Simplicity is the new black…

A cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind.

The same goes for your shower, your refrigerator, your car, and even all the apps on your iPhone. Do we really need all this stuff? Is it actually adding value to our lives?

When my surroundings are hectic, I get worn down faster and I’m less creative. When my environment is simple and organized, I feel more relaxed, less distracted, and have more time to day dream about my next vacation (which makes me happy).

While some good old fashioned spring cleaning is a good way to declutter, the most effective way to embrace minimalism is to stop the chaos from the source. The less non-essential stuff I consume, the happier I am and the smaller my environmental footprint.

Overconsumption is the root of our environmental problems, so at the top of our list for change is habit #2: Consider before you consume.

The Why Behind The How

There are so many quick fixes, tech hacks, and “game-changers” on the market today, you’d think all of the world’s problems should have been solved already. But they haven’t been solved. People still struggle with the same essential issues:

• We aren’t rich enough.
• We aren’t cool enough.
• We don’t have enough time.

The thing is, more often than not, our problems lie in the way we perceive them.

A shakeweight isn’t going to miraculously make getting ripped easy, just like joining a pyramid scheme isn’t going to make you rich without having to work, and an iPhone app isn’t going to do your homework for you.

Yes, some things like Slack do make communication and workflow more efficient, there’s no doubt. But I’m talking more about the underlying problems. If you need tons of apps to help you juggle all your tasks, maybe you’re just working too much…

The point is: The answer to the oldest problems are the oldest solutions. We have everything we need, we just need to change the way we perceive things.

In terms of our consumption

With this in mind it’s easier to recognize the marketing schemes and sales gimmicks that convince us to buy things we don’t need. Is the new swagger red zone body soap really going to make me cleaner and more enticing? When did bar soap stop working?

You get it.

Good News: The solution is to simply recognize what’s going on.

When you become aware of the superfluous nature of the things we consume, embracing minimalism becomes easy and rewarding.

And you can rest assured that while you’re making your life better you’re also significantly reducing your eco footprint.

It takes a lot of resources to make consumer goods and most of them can’t be recycled or reused. Being smart about what to buy when you do need something… that’s a topic for another day.

For now, remember this: When in doubt, leave it out (of your shopping cart).

Habit #2: Consider before you consume.

Here are a few quick things I like to ask myself before purchasing something:

1. Do I really need this?
2. How long will this last?
3. Who is selling it?
4. Where is it from?

You can learn more about how to improve your buy/don’t buy judgement in the full post: 4 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Buying a Product

Your Action Item:

Develop a habit of questioning a product before you buy it. Before you go through the checkout counter ask yourself, “Do I really need this? Is this going to add value to my life?”.

Bonus Tip: If you really want an eye-opening experience,  record everything you buy for one week. Everything. From your morning cup of coffee to the seat covers of your Subaru outback – write it down or note it in your phone (include price). After a week, you’ll be surprised to see how much we really consume without acknowledging it.

You’ll also realize how much potential you have to save 💸

If you’re not on board already, you can get in here:

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<< #1 Do What You Can

#3 Consume Smarter >>

Resources:

4 Things to Ask Yourself Before Buying

This post goes more in-depth specifically about the environmental impact of products we buy and what you should consider before purchasing.

The Minimalists

If you’re interested in learning more about minimalism, The Minimalists is the best place to start. Josh and Ryan are two minimalists from Montana who not only provide a complete guide to minimalism, but also recently released a documentary and regularly podcast about their experiences. It’s worth checking out!

A Good Laugh

Check out 14 of the dumbest infomercials of all time and make a mental note to be a conscious consumer.

Note:

Whether you’ve never thought about minimalism or you’re well on your way, there is always room to improve. In fact that’s the best way to approach it. Start with just a few things, maybe just simplify your personal care products or work on reducing your shopping list. Then you can move on to more difficult areas like your wardrobe or what you pack for vacations.

If you want to jump in feet first you can, but remember Tip #1 – baby steps make it easier and more likely for you to succeed.

If you’re already a minimalist master, let me know! I’d love to get some tips from you and share them with the group.

Less stress equals more success…

Bad News: Only 8% of Americans actually achieve their New Year’s resolution…

Good News: You’re about to be in that 8%!

Most of us fail to realize our goals because we try to do too much too soon. We try to drastically change our habits which causes a lot of stress and is unsustainable. That’s why, despite our best intentions we find ourselves slipping back into what’s comfortable – falling back onto our old habits.

So instead of giving you a list of played out To Do’s like stop eating meat and stop buying bottled water, this series takes a completely different approach. We’re going to focus on making your everyday habits just a bit more eco-friendly and we’ll watch them compound into big savings over time (🍎+🌲+💰).

The Why Behind The How:

Consider the most common new years resolutions:

• changing your diet
• exercising daily
• quitting smoking

In every case, folks are trying to reverse habits they’ve built up over years in just a matter of days or weeks. That’s like trying to clean out the house of a hoarder in one day. Not easy.

Unless you have the whole A&E TV crew to help you, it’s more effective to clean out a few pieces of trash every day when you get home from work. It might take some time, but at the end of a few months you’ll not only have a clean house, but you’ll also be used to cleaning regularly so you won’t fall back into your old ways.

One step at a time: While you’re chipping away at your goal with no real expense to the quality of your life, the other 92% of Americans charge full steam ahead, try to do it all over one weekend, get burnt out, and give up. Let’s be successful this year…

Setting Realistic Goals

We don’t have much control over whether or not Trump will dismantle the EPA or even whether or not our neighbors will recycle their newspaper. But we do have control over our own actions and even the smallest can have big impacts.

The vast majority of us are simply unconscious of the environmental impact many of our daily habits have. Our goal is to become aware of those and seemlessly transition to more sustainable habits in the easiest way possible.

More Good News: Most of these new eco-friendly habits will also help you be healthier and save money.

So plant the seeds for new habits today and watch them grow into a healthy forest tomorrow. You’re on your way to a greener and healthier 2017.

Today’s Tip:

Start with the right mind set.

Take it slow, set realistic goals, and do what you can. The next 29 tips will help you make small changes in your daily life that will have a huge impact over time.

Your Action Item:

Achieve the right mindset. Understand that this is about doing what you can to be more sustainable in your daily life, not a guide to single handedly save the world.

If you’re not on board already, you can get in here:

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#2 Reducing Your Consumption >>

More Resources:

To dig deeper on this subject, check out this post about the sweet spot for environmentalists which will help you understand how to find the happy medium between being eco-friendly and sacrificing your life for the trees.

If you need a little inspiration this 2 min read is good one: We Each Do What We Can

A few good books:

The Power of Habit

If you want to understand more about why we form habits, how they impact our lives, and the best ways to turn bad habits into good habits this is a great book. It gives scientific context to real life applications of how habits can influence our lives so you can understand the why behind the how.

The Compound Effect

This book is focused mostly on business success but it does a great job of illustrating how habits make us who we are and how seemingly little things can add up to big change. Darren Hardy explains what great achievers have in common (hint: it’s good habits) and how to incorporate them into your own life.

Save The World and Still Be Home for Dinner

Author Will Marre, who worked hand-in-hand with Steven Covey to produce 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, wrote this inspiring book that helps the “ordinary” citizen understand their role in the environmental movement. It’s a quick read that can help transition you from feeling helpless to empowered in a time where environmental stewardship is needed most.

I can’t attribute all of my success to nature, but I’m willing to give it the majority of the credit.

I’ve always had a passion for the outdoors and to me being environmentally responsible feels like the right thing to do. What I’ve recently realized, however, is that through my outdoor hobbies and actions to become environmentally responsible, I’ve also developed skills that have helped me get through college, develop great friendships, and become an entrepreneur with the freedom to travel the world.

I believe respect, discipline, education, conservation, and health are key attributes to a well-rounded and successful life; Here’s how my love for nature has helped foster them:

Respect

When I was younger I embraced the classic teenage mindset: disregard as many rules as you can without getting caught and always play it cool. I wanted to be like the Lords of Dogtown or the Lost… surf crew, but it turns out that it’s pretty hard for rebels without a cause stay motivated.

There’s no doubt that my attachment to surfing at an early age was as much related to being in nature as it was the adrenaline rush of a steep take-off or deep barrel. I dreamed of surfing exotic breaks and spent as much time at the beach as possible, body surfing or kayaking when the waves weren’t surfable. As I got better at surfing and graduated to better surf breaks I developed a respect for both the power of the ocean and the locals of the lineup because both will kick your ass if you disrespect them.

Respect came in handy with the new hobbies I developed in parallel to surfing too. Backpacking, fishing, hiking all require both a respect for mother nature and your peers. Whether it’s trail etiquette or fishing regulations, a common respect for outdoor culture is essential to the integrity of the community.

Applying these same lessons to my academic and professional life turned out to have similar rewards. When I showed respect for my professors and employers they returned that respect which made school and work easier and more rewarding.

What started as a thrill and natural curiosity for me matured into a deeper understanding and respect, which has paid dividends in all aspects of my life. As we learn the value of respect we find that others respect us back, which is one of the biggest rewards in life.  When you can look another man in the eyes and exchange respect, you’ve reached a social summit.

Takeaway: You can’t expect to receive respect if you don’t first give it.

Conservation & Discipline

Conserving resources is a cornerstone of the environmentally conscious, but I’ve realized that these eco-initiated habits have reverberated through other parts of my life as well. Saving resources directly saves you money on your utility bill, but more importantly, developing habits like checking to make sure the lights are off before you leave home cultivates a mindset that helps you be more efficient in other aspects of life.

Breaking habits is difficult… unless you have the right motivation. My initial inspiration of conserving resources gave me the momentum I needed to kick old habits and develop new ones. My discipline to develop new habits has been invaluable in self-improvement and entrepreneurship too.

The key to this concept is realizing that even our smallest habits add up over time to have a big impact. A penny saved is a penny earned, right? If you can successfully condition yourself to eat less meat by weaning yourself from it, you can also teach yourself a new language or save up for your next big trip, just by having the discipline to take action every day.

Takeaway: Conservation and discipline are easier to develop when backed by a passion.

Health

Mind the impact your diet has on the environment and you’ll see that it has a positive impact on your body too. There’s a new diet every day and finding the one that suits your life is up to you. While we don’t know much about how effective these #trending diets are, one thing we do know for sure is that some things are better for you than others.

I’ve found that eating a primarily plant-based diet helps my physical health. And when I feel good, I do good. You don’t have to go vegan to dramatically reduce your environmental impact. The meat industry is so resource intensive, that any reduction in the amount of meat you consume will considerably reduce your impact.

Here’s a simple plan for beginners: Reduce Your Meat Impact

Needless to say, being mindful about the environmental impact of other things like chemical cleaners and plastics will also have a positive impact on your personal health.

Takeaway: Minding your health is also good for the environment.

Be Informed (Educate Yo’self!)

If we’re going to make an impact on the way humans influence the environment we have to be willing to stand up for what we know is right.

I’ve realized that if I’m going to stand up for something I believe in, it’s a good idea to be able to speak to it. In order to prevent myself from looking like a kook when environmental topics come up at the dinner table I do my best to stay informed. Like you, I’m also busy surviving and squeezing in some outdoor time, but luckily I’ve found a way to stay up on things that isn’t that time consuming.

Just dedicate 2 hours a week – that’s 20min a day and Sunday’s off!

Being well informed about your personal and political stance is especially important in post election America. You don’t want to be the guy that gets all hot to trot about global warming in room full of Trump supporters only to find yourself unable to articulate the reasons you support your beliefs. We have enough people spouting out what they believe without anything to back it up other than the fact that they saw a headline in their Facebook feed. If you take a little time to be informed you won’t be that guy.

Takeaway: Don’t be that guy. Stay informed in 20min or less a day.

For more on the environment and minimalism:

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Envision your ideal meal for a few seconds…

Is it a giant red steak, marinating in its own juices? Chicken parmesan? Carne asada tacos?

Don’t feel bad if meat is part of your fantasy meal. I’m not here to degrade your food fantasies. After all…

Food is awesome! We should enjoy it.

Instead of waging a war against our tastebuds, let’s live in harmony with them. Rather than ruling meat out completely because of its environmental impact, lets evaluate our relationship with this food group and strike a healthy balance between the environmental benefits of vegetarian life and the joys of meat.

Diets that force us to give up the things we love like cheese, bread, beer, or dessert suck. They have a high rate of failure because we have to fight ourselves every step of the way and exercise an unfair amount of self control.

Our human nature wants us to eat fatty, surgar-filled, and salty foods as much as possible and as often as possible. We are following an old drive that doesn’t know when or where we’ll get our next meal even though our rational minds already know what’s for dinner.

Because our innate tendencies don’t match our modern lifestyles, we all develop ways to compensate. Some of us exercise more to meet our “bad” food habits, some of us try portion control, some go through cycles of getting fat and then slimming down.

By now you know what works for you and if you’re interested in making a conscious effort to reduce your meat consumption, you can apply your own strategy to help reduce your consumption.

I’ve chosen to reduce my meat consumption both for my health and the environmental impact. I haven’t completely cut out meat and I’m nowhere near vegan (I’m not against going vegan, and while I may find that lifestyle right for me one day, it doesn’t put me in the sweet spot of being environmentally conscious right now) but I’ve cut about 90% of my meat consumption without any suffering, craving, or meat sweats.

Change the way you think about meat.

By having meat less often I appreciate it more. Six years ago I set a rule for myself: I only eat meat if I’m out to dinner or it’s a special occasion, and when I do eat meat I try to choose high quality options like free range.

Yes, more sustainable sources of meat cost more, but this initiates a positive feedback loop. When the meat cost more, you value it more and when you value it more it tastes better. You use it more efficiently or sparingly in your dishes and you savor it more. Bonus: These types of meats also tend to be healthier for you.

Regarding meat as a specialty food not only makes me appreciate it more, but it also tends to cut out the shitty low-quality meats from my life. I no longer grab low-quality ground beef by default for a spaghetti or hamburger meal. Over time I’ve learned to cook with alternatives and now I find them just as enjoyable – if not more, because I am conscious of the positive health and environmental implications.

Follow an attainable transition plan.

The key for anyone who is trying to create new habits is to keep the stress level low and work your way up in increments over time. The most devastating thing in any new habit is a relapse which is almost always spurred by too difficult of parameters that are unsustainable over time.

If you’re eating meat every day right now, you may want to try cutting out meat only one day to start. Once you’re comfortable with that you can move to two or three days a week. This slow transition won’t be a shock to your tastebuds and it will give you plenty of time to develop alternative meat-free versions of your favorite meals.

Give meat substitutes and alternatives a chance.

Tofu isn’t going to replace steak any time soon. Some new products are getting better, but no matter how you cut it, it isn’t the same. Rather than expecting the latest tofu burger to be just as good as In-N-Out, let’s place more emphasis on the health and environmental benefits of these alternatives.

Vegetarian alternatives have been around for a while now (think about India!) so there are a lot of really good recipes out there if you’re willing to try something new. The same goes for eating out – vegetarianism is at it’s peak in popularity and it’s never been easier to find alternatives.

In Summary:

Changing the way you think about meat and following a feasible transition plan is the key to successfully reducing your meat consumption. Go slow and setup some parameters that work for you; Going cold turkey is setting yourself up for failure. You can always decrease your meat intake more as you become comfortable with your new diet

Here are some tips to help you:

• Don’t stress it. Feel good about the positive impact your having when you choose a meat alternative rather than beating yourself up about the negative environmental impact every time you eat meat.
• Easy does it. You don’t need to go vegetarian over night. Drastically changing your lifestyle is difficult and a recipe for success. Taking small steps will yield better results over time.
• Some good strategies:
  • Eat meat only when you go out.
  • Cut out one day a week or one meal a day.
  • Buy more sustainably raised meat.
  • Give the alternatives a try.
• Learn to appreciate meat more. The more you appreciate meat, the more you can enjoy it on occassion and the less you will take it for granted or make it a necessity of every meal.

Hey,

If you enjoyed this piece, you might be interested in trying out for the prch community.

Being part of our team means you’re going get some free advice. You’re going to meet some like-minded people. And you’re going to get access to things not on the public site. There’s no fee for joining, but to maintain the quality of our community you do have to qualify…

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