Ergonomics & Workspace Design

Note: The following article was published in the June 01 issue of Simplify Magazine. Real financial freedom isn’t about affording everything—it’s about realizing you don’t need everything. In 2008, Memorial Day weekend promised beautiful weather—not always the case in Vermont at that time of year. So my wife, Kim, and I decided to spend the Saturday doing some shopping, running errands, and tackling our spring cleaning. Our garage was the first target. That morning, as Kim and our infant daughter slept in, I made breakfast for our five-year-old son, Salem, and then brought him outside to help. But as soon as we started pulling out the bins, he rediscovered…

I’m a big fan of minimalism. The benefits of owning only what you need to accomplish your greatest purposes are always better than the consequences of buying things you don’t need. I was introduced to minimalism by my neighbor 16 years ago, and my family of four was changed immediately. As a result, I write often about the benefits of minimalism. Here are just a few of those articles: 21 Life-Giving Benefits of Owning Less Minimalism vs. Consumerism: The Benefits of Choosing a Simple Life 12 Ways My Life Has Changed After 15 Years of Minimalism But every so often, I am challenged with a comment. The comment, on its premise, is incorrect and any deep…

There’s a strange thing that happens when someone says, “Only three left in stock,” or when a sale ends at midnight, or when a product is labeled “limited edition.” Or when we hear the phrase, “But don’t wait—these are moving fast.” Even if the item wasn’t on your shopping list a moment ago, all of a sudden, the item starts to feel important—urgent, even. There’s a name for this: The Scarcity Effect. This experience is, of course, not unique. You knew exactly the scenarios I mentioned in the first paragraph because you’ve heard them countless times before. Even more, not only is the phrasing recognizable, most of us have felt the internal nudge that we sho…

For the past 15 years, the driving passion behind this website has been simple: to inspire and help people own less and live more. I hope, in one way or another, it’s been helpful to you in your pursuit. At first, this blog was the only resource I offered. I published articles three times per week and made them freely available to anyone who subscribed by email. (You still can, by the way.) But a website built on one-off articles has its limits. It becomes a stream of consciousness—topics shared in no particular order, simply based on what I was learning, thinking about, or wanting to articulate at the time. The articles were helpful—and still are—but now,…

We are not infinite gods. We are finite creatures. And because of that, all of our life resources are finite. Our days are finite. Our money is finite. Our time and attention and energy are finite. The abundance of these resources may vary from person to person, but for all of us, they are limited. And because of that, every “more” comes with a tradeoff. More of one thing always means less of something else. In some areas of life, this is easier to see: More junk food means less health. More screen time means less time outside. More spending means less savings. More late nights means less enjoyable mornings. More clutter means less calm. But in other …

Seventeen years ago, I discovered minimalism. It took only a simple sentence from my neighbor to forever change my view of material possessions. This is what she said: “That’s why my daughter is a minimalist. She keeps telling me I don’t need to own all this stuff.” The statement came at the most ordinary time: I was cleaning out my garage on a Saturday afternoon. And yet, the statement also came at the most perfect time: When my heart (and mind) was ready to receive it. I had just spent the beautiful Saturday morning pulling dirty, dusty items out from my garage into the driveway. And I had done it all at the expense of my 5-year-old son, who was asking m…

There’s something natural about the way people hold onto sentimental items from their past. A child’s toy. A handwritten card. The trophy from the winning game. Souvenirs from concerts attended or trips taken. Boxes of items once owned by our parents, grandparents, or other loved ones. For many of us, these things aren’t just household items like extra Tupperware in the kitchen cabinet that can be decluttered when a lid goes missing. They represent the people we love, the experiences we’ve cherished, or the accomplishments we worked hard to achieve. For that reason, the attachment is emotional. That’s why we refer to it as sentimental. And it can be one of th…