A Quick Guide To A Great 2009
Posted on 1 January 2009
I’m going to run over a few things that you can do starting in 2009 that will improve your life for the better they are quick simple and are things you can keep up for the whole year. Be your own person of the year!
1- Simplify Your Life
This one is inspired by Leo Babuata’s Zen Habits blog which is launching the Power of Less e-book which is filled with ways to simplify and de-clutter your life. At the end of the day much of the mental confusion we experience is caused by the amount of different choices we are presented with in our society.
This is a really good old school guide to simplyfying life……Its full of great tips that can help you get more done with less….
Simplyfying your life can be simple:
- Try and have a more simple wardrobe. Fewer T-shirts/Jeans/Shoes.
- Eat a more natural simplistic diet. This helps a great deal when you go food shopping as you know exactly what you need to pickup.
- Setup an eBay account and flog all the old stuff you never use. This will earn you some money, make someone else happy and save you space. Remember “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure”
2- Read a Quote and Live by it Everyday!
This is a really cool idea a friend of mine came up with. It ties hand in hand with having a small hournal or notebook in which you write down:
- Tasks for the day (toodoolist)
- Feelings/Thoughts
- Workout log
Most Importantly though at the beginning of each day find a quote you like from a site like Empowered Quotes write it down at the top of the page in a standout color and try and live by it for that one day. Try it for at least a week its pretty cool….
Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.
3- Find What You Love
For inspiration about this one simple watch Steve Jobs Commencement Speech. Its so important we all find something we love and pursue it. There is no point slaving away doing a 9to5 when you could be doing something you love and making enough money to live your life.
Find What Works For You a Logical Guide
Inspirational figures who have found another path in life like Tim Ferris are great to read about and for inspiration check out his 4 Hour Work Week Book…. Its something that greatly inspired me in 2008.
If you have already found it great, pursue it and try to make it happen for the rest of your life. These economic tough times may be the perfect opportunity for you to start a business or pursue your dreams!
While many are wringing their hands, I recall the 1970s when we were suffering from an oil shock causing long lines at gas stations, rationing, and 55 MPH speed limits on Federal highways, a recession, very little venture capital ($50 million per year into VC firms), and, what President Jimmy Carter (wearing a sweater while addressing the Nation on TV because he had turned down the heat in the White House) called a “malaise”. It was during those times that two kids without any real college education, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, started companies that did pretty well. Opportunities abound in bad times as well as good times. In fact, the opportunities are often greater when the conventional wisdom is that everything is going into the toilet.
Well…we’re nearing the end of another great year, and, despite what we read about the outlook for 2009, we can look forward to a New Year filled with opportunities as well as stimulating challenges.
4- Promise yourself 30 Minutes of Exercise 3 Times A Week
This alone can have a profound effect on your life and 2009. Simply by dedicating yourself to 30 minutes of intense exercise 3 times a week you can improve your body, health and mental clarity.
I have recently started following Craig Ballantyne on Twitter and he has some great workouts that are time effective and can be done in a gym or at home in under 20 minutes. Throw in a few sprints/Intervals at the end of the workout and your done. Repeat 3 times a week and I can assure you that you will feel worlds better, also try and keep active on your off days, I find having a short walk every morning before breakfast to be very uplifting and refreshing.
5- Read Real Books
If you have been suckered into reading too much stuff on the web and not enough real books then you have been missing out. There is a wealth of good stuff available for free at your local library or for a small cost through amazon. Plus reading a book is the ultimate form of portable entertainment you can bring it with you anywhere and whip it out anytime you want, no relying on internet connections, batteries and time constraints.
-Mark Sisson’s Top 10 Books is somewhere great to start
And a few of my Favourites from 2008
- The Peaceful Warrior – Dan Millman
- Omnivore’s Dilemma - Michael Pollan
Have a Great 2009 – Zen to Fitness
10 comments so far
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Comment by Yavor
1 January 2009
Oh, yeah, a superb post.
And one from me:
6- Strive for excellence
Find out how you can do the things you do better and better each time.
Yavor
Comment by cetateanul asortat
1 January 2009
We usually wear 20% of our favorite outfits 80% of the time
Here is a great article about how to organize your wardrobe……
Comment by Super-Trainer
1 January 2009
Number 1 is a good one – I tell some of my readers who are mostly aspiring entrepreneurs that it’s a good idea to only have two things in your life that you’re focusing on at a time -
For example, your business, and your blog – Or school, and some other project -
I agree that it’s good to simplify things in order to actually get to our goals – Happy New Year!
Comment by David at Animal-Kingdom-Workouts
1 January 2009
Thanks for the great post. All of the tips are great, especially the ones on clutter. This is something we all have an issue with, I think. We spend all of our lives collecting stuff we just don’t need. I also loved Steve Jobs commencement speech. Stay hungry, stay foolish indeed.
- Dave
Comment by Wellsy
2 January 2009
Also, persevere. It’s easy to be optimistic on January 1 but come February 1, it might be a little harder to enact any of these. But that’s the thing with making habits, I guess.
Comment by Tom Parker - Free Fitness Tips
2 January 2009
Great post Chris. Number 5 is a good one for me. I’ve not read a real book in almost a year.
Comment by Chris
2 January 2009
Thanks for the comments. I agree it can be hard to keep up NY’s resolutions once the initial enthusiasm has died down, but I feel it all comes down to making them habits and ways of life rather than something you see as a chore.
@ Tom: Its time to get an amazon wish list buddy, there is a wealth of cool stuff available on whatever your interested in. I rarely read any fiction these days more nutrition/lifestyle/philosophy and business books…..
Comment by Andrew R - Go Healthy Go Fit
4 January 2009
Love number 2! I have a quote written up on my whiteboard that fires up my will power everyday of my life. Great suggestion!
All the Best,
Andrew R