Tag: intentional-living

  • Positive Hindrances

    Positive Hindrances

    Thoreau said many comforts don’t just fail to help, they get in the way. Here’s a one-week trial to find out which of yours still earn their keep.

  • The Gift to Be Simple

    The Gift to Be Simple

    A Shaker song from 1848 calls simplicity a gift and promises “the place just right.” Here’s how to make one small spot in your home feel that way this week.

  • Possessed by Our Possessions

    Possessed by Our Possessions

    Peace Pilgrim had a simple test for anything you own: has it outlived its usefulness, and can you let it go? Here’s how to run it on one shelf this week.

  • A Faculty for Idleness

    A Faculty for Idleness

    Robert Louis Stevenson thought extreme busyness was a sign something was running low. Here’s how to practice a little idleness this week.

  • The House Shelters Day-Dreaming

    The House Shelters Day-Dreaming

    Gaston Bachelard said the chief benefit of a house is a quiet place to dream. Here is how to claim a small dreaming spot in your own home this week.

  • The Maximum of Well-Being

    The Maximum of Well-Being

    “Since consumption is merely a means to human well-being, the aim should be to obtain the maximum of well-being with the minimum of consumption.” E. F. Schumacher, Small Is Beautiful (1973). One concrete way to get more well-being from less stuff this week.

  • A Nobler Art of Leaving Things Undone

    A Nobler Art of Leaving Things Undone

    “Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is a nobler art of leaving things undone.” Lin Yutang, The Importance of Living (1937). One concrete way to practice leaving the nonessential undone this week.

  • Three Chairs in My House

    Three Chairs in My House

    Thoreau furnished his tiny Walden cabin for everyday life, not the rare party. Here is how to try that idea in your own home this week.

  • Never Enough Time for Nothing

    Never Enough Time for Nothing

    Bill Watterson on protecting time for nothing, and one small way to schedule empty space this week.

  • Subtract the Obvious, Add the Meaningful

    Subtract the Obvious, Add the Meaningful

    “Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious and adding the meaningful.” John Maeda, The Laws of Simplicity John Maeda makes simplicity sound like editing, not deprivation. You remove what is loud and obvious, then you protect what actually matters. That is a useful way to think when life feels crowded for no good reason. The obvious…

  • Promote What You Most Value

    Promote What You Most Value

    “Minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of anything that distracts us from them.” Joshua Becker, The More of Less Joshua Becker puts the spotlight where it belongs. Minimalism is not a contest to own the fewest objects. It is a quiet decision about what gets your attention,…

  • Living With Less Is a Life Philosophy

    Living With Less Is a Life Philosophy

    “Living with less is a life philosophy; it’s not about the number of things you own.” Tammy Strobel, You Can Buy Happiness (and It’s Cheap) Tiny house photos make it easy to turn simple living into a numbers game. How many square feet. How many items in the closet. How few mugs on the shelf.…