A lot of the reason that I’m undertaking the 100 Thing Challenge is because a minimalist lifestyle will help me to complete items on my Life List.
There are a number of names for a life list: bucket list, Things to do before I die, 43things, etc. No matter what you call it, the basic idea is the same. It’s a list of things that you want to do before a certain time-frame (generally your death, but some people are more specific.)
I always find it interesting to look at other peoples’ lists. Some have items that I want to add to my own list, some have things that I would never have any interest in trying. No matter what, it always provides an interesting insight into the author’s personality.
And so, I thought that I would provide a round-up of some of the life lists that I’ve read recently.
If you don’t already have a list of your own, now’s a good time to sit down and write a list of your own. The directions are simple, so don’t delay. With all of the inspiration above, you might be over-whelmed. Here are some popular life list items and 525 ideas to get you started.
When I announced the 100 Thing Challenge, Rebecca commented about the lack of soap or shampoo on my list. (Toothpaste I share with my wife.) Instead of responding in a comment, I thought that this topic deserved its own post.
Some time ago, I ran across this article about not using soap or shampoo. That made me think. And so I dug a little deeper. After reading numerous articles about the subject, including this one, I decided to try out this experiment for myself.
The Experiment
Since the end of June, I haven’t been using soap or shampoo. I shower daily, but simply don’t add man-made chemicals to the process. I have continued to use deodorant. Washing of hands with soap occurs after using the restroom and before any food preparation.
Getting Started
My first reaction after reading about the concept was that it would end with me feeling dirty, and those around me agreeing. However, this was never the case. My wife didn’t even realize that I had started the experiment (though I’d told her about it) for at least three weeks. I feel just as clean, if not more-so, than before.
The articles above both mentioned a normalization period of about two weeks (a time for your body to adjust to the lack of chemicals that attack it). I think it took me about three days. My hair felt greasy for couple of days, dry for one, then felt better than normal. Nice, soft and almost never greasy.
Extremes
This experiment was not conducted while working in an office, then spending the remainder of my day in my apartment. Instead, I spent the month of July living and working outside at a summer camp. 28 of those days saw record-setting highs. We swam in pools and lakes, went rock climbing, spent a night a week in a tent, and generally had a great time. I sweated, a lot.
I noticed only three times when I needed to use something extra in the shower, each time on my hair. I skipped a shower one day, and the next day I only felt better after washing twice, using shampoo the second time. After spending an absurd amount of time in a chlorinated pool each day for nearly a week, I noticed my hair drying out and threw some conditioner in there for two days.
The Results
After having avoided showering with soap and shampoo for over three months now, I doubt that I will return to using it. Not only have I saved money, but I can now shower faster. More importantly, I actually feel cleaner. My hair stays clean-feeling throughout the day, and doesn’t scream for attention after only a few hours. My skin has become less oily (which was always an issue before). I am generally cleaner-feeling over all.
This simple experiment has shown me not to blindly follow life rules just “because I always have” or “because you should” or any other reason that is not meant to be questioned. Make your own decisions and test things out. See what works for you, and do that. See what doesn’t work for you, and stop doing that. For me, soap and poo don’t work.
I love my wallet, and have been carrying it for over 3 years now. I received it as a gift, and thus am not sure where it came from. In fact, I don’t even know what it is. The closest match that I can find is a business card holder at Office Depot (which I can’t seem to find online). This thing is tiny. If you take a brand new wallet that is empty, mine is still smaller than that, even when it’s full.
So, here’s what I carry:
Left Side
debit card
debit card
gift card (there’s something like $3.17 on here, I really should just go spend it so I’m not carrying it around)
some cash (folded in either 1/3′ or 1/4’s – more than about 4 bills and it gets to be more bulky than I prefer)
Right Side
driver’s license
school ID
Inside the slip-in portion (all of these items are paper)
prescription discount card
insurance membership card
credit union membership card
proof of insurance for motorcycle
I used to carry far more than this in my wallet. It used to be huge (I barely notice this on in my pocket); it was packed with photos, papers with notes and random information, business cards, and more. Once I realized that I never used all of the things that I carried “just in case,” it was easy to cut back to only the essentials. Not only is it now easier to find what I need, but my wallet fits easily into my front pocket (when I’m traveling) and is far more comfortable to sit on.
I’ve tried a number of different wallet styles: 3-fold, bi-fold, duct-tape wallet, paper wallet, rubber band, binder clip. None work as well for me as this one does.
As an avid reader, I’ve consumed a lot of information over the years. Many of those books stand out in my memory, often because of a good story. Few, however, have actually held information that I used, and put to work in my life. Those few that have were able to change my life; some in minor ways, some quite profoundly.
Books:
The 4-Hour Workweek – (Kindle/Paper) Even if you aren’t interested in a lot of what Tim Ferriss has to say, there are a lot of tidbits in here that can be used to change your life.
Leo Babauta’s The Power of Less – (Kindle/Paper – There’s so much information in this book about how to streamline your life, including both theory and actionable items. Use it like a workbook, mark pages, scribble in the margins, and make it yours.
Leo’s Zen-to-Done – I’m a productivity system nerd; I love trying out new systems, testing what works in my life and what doesn’t. Of all the systems that I’ve tried, this one works the best for me. It’s not so involved that it gets in the way of the work that I have to do, or too complicated that I don’t want to keep up with it. Now I’m finally getting somewhere!
Everett Bogue’s Minimalist Business – This is exactly the information that I needed as I set about creating a business that will allow me to escape from my job. Packed full of useful advice, it will help you get where you want to be (if that place includes you having your own business).
I have read thousands of other books, and they have shared a lot of information with me, entertained me, and even taught me, but I can’t think of any others that have changed my life. Check them out, who knows where your life might end up!
(The links above are affiliate links, which means that for any purchase you make, a percentage of the price will come to Adventure-Some and help to support the site.)
I’ve got a guest post that just went live over at Simple Marriage. If you are involved in a committed relationship and wish to experience more passion and adventure in life and relationships, then Simple Marriage is for you.
I’ve already Minimized Twitter, now it’s time to cripple FaceBook. Like Twitter, I think that FaceBook has its positive attributes, but I also think that it’s too easy to spend far too much time on there. And I want to spend less time on my computer.
What I like about FaceBook
Allows me to keep in touch with family and friends who are geographically spread out
Provides an opportunity for business to keep in touch with clients/potential clients
That’s it, two things. I don’t care for the games, for the ads, or for the idea that just because I’ve met someone we should be FaceBook friends.
Steps to Cripple FaceBook
Just like with Twitter, I had too many friends on FaceBook. Well over the 150 that Dunbar’s law states we can be friends with. So it was time to cut back. I went from around 300 to just over 50. This wasn’t a one-time event, but whenever I had a few free minutes I would go and scan through the list and delete people that I don’t actually talk to or keep tabs on.
Since I’ve got fewer people clogging up my feed stream, it is easier to read through it and get up-to-date. I can now do so in less than 5 minutes, including responding to any messages that I may receive.
After reading this post by the Practical Nerd, I went into FaceBook and turned off all of my email notifications (the only kind that I had). Now I won’t know when someone has sent me a message, unless I log into FaceBook and check. But that’s ok. They are never urgent, and checking once a day is more than enough.
Finally, since I’m also tired of all the ads on FaceBook, I installed a GreaseMonkey script for the FireFox browser that hides all of the ads and suggested friends and junk on the right side of the screen. Now when I log into FaceBook, there are fewer distractions and less clutter on the screen.
As of right now, FaceBook has been crippled. I can use it to do what I want, without getting sucked in for hours. I’ll try it out like this for now and see if I want to change it any more.
One of my favorite parts of traveling is getting to try out new foods. It doesn’t matter if I take an afternoon spin on the motorcycle to the next town over, or spend a semester studying in another country, I’m going to seek out somewhere new to eat. When I was in Ireland for a semester, I checked out some cookbooks of traditional Irish food. Using these as a starting point, my wife and I were able to sample some “real” Irish food and discover what we liked, and what we didn’t.
Fortunately, you don’t have to go anywhere to get recipes to try out. No flying to another country necessary. The internet provides recipes for just about anything that you can think of, and most ingredients can be found in local grocery stores, though you might have to search a bit harder to find some.
If you’ve been in the mood for something different, or perhaps you just want to try your hand at cooking your own “foreign” meals, look something up and see what you can find. My wife and I just had Jambalaya, from a recipe I found online. It tasted great, and was really easy to make. Next on the list: Chicken Curry. Big jump from Louisiana to India, I know. But it’s entirely possible when you’re a kitchen explorer!
Where will you travel to? To get you started, head on down to Cajun country for some Jambalaya.
20 Mins prep time
30 Mins cook time
Makes about 6 servings
Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
8 ounces kielbasa, diced
1 onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup diced celery
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 cups uncooked white rice
4 cups chicken stock
3 bay leaves
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
Directions
Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Saute chicken and kielbasa until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
Stir in onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic. Season with cayenne, onion powder, salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes, or until onion is tender and translucent.
Add rice, then stir in chicken stock and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer 20 minutes, or until rice is tender.
Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and hot pepper sauce.
Suggestions I made the recipe as stated. These suggestions come from comments on the original page, some that I will most likely try next go-around.
add tomato sauce/diced tomatoes/Ro-tel
add more garlic
use half green onion / half white onion
use cajun/creole seasoning in place of salt & pepper
add a can of drained red beans and a can of diced tomatoes w/green chiles
While reading this post on mnmlist.com, I realized that this is exactly what I need to do. I need to subtract the desire from my life, not the need for the object.
I don’t need an iPhone, but I like the idea of having one and often want one. I think that one would be quite useful, for a variety of reasons:
Use it as a phone, to make and receive calls and check my voicemail.
Use it as an alarm clock.
Built-in camera.
Utilize the calendar function to track my schedule.
Keep track of my contacts.
Start lots of lists/notes to myself to capture data.
Play games.
The thing is…
I can already do those things with what I already have. Sure, my system’s not as flashy, it has more parts, but it’s entirely functional. Here’s what I’ve already got:
A cell phone that does far more than I want.
Including have 5 alarms that cover my alarm needs.
And a camera, even if it’s not quite as good as the iPhone’s.
I carry a Moleskine planner around. It’s small enough that it fits into my pocket, but large enough that I can track my schedule and other stuff.
Such as carry a contacts book in the back with more space than I have entries to fill it with.
And enough space for me to scribble in, as well as a handy surface to attach sticky-notes with that day’s todo list.
My current cell phone has some games on it, they just aren’t as fancy. Plus, I have more than enough to occupy me without killing time with games.
I always have a writing instrument or two with me, so I don’t have to worry about scrounging for a pen.
Why Would I Change?
Since my current system works just fine, and has for over a year now, there are only two reasons that I might change it.
Because of my minimalist desires I can see where it would be a good thing for me to carry a single device instead of the 3 (cell phone, Moleskine planner, fountain pen) that I am currently using.
It’s new and shiny and I want it. Basic desire. I don’t need an iPhone, but I want one because I see so many other people around me who have one.
Why I Won’t Change
Despite the two reasons above, I won’t be getting an iPhone any time soon. Here’s why:
It’s a single device, yes, but is it wise to become dependent upon a more fragile system? My current phone can be replaced very cheaply. Sure, my Moleskine shouldn’t get wet, but it will dry out and keep working, which I’m not sure can be said about the iPhone. Likewise, I can drop my Moleskine and not have a heart-attack. I don’t ever have to be concerned that the batteries in my Moleskine might run out. Part of my minimalist goals are to minimize the stress and worry in my life; I feel that a gadget like the iPhone would be counter-productive in light of this goal.
I don’t need it. Why spend money on something that I don’t need? This is the Modern Luddite coming out in me. The technology would be nice to have, but it’s not needed and isn’t necessarily “better” than my current system.
I can’t get it without a data package. If I could, I might consider getting an iPhone. However, I just can’t justify increasing my monthly cell phone bill just to have a shiny new toy. If you look at my list of things I would use an iPhone for, you’ll notice that none of them require the internet. If I did want to check my email, I could easily use the WiFi access that I am around the majority of the time. A data plan is a waste of my money and would only provide an added distraction.
An iPhone (or any other “smart” phone, for that matter) isn’t something that I see in my near future. Even though they might offer some decent advantages to my current system, over-all they are not a step in the right direction. Too dependent on modern technology, too expensive, too distracting, and too stress inducing. I’ll keep my dumb phone for now.
Terral Fox replied to my post Featuring YOU! and told me about a unique adventure that he and his brothers often go on: mountain unicycling! It is often called Muni for short. They ride specially built off-road unicycles down mountain biking trails. Terral said that “Mountain Unicycling is an incredible
challenge of balance, strength, and stamina. I think that the simplicity and challenge of it is what draws me to it.” I can certainly see how challenging this would be from this video that Terral made of himself and his brother out riding:
(This is definitely worth seeing full-screen. Click on the arrows next to the volume control to expand it.)
This video only served to pique my interest, so I asked Terral if he was willing to be interviewed. Fortunately he was, and he provided some wonderful details about how he got into Muni. Read on to see what he has to say. (My questions are in italics and Terral’s response is regular text.)
Tell us a little about yourself.
I am a freelance graphic designer and photographer living in Southern Utah. I have a degree in graphic design and I’m working on a second degree in photography as well. (editor’s note: You can see some of Terral’s work on his website.) Some of my favorite activities are: hiking, snowboarding, rock climbing, mountain biking, kayaking/rafting, camping, backpacking, fishing, and mountain unicycling. I love just about any outdoor recreational activity. I live in an area that offers a wide variety of recreational opportunities and an amazing landscape.
How did you get into Muni?
When I was in the 5th grade my friend got a unicycle for his birthday. I was intrigued by it and asked my parents if I could get one. The same year I got one for Christmas and learned how to ride it. I rode it around for several years but eventually it got put away and I rarely ever rode it. Later in life I became interested in BMX bikes. I couldn’t afford a new BMX bike that I could do tricks on so I had a used bike that someone gave me. It was in bad shape so I had to spend quite a bit of time fixing it up. One day my friends were out riding their bikes and I really wanted to go but my bike was not in shape to ride yet.
At this point I remembered my unicycle and I had this crazy idea… I wondered if I could do tricks on my unicycle. I dusted it off and began playing around on it. Before long I realized that I could stand up on the pedals and hop up and down. This, of course, led me to riding it around trying some of the tricks my friends were doing on BMX bikes. One of my friends saw me doing it and asked if I could teach him how to ride. Eventually he had one and was riding with me. On any given day we were out on either bikes or unicycles. One day we took a shortcut on a dirt road on our unicycles. We discovered that it was a totally different experience to go off road. One thing led to another and soon we decided to ride down a new mountain bike trail near our homes. It was 4.5 miles of technical single track downhill.
We thought that we had invented a new sport of mountain unicycling. The problem was that our unicycles were not designed to take the abuse we were giving them. They didn’t last very long at all. We ended up fixing them and modifying them to be better suited for off road use. Eventually my friend began looking for a new unicycle and found that there were custom unicycles being built for off road use. Of course this meant that we were not the first to venture off road on unicycles but it also meant that there were resources for better unicycles. Mountain unicycling is often shortened to “muni”.
What kind of gear do you need for Muni? Do you make or buy it? Where at, if you have a preferred place?
Eventually I got a new unicycle with a 24 inch wheel and a three inch tire. I ordered all of the parts online and assembled it myself. Although I’ve replaced some parts, I still ride the same unicycle. I have now been riding a unicycle for about 16 years and I have been riding muni for about 10 years.
A good mountain unicycle usually costs anywhere from $200 to $1,600. Some bike shops are now carrying mountain unicycles but most of them are bought online. It has become more popular in Europe so it is easier to purchase them there. Unicycle.com is really the only distributer of mountain unicycles in the U.S. that I know of.
Since all of a riders weight is placed directly on the pedals during most of the technical riding and while hopping they are made with extremely strong crank arms and hubs. They are also made with wide tires to get better traction and to absorb as much shock as possible. All mountain and freestyle unicycles have a handle on the front of the saddle. Some unicycles now have brakes but usually a rider’s legs are the only brakes that they have. Safety gear is a must! At bare minimum you will want a helmut, gloves, and shin guards. I often ride with elbow and knee pads as well.
Tell us about some experiences with Muni.
People give us funny looks and always make comments like “looks like the circus is in town”, or “what happened to the other half of your bike?”. They don’t realize that someone else said the same thing to us five minutes ago! The most common response when people find out that we ride on advanced mountain biking trails is that they think we are crazy and ask us if we have a death wish. In reality mountain unicycling is MUCH safer than mountain biking. I do both and I rarely get injuries from unicycling, if I do they are usually minor. Since a unicycle doesn’t coast it can only go as fast as your legs can pedal! When things get out of control it is easy to go from pedaling to running. I travel much faster on a mountain bike and if I crash, I can’t just bail and land on my feet like I can a unicycle. Of course there are people that push the limits of safety but for the most part it is safer than people think it is. The most common injury is a pedal to the calf!
The longest trail I have done was a 17 mile downhill trail. It is technical single track until the last two miles. Mountain unicycling is the best leg workout I have ever had. When we do a long trail or a trail that is very steep it hurts to go down stairs the next day!
Although all of the riding in the video is in the desert low elevation mountains (we filmed it in the early spring) we often ride in the high mountains.
<-- end interview -->
As you can see, Terral did a wonderful job of answering my questions. (Thanks Terral!) If you want to know more about him, check out his website or his new blog where he is selling the Unshoes sandals that he makes.
As with so many other adventures, you don’t really need much to go camping. It’s easy to spend a lot of money on camping gear, especially when you’re first starting out. Instead, begin with the basics, most of which you can scrounge from home. Then, with more experience, you will be able to buy just the gear you need.
A destination – This can be your backyard, a nearby forest, or a national park. I’ve camped on islands in lakes, on beaches, in my backyard, on a mountain, in my car, and in numerous forests. You can always find somewhere to go camping when you start looking for them.
Some sort of shelter – Shelter can be as grand as a multi-person mansion of a tent, or a simple bedroll. I prefer using my hammock with a bugnet when camping, but still have a tent for backup. If you’re just starting out, you don’t need much. A tarp to keep rain off, and some sheets and blanket from home will keep you warm. They wash out afterwards, and can save you quite a bit of money.
Food – I love having a campfire to cook over, but it can be hard to find a spot where you’re allowed to build one. I’m also a stove junkie (see the above link about making your own gear). Even with both of those facts, though, you don’t need fire to eat well when camping. There is plenty of food that is easy to carry and tasty without having to heat it. Don’t go buy fancy “camping food” when you’re starting out. You can carry something that you eat at home, and then develop your outdoor cooking skills as you go along and acquire or make the gear.
Water – As always, water is vital. It’s easy to buy a 1-gallon jug at the store and carry that. Don’t throw it away, though! Save it for your next trip, and just refill it at home. If you’re car-camping, you can carry a cooler full of drinks.
That’s it, those are the basic requirements for a camping trip. Add in some bug repellent and sun screen and you’re good to go. With such a short list of necessities, and all of them being readily available at home, don’t let any excuses keep you from enjoying a camping trip now!