would keep 8 plates and 8 bowls and 8 glasses to show hospitality.

Minimalism became a journey of experimentation, exploration, and trial-and-error. We were forced to identify our values – to clearly articulate what was most important to us. We began to define minimalism as the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of everything that distracted us from it.

Over the years, we have noticed countless benefits. We have more money available to use as we desire. We have more time to be with each other and our kids. We have found more freedom to pursue our greatest passions. We have discovered a joy that possessions could never provide. And we have more opportunity to live the life we have always wanted to live.

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Since then, I have had the opportunity to speak on minimalism and simplicity in a number of different venues across the US. Each time, I have been asked to give practical help on how to live with less and specific instruction on how to live a more simple life. But each time, I rarely do (or at least, not until the very end).

Because I have found that the lifestyle of minimalism requires far more inspiration than instruction.

Minimalism is always going to look different from person to person and family to family. Our passions are different. Our personalities are different. Our pasts are different. Our presents are different. As a result, the essentials of our lives are going to change. The principles remain the same… but the specific instructions of minimalism will always look different.

But we have all been told the exact same mistruths. We have all been tricked into thinking the more we own the happier we will be… the more joy we will experience… the more fulfilled we will be. We've all been fed the same lies countless times since the day we were born. And only the truth about the joy of living with less can counteract that faulty premise.

As a result, the invitation to minimalism is always going to require more inspiration than instruction.

The Simplest Guide to Fitness You Will Ever Read

Editor's Note: The following is a guest post by Mike Donghia.

I used to be a gym rat back in my early college days. In the spring semester of my sophmore year, I worked hard in the weight room and put on nearly 20 pounds of muscle. It was fun while it lasted – during that particular season of my life.

These days, however, I'm more interested in staying fit and having fun and creating life long habits that keep me active.

I don't really care about "getting big" or breaking personal records for the bench press. I don't keep a log book of my workouts or measure progress from one week to the next. It's not that these things are bad, I've just found that I don't need them anymore. I've found a way that works better for me… a simpler, more enjoyable approach to staying fit.

The Problem with Exercise

For many people, the word "exercise" carries bad connotations. Words like boredom, drudgery, painful and exhausting come to mind. And because exercise feels like such a chore, we stop doing it and bad habits are formed that lead to years and years of sedentary living.

And it's a darn shame that we feel this way, because staying fit can actually be a ton of fun. So what's the problem?

The problem is that we don't play anymore.

Instead of having fun with our bodies, we're doing the same old exercises day in and day out: pushups, situps, bench press, squats, etc. But if you'd watch kids playing in a backyard for any length of time, you'll realize that we don't need to do all of these things to stay healthy and strong. What we really need is a playful spirit.

A Fun Solution

Now I'm not convinced that everything in life should be a breeze or that we should always run away from hard work. But when you're trying to create a lifelong habit that literally means the difference between life and death – the first priority should be making a habit that sticks.

I read about too many people dying of heart disease and weight related disease to believe that will-power alone is enough to get people moving. At its core, exercise has to be something fun and creative — something that is enjoyable and doesn't feel like a chore. It has to be more like play and less like a continuation of our jobs.

Here are just a few ways I like to stay active these days:

Digging massive holes at the beach
Walking to the library to get books
Playing touch-football and ultimate frisbee w/ friends
Trail running with my wife
Climbing just about anything that looks fun to climb
Biking to explore new places
Pull-up and push-up competitons against friends

Of course, almost any of these activities can feel like "real" exercise if you let them. Running can become a chore and so can biking – the thing is, I rarely set goals or expectations when I do these things. My mindset is more about being playful and quenching my curiorsity for life. It's a mindset I've cultivated over time by slowly letting go of my need to control every single thing.

I fully realize that your list will look different than mine. What is fun for me may not be fun for you… but that's exactly the point. We are all unique individuals with different definitions of fun. And one-size-fits-all exercise routines that miss that point often fail.

How to Make The Fitness Habit Stick

Instead of worrying about my body weight or appearance, I focus on being child-like and staying active. And that means not setting time limits or distance quotas to meet – that takes the fun out of it. I just run when I want to run, climb when I want to climb, and play when I feel like playing.

It's the simplest approach to fitness I've ever tried, but it works. It works because it makes being active and having fun an end in itself. Insteading of doing exercise as a means to lose weight or build muscle, I'm doing it because I love it.

And that's a habit that's hard to break.

20 New Ways to Judge Others

"Do not judge from mere appearances…" – Edwin Hubbel Chapin

For too long our world has made judgments about others on faulty criteria. As a result, we've championed, promoted, and followed some wrong people along the way. We've judged others on the color of their skin, symmetry of their cheek bones, salary package, neighborhood of residence, eloquence of speech, designer of clothing, or model of car. We've been focused on the wrong things. And have made some terribly awful judgments along the way – both personally and collectively.

Might I take a moment and recommend some new measurements? Some new measurements that are not external in nature, but are internal… measurements that weigh the very heart and soul of humanity. And begin to give us a far better sense of who to trust, who to follow, and who to champion.

20 New Ways to Judge Others.

1. Character in solitude. Our character is best revealed not in the the public eye, but in private. What we do when nobody is looking is the truest mark of our character. And those who display character in the dark will always reflect it in the light.

2. Contentment in circumstance. Often times, contentment remains elusive for both the rich and the poor. It is a struggle for humanity no matter their lot in life. Rich is the man or woman who can find contentment in either circumstance.

3. Courage during adversity. Courage can only be revealed when it is required. And only those who have displayed it and acted upon it during adversity can lay claim to its possession. This adversity can take on many different forms, but courage will always look the same: action in the face of fear.

4. Faithfulness in commitment. Those whose words are true ought to be highly lifted up in our world today. Whether our word is given with a handshake, a contract, or a wedding ring, those who hold true to their oaths are worthy of commendation.

5. Generosity in abundance. To those who have received much, much should be given away. Often times, this abundance comes in forms other than material possessions. And in that way, we each have been given much… and each ought to be generous in our use of it.

6. Graciousness towards others. Those who routinely extend grace to others are among my greatest heroes. They have a healthy realization that this world is largely unfair, that people come from a variety of backgrounds, and that nobody is truly self-made… even themselves. As a result, they are quick to extend grace and mercy to others.

7. Gratitude despite circumstance. Those who can find enough good in any circumstance to express gratitude are typically focused on the right things. And those who are focused on the right things tend to bend their lives towards those things… and draw others along with them.

8. Honesty in deprivation. It is when we are deprived of something desired that honesty is the most difficult. Whether we are deprived of something physical or intangible (like a desired outcome), dishonesty is often used to quickly take gain of something. Those who show honesty during deprivation reveal how highly they esteem it.

9. Hope during heartache. When heartache cuts at such a deep level that simple optimism is not enough… only hope can emerge. When it does, it is undeniably from a source far greater than ourselves. And those who find it, discover one of the greatest powers in the universe.

10. Humility in accomplishment. Those who are quick to deflect praise in accomplishment ought to be first in receiving it.

11. Inspiration in relationship. We are all in relationship with others – sometimes in person, sometimes in print, sometimes in other ways. These relationships should not be used solely for personal gain but for bringing out the best in others. And those who inspire others to become the best they can be should be gifted with more and more and more relationships.

12. Integrity in the details. Integrity is found in the details. Those who show integrity in the little things of life will typically display it in the bigger things as well.

13. Kindness to the weak. It is usually the weakest among us that are in most need of our kindness… and yet they receive it the least because they have no way to immediately repay it. When kindness is only shown for the sake of repayment, it becomes an investment and is no longer true kindness. Our true measure of kindness is shown in how we treat those who will never repay us.

14. Love for enemies. Anybody can love a friend. Anybody can love those who treat us well… and everybody does. But it takes a special type of person to extend love towards those who treat us unjustly.

15. Optimism towards others. See the good in everyone. There is simply no way to bring out the best in others if you haven't seen it first.

16. Perseverance in failure. Failure reveals much about our heart. It reveals our character, our humility, and our perseverance. We will all at some point face failure. And those who get back up and try again ought to be esteemed in our mind.

17. Purity in opportunity. While character is revealed in solitude and integrity is revealed in the details, purity is revealed in the face of opportunity. When dishonest gain (money, power, sex, etc.) presents itself, those who choose purity ought to be praised. Not only do they personally sleep better at night, but they make this world a better place for all of us.

18.Respect for authority. Authority brings order to a world of disorder. Certainly there are numerous examples throughout history (and today) of proper timing in overthrowing authority that oppresses its subjects. But in most cases, authority brings reason and order… and it should be allowed to do so.

19. Responsibility for mistake. From the weakest to the strongest, we all love to pass the blame. I can see it in my 5-year old daughter and I can see it in my government leaders. We are a people that are slow to accept responsibility for our mistakes. This is unfortunate. Because only those who can admit their mistakes have the opportunity to learn from them.

20. Self-control in addiction. We are a people that too often give control of our most precious asset to another. We fall under the influence of substances, possessions, or entertainment. When we do, our life is no longer our own. And those who retain self-control in the face of addiction ought to be recognized as unique and judged accordingly.

And when we all begin to properly esteem, champion, and follow those who lead from the inside… we will make far less mistakes in choosing who to follow.

The Underappreciation of Rest in Today's Society

"What is without periods of rest will not endure." – Ovid

I just spent the last two-and-a-half weeks on vacation. The time was filled with travel, reconnecting with family, playing golf, swimming, sleeping, and reading. As you can probably imagine, it was quite enjoyable.

But more than that, it was desperately needed – in more ways than one. I needed the rest physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I am starting a new job… in a new part of the country… with brand new people… and have been busy helping my two young children adjust to a new life at a new school with new friends. I had a previous job in Vermont that needed me to work hard and end well… and I have a new job in Arizona that expects me to work hard and start well.

And even though I love my work and couldn't wait to get started, the rest was absolutely needed. I can easily look back and see that it was a wise decision to schedule the vacation into my transition. Consider the benefits that rest offers…

a healthier body.
more balance.
less stress.
deeper relationships.
better opportunity to evaluate life's direction.
a new, fresh outlook.
increased productivity.

Yet, despite all the proven benefits of rest, intentionally setting aside regular time for rest is a practice that has become undervalued and underappreciated in today's culture. We have become overworked, overstressed, and exhausted. Yet, Sabbath (setting aside one day each week for rest) remains a dying practice that less and less people practice regularly (never mind the idea of actually taking a two-week vacation).

Overlooking the importance of rest is certainly not unique to our modern society. But our culture has made it increasingly difficult to take rest without specific intentionality. Consider some of these factors prevalent in our modern society that argue against the idea of rest:

• Rest has become confused with laziness. We live in a society that praises those who work 60hrs/week and makes faulty assumptions about those who work 40. We have confused rest with laziness. And while too much rest may indeed be an indicator of sloth, the regular practice of finding rest is not.

• The desire for money has become unquenchable. Modern society loves money. We love it to a point that we will sacrifice much of ourselves to gain more of it. Some sacrifice morals, character, or family. Others consider rest a fair trade… and will gladly sacrifice it at the altar of the almighty dollar.

• Success is measured incorrectly. Similarly, we have begun to measure success by the amount of cash in savings, the size of our homes, or the model of our cars. The nicer one's lot in life, the more successful they must be. Unfortunately, this is a faulty measure of success. The true test of success should be measured in significance rather than success. But often times finding significance requires us to rest long enough to recalibrate our lives around the things that matter most.

• We live in a world that is always "on". While electricity may have made it easier to work late into the night, the Internet has surrounded us with opportunities and relationships 24 hours/day. Today's world never stops. And when the possibility to make money every hour of the day is combined with the desire to do so, rest quickly gets pushed aside.

• A false sense of urgency surrounds us at every moment. We live in a world that floods our minds with so much information that it has become difficult to sort out the important from the unimportant. As a result, the urgent needs of the day crowd out the important. And rest puts up little fight against the urgent.

• Our minds require distraction. Our minds have become addicted to stimulation and validation. As a result, it has become increasingly difficult to turn off E-mail, Facebook, or Twitter… not to mention cell phones, televisions, or the Internet. And when our minds begin to require distraction, rest becomes an increasingly difficult state to achieve.

• Rest cannot be rushed. Modern society loves shortcuts. We desire 15-minute abs, 30-minute meals, and 1-hour photos. Unfortunately, rest can never be rushed. It must be entered deliberately and allowed to complete its cycle in due time. By definition, this requires patience… and a cleared schedule.

• A misunderstanding that rest is purely physical. Rest is physical. But it is more than that. It is mental, emotional, and spiritual. It is an understanding that the world is going to survive without you. It is an inner strength that allows you to disconnect from accomplishing "work" and focus on yourself and those around you. It is not mere physical leisure. It is rest: body and soul.

I have worked hard to keep a day of rest as an important part of my life and weekly routine. But it is an upward battle that requires relentless intentionality… because we live in a culture that has far too often underappreciated its value.

On Not Falling Into Temptation

"It is easier to stay out than get out." – Mark Twain

Temptations surround us everyday.

Sometimes the temptations are great – other times, small. Sometimes the temptations are many – other times, few.

But whether it be to cheat on our diets, our budget, our tests, our taxes, or our spouse, there are forces at work against our ideals nearly everywhere we look in this world. They call us to sacrifice the long-term goals that we have set for our life and exchange them for short-term pleasure. They are unavoidable. And falling prey to their empty promises can have drastic negative affects on our lives.

How then, can we resist falling into the temptations that detract us? What foundations can we put into our lives to keep our lofty ideals – rather than fall into the short-term pleasures that keep us from them?

Surprisingly, whether the temptations are great or small, I am finding that the principles remain the same:

1. We can know the end goal and why we desire it. It is wise to not underestimate the importance of keeping a healthy, "big-picture mentality" in not falling into temptation. We desire a strong marriage and healthy family for our children. We desire to get out of debt, stay sober, live an honest life of integrity, or intentionally live with fewer possessions. Each of these goals offer our lives significance in a way that cannot be achieved by falling into the cheap gain or fleeting pleasure that so many worldly temptations promise. Often times, we can't have both. Therefore, knowing the end goal (and the reason why we desire it) is abundantly helpful in achieving it.

2. We can recognize the temptations that keep tripping us up. Each of us have influences in our lives that trip us up more than others. And the sooner we recognize those traps the better. Whether the end goal be losing weight, accomplishing a major achievement, or being the father you've always wanted to be, some goals remain allusive only because of our inability to resist a specific temptation that keeps us from achieving them. Intentional men and women take the time to clearly recognize and articulate the temptation that seems to have an unbreakable hold on their lives.

3. We can develop an exit strategy. When temptation arises and the pull is greater than can be avoided, follow a exit strategy. Maybe it's a phone call to a friend, a photo of your children in your wallet, a specific quote that inspires you, or a powerful mental reminder of what you may lose. But developing an exit strategy prior to the temptation can become the fire route exit that keeps you from getting burnt by the flames.

4. We can avoid the propaganda that gives temptation life in your mind. Since deciding to live an intentional life with fewer possessions, I have become much more aware of the number of messages (advertisements) that encourage me to buy more. They surround me on every street corner, every television channel, and nearly every publication I pick up. Their message is always the same: "Buy more. Be happier." They can be very convincing. And the more I put myself in the path of their message, the more susceptible I am to believe it. As a result, I have tried to avoid their propaganda as much as possible and give them less space in my mind. This principle relates to far more than just buying things at a local department store. It also relates to how we view sex, money, power, and the people around us.

5. We can find some help. Too often, we fall into the prideful trap of thinking we can just handle it on our own (never mind the fact that we have tried for years to overcome a particular temptation on our own with no success). We have tried on our own… and still can't get out of debt. We have tried on our own… and still can't get physically healthy. We have tried on our own… and still can't remain sexually faithful to our partner. Pride is among the most self-destructive habits any of us can harbor because it always leads to a fall (as most of us can attest). Find some help to overcome the temptations in your life that trip you up. Find a friend that has fought the same battle. Find a group that convenes for the purpose of finding the very solution for which you are searching. Or find a higher power that gives you the strength to live the life you've always wanted to live. However you accomplish this piece, somehow… somewhere… find some help.

6. We can understand that our choices affect more than ourselves. No man lives on an island. (Well, maybe some do… but most don't). Our choices affect the lives of others. Often times, the short-term decisions that we make today have long-term consequences for those who are closest to us: our friends, our spouses, our children, even our grandchildren in some cases. Negative life choices leave a lasting mark and legacy for years to come… and so do positive life choices. If overcoming negative temptations for our own's life sake is not enough motivation, maybe reminding ourselves that our choices influence the ones we love the most will be.

7. We can always flee. Perhaps the most valuable foundation for avoiding the pitfalls of negative temptation is the simple realization that we can always leave. Whether it be the kitchen, the department store, the car dealership, the bar, or the seductive situation that we find ourselves in, we can always turn back around and walk out the door. We may miss the short-term, fleeting pleasure – but the big picture rewards are almost always worth it.

8. We can get back up and start again. Moments of weakness come and to avoid them at all times is virtually impossible. We take two steps forward, but one step back: We cheat on our diet. We take another drink. We compromise our values. We fall down. But to stay down is to let the negative forces win and to let temptation become our master. So we get back up. We give it another shot. We turn back to our goals, our friends, our family… and we start again. It's never over until it's over. And luckily so, because if you are anything like me, you have lofty goals and an important legacy that you desire to leave behind!

Leveling Up My Single-Tasking

Editor's Note: This is a guest post by Chad Moore. He is an author, technical art director in the video game business, and aspiring minimalist.

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"Creativity… requires limits, for the creative act rises out of the struggle of human beings with and against that which limits them." - Rollo May

I work in an industry that is by nature counter-intuitive for single-tasking and minimalism– both in the products we make and how we make them.

In most video games the goal is to amass as many items as possible and through various mechanisms "level them up." Leveling-up refers to enhancing a quality of an item: the distance of arrows fired from your bow, the strength of your armor, or unlocking the bird that drops bombs are some examples of this. More and more. Bigger and faster. Everything from Angry Birds on your phone to the biggest deepest multi-player games out there follow this model. It's what keeps the player engaged in the game.

Video Games are made by talented people pushing the limits of technology, art and design often without enough time to do it properly. From the smallest start-ups to the largest publisher, game development is a collaborative, creative and technical endeavor. This is the great part about the business… and the reason I stay with it.

But the way video games are made can be unfriendly towards simplicity. Most of the game developers I know are people that "need to multitask," both by their own admission and because it's expected in the video game culture.

First, most folks have headphones on. They're listening to music, pod-casts, or audio-books. Some people even watch movies in small windows on their second monitor for "background noise." As a manager, it's my responsibility to make sure each member of the team is efficient and effective. From the outside, it doesn't seem that productivity or efficiency is suffering… but I have begun running several experiments to see if quality does increase when the movie watching, music listening crowd is "unplugged." The results are still being compiled as I write these words.

Second, office geography has the entire team sitting in cube farms. These close knit cubes are designed to "enhance communication." For example, artists can quickly look over the half-wall and ask a programmer a question. This is great for immediate problem solving, however, the creative tasks we perform require dedicated and focused work in order to be fully realized.  And the constant interruptions hinder our productivity.

Third, everyone is "always on." We have our email open all day and internal instant messaging clients humming – not to mention the external social networks and IM clients. In video games that are persistent worlds, dedicated staff is needed around the clock to keep everything running. If the server goes down, people can't play. If they can't play, they'll look to play another game. So I see "always on" being needed in those roles. But most of us are on digital leashes of some kind even when we don't need to be. Remote access into the office from home, work email on your phone. IM open all day. And all this multi-tasking is being proven to be actually bad for business, and maybe our brains too.

Some studies even postulate that people can be addicted to the micro-endorphin rush we get when we get an email or tweet notification. That's why we can't stop checking our phones when we're away from work or when we're driving. Most folks agree that these short bursts of interruptions are even changing our brains. Interruptions are a reflection of today's corporate culture where we create emergencies that aren't really serious. While most of this is unconscious, and not malicious, it is still a distraction nonetheless.

As an aspiring minimalist in both my personal and professional life, I have begun asking myself the following question: How can we level up single-tasking in the video game industry? And if we can do it in our industry, how does that translate to yours? 

Consider these three immediately practical solutions applicable to almost every industry:

#1 Wait your turn. Can you wait a while to talk to the artist? Look at him, does he have his headphones on (game developer code for "Do Not Disturb") and is obviously "in the zone" sculpting in the 3D modeling application with a ton of reference images on the other monitor. Don't interrupt him asking for his hours spent this week on his tasks. Let him do his job. That User Interface Engineer who's sliding her chair back in forth from her development kit and her two-screen computer rig? She's fixing a bug in the UI on her computer, testing it on the kit, and she's obviously busy. Do not walk over and ask her how it's going right now. Let her do her job. Your opportunity to ask your question will come… but you may need to wait your turn to ask it.

#2 Use team signals to tell others "do not disturb." I've seen flags put up by artists to denote when they are in the zone and to please come back later. I've also seen tech teams have one team member wear a hat signaling that he/she is the person on call for help that day. Workers in other industries may close their door, work off-site, or tell their secretaries to hold their calls. But the signal has been made and we should learn to recognize them and respect them.

#3 Protect your industry's most valuable asset. The most valuable asset any company has are its people.  People make the art, tech and design of a game. They support the game or the other people making the games. There are certain parts of the day when creativity runs wild and other parts of the day that are more suitable for less creative tasks. As a manager, I need to balance the need for creatives to not be disturbed with my duties as a manager. I have to talk to those people at some point about management issues. But what's the best time of the day to do that? How do I best protect their creative time while still accomplishing my needs as a manager?

I certainly don't have all the answers. But in my pursuit of both minimalism and my commitment to the video game industry, I'll be communicating with one person at a time, handling one problem at a time, or working on one idea at a time. All as a part of my effort to bring the principles of minimalism and simplicity into my personal and professional life. And if we can accomplish simplicity in this industry, you can certainly accomplish it in yours.

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You can find out more about Chad at his website, Chad Moore.net or by following him on Twitter.

A Personal Update

During the past 30 days, I have traveled 12,000 miles to over 3 countries and 20 states. I've traveled by car, plane, bus, truck, and train. My destinations have included speaking engagements, family vacations, and new homes in Arizona. Needless to say, it has been a difficult, intense month of physical journey.

But my journey over the past 30 days has been far more than physical. It has also been emotional, mental, and spiritual.

I spent 7 days in the neighborhoods of San Salvador, El Salvador speaking on marriage and parenting. I met people with plenty of food to eat and I met a mother who couldn't afford the $10 pain medication for her dying 15-year daughter. I spoke intimately with mothers, fathers, business owners, world travelers, pastors, librarians, and ex-gang members… often side-by-side. Third world countries are emotional destinations for me. They force me to wrestle with questions of wealth, poverty, and injustice. Unfortunately, the answers are never easy, but are intimately complex. But perhaps the greatest struggle of them all is to simply not forget the questions…

I have spent the last 4 days in VT saying good-bye to some of my best friends in the world. Over the past 6 years, they have become more than friends… they have become like family. It was not easy to move away from our families in the Midwest to New England, but we have been well taken care of by the people of VT. They have been our friends from the beginning (helping unpack boxes) to the very end (helping load the moving truck). They have watched our kids, cared for our kids, and served as good role models for our kids. It was more overwhelming to leave than I imagined. But each tear was met with a hug, a smile, and a kind word of love and encouragement. Thank you Vermont for making our departure both unbearably difficult and infinitely sweet at the same time.

As difficult as it was to leave Vermont, it is clear that our hearts and (soon-to-be) home are in Peoria, AZ (I am actually writing this post from a hotel in Indiana half-way through our journey to the Southwest desert). I am confident that our decision to relocate was based in wisdom, discretion, and mindfulness. I am excited about the new opportunities that await us. The best truly still lies ahead. My passion for inspiring others to find minimalism played a huge role in our decision-making process. And I am excited about the future of promoting it in (and from) a new location.

I have never feared change. I have welcomed it and have been challenged for the better because of it. But, at times, it can be hard. It can be emotional. It can be draining. But the pay-off is often worth the investment. Because we are all in this together… just trying to make the most of this short journey called life.

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Where you can find me around the web:

Before leaving Vermont, I sat down in the studio with my friend Colin Ryan to discuss minimalism, blogging, and six-packs. The end result may be one of my favorite audio interviews that I've ever been a part of. You can find it here: A Stand Up Life.

My monthly post on Organizing Your Way went live last week. You can find it here: A Simple Path to Little Victories.

Colin Wright, Joshua Millburn, Ryan Nicodemus, and myself are hoping to take minimalism to the masses at SXSW2012 in Austin, TX as a panel discussing the topic of "The Rise of Minimalism." You can vote for our panel (which increases our chances of being selected) here: SXSW Panel Picker: The Rise of Minimalism.

Lucilia's Story (and Our Own)

This morning I sat in the 10X20 foot, one-room home of Lucilia in the municipality of Apopa in the city of San Salvador, El Salvador. Lucilia is 40 years old, but could easily pass for 50 as the sun and stress of life has aged her face far too quickly. She lives in her small home with two daughters, 15 and 3. And although she never told us, the chickens and the scale in the home made it clear that she sells eggs to make her living and support her family.

In-between tears, Lucilia shared with me the heart-wrenching story of her 15-year old daughter, Rachelle. For the past 2 years, Rachelle has lived with a terminal disease that attacks her bones. It has left her body deformed and virtually useless. As a result of this terrible disease, in the near future, this beautiful teenager will lose her life far too early than she should. But today, the disease causes Rachelle pain that is both excruciating and unrelenting. Unfortunately, as her mother explained, there is simply not enough money to pay for the pain medication that would alleviate her pain during this final phase of her life. And if you looked close enough, you could almost see the daughter's pain on the weathered face of her mother too. Like any mother, she desperately longed to bear the burden for her.

During our conversation, a scene began to unfold on the floor of the dark and dirty home that has forever been etched in my mind. Lucilia's three-year old daughter briefly left the room and returned with one small bag of used crayons and one coloring book. As the father of a young daughter, I was deeply intrigued. The young girl sat down on the tile floor, pulled two crayons from the bag, and opened her coloring book to the first page… it was already colored. She flipped to the next page… it was also colored. So was the next… and the next… and the next… and the next… and the next…. all colored. My heart again broke for this family – the third time during our short conversation. Oh, how I desperately longed to run to my daughter's closet and grab just one of her coloring books to give to this incredibly precious little girl. Oh, I longed to see her smile and have a page to color.

The impact of poverty evidenced this morning was among the greatest I have ever witnessed.

While this scene unfolded and the gravity of Rachelle's situation sunk deep into my soul, my mind raced to a familiar story of the ancient Israelites. The story is told that as the Israelites left Egypt in search of their new home, they found themselves hungry and without food in the Middle-Eastern desert. As the story continues, God provides bread from heaven each morning with only one instruction: Each member of the wandering nation was too "gather only as much as was needed for their family." And when they did, no one gathered too much and no one gathered too little. But there was equality.

It became very clear to me this morning that this world desperately longs for equality. We need more people who gather "only what is needed." Because maybe then, others could "gather what is needed." Nobody will gather too much… and nobody will gather too little.

Now, I am not naïve enough to think that the cycle of poverty around the world will be broken by simply choosing to gather less and give more… there are far greater factors at play here. But when you sit in the home of a dying 15-year old girl and her mother who can't afford the pain medication available across the street, you feel called to action. You long for the day when people will gather only what is needed. You begin to plead for the privilege of sharing with others. And you begin to realize that Lucilia's story is far too closely tied to ours.

Lucilia's Story (and our own)

This morning I sat in the 10X20 foot, one-room home of Lucilia in the municipality of Apopa in the city of San Salvador, El Salvador. Lucilia is 40 years old, but could easily pass for 50 as the sun and stress of life has aged her face far too quickly. She lives in her small home with two daughters, 15 and 3. And although she never told us, the chickens and the scale in the home made it clear that she sells eggs to make her living and support her family.

In-between tears, Lucilia shared with me the heart-wrenching story of her 15-year old daughter, Rachelle. For the past 2 years, Rachelle has lived with a terminal disease that attacks her bones. It has left her body deformed and virtually useless. As a result of this terrible disease, in the near future, this beautiful teenager will lose her life far too early than she should. But today, the disease causes Rachelle pain that is both excruciating and unrelenting. Unfortunately, as her mother explained, there is simply not enough money to pay for the pain medication that would alleviate her pain during this final phase of her life. And if you looked close enough, you could almost see the daughter's pain on the weathered face of her mother too. Like any mother, she desperately longed to bear the burden for her.

During our conversation, a scene began to unfold on the floor of the dark and dirty home that has forever been etched in my mind. Lucilia's three-year old daughter briefly left the room and returned with one small bag of used crayons and one coloring book. As the father of a young daughter, I was deeply intrigued. The young girl sat down on the tile floor, pulled two crayons from the bag, and opened her coloring book to the first page… it was already colored. She flipped to the next page… it was also colored. So was the next… and the next… and the next… and the next… and the next…. all colored. My heart again broke for this family – the third time during our short conversation. Oh, how I desperately longed to run to my daughter's closet and grab just one of her coloring books to give to this incredibly precious little girl. Oh, I longed to see her smile and have a page to color.

The impact of poverty evidenced this morning was among the greatest I have ever witnessed.

While this scene unfolded and the gravity of Rachelle's situation sunk deep into my soul, my mind raced to a familiar story of the ancient Israelites. The story is told that as the Israelites left Egypt in search of their new home, they found themselves hungry and without food in the Middle-Eastern desert. As the story continues, God provides bread from heaven each morning with only one instrcution: Each member of the wandering nation was too "gather only as much as was needed for their family." And when they did, no one gathered too much and no one gathered too little. But there was equality.

It became very clear to me this morning that this world desperately longs for equality. We need more people who gather "only what is needed." Because maybe then, others could "gather what is needed." Nobody will gather too much… and nobody will gather too little.

Now, I am not naïve enough to think that the cycle of poverty around the world will be broken by simply choosing to gather less and give more… there are far greater factors at play here. But when you sit in the home of a dying 15-year old girl and her mother who can't afford the pain medication available across the street, you feel called to action. You long for the day when people will gather only what is needed. You begin to plead for the privilege of sharing with others. And you begin to realize that Lucilia's story is far too closely tied to ours.