Decluterfy

I am going to decluterfy my life. I am going to eliminate all the clutter, both tangible and electronic that has taken its mental and organizational toll on me. It seems like the more we are "connected" the less we get done, and there is a point where we just have too much stuff.

By the end of April I intend to have eliminated anything I haven't used or don't intend on using for at least 6 months (I'm keeping my golf clubs and guns so don't ask for them). Some things will be sold, others thrown out and donated. Many of my online accounts will be deactivated (Facebook is up for debate at this point). The intent is to refocus my energy and find a more efficient use for my space and time.

I realized a few days ago that I have something like 75 apps on my iPhone, many I have never even used that provide information I can find just as quickly using a good old fashion Google search. I have two of every kitchen utensil and clothing I have never worn. I have 10 place settings of my everyday dinner stuff, but have never had more than 4 people over for dinner when the nice china wasn't used. I see no reason to have stuff "just in case". In case what? In case we need to give 50 gifts and Target and every other store runs out of gift bags?

I have a lot of goals and things I want to get done in my life, I don't need all the distractions that impede my ability to get things done. I don't need a Twitter account, I don't really care to tell the world what bars and restaurants I'm "Mayor" of via Foursquare, and I'm really not interested in reading random people's thoughts. If I'm interested hearing what you have to say, I'll call or we can grab lunch or a beer. The idea is to simplify my life, take the little rocks out of the jar so the big ones can fit.

I'm not anti-social, I'm not looking to distance myself. I'm looking to add value to my relationships and increase my time spent obtaining my personal and professional goals.

It starts today. I'm done with all the crap.

-JB

Don't you have goals??

I was recently asked what it is that I want out of life, what my goals are, where I see myself in 1, 5, 10, 20 years. I'm almost 30, and the one thing that I have been able to say for most of my short life is that I can honestly say I can't answer that "where do you see yourself" question. I never have been able too. But I can say that I know what my passions are and I know that where ever I end up, it will involve something on that list.

I live to be outside. Running on the road, hiking a trail, riding a single track, hunting coyote, or just relaxing on the beach...fresh air, open spaces, adventure. I love these things. I could spend every moment of my life in the woods. I could wake up every morning in a tent, ride my mountain bike out to the job site, ride home to start a bonfire and grill some dogs and drink some beer with friends.
Yes, I enjoy living in the city. It works in a twisted concrete wilderness sort of way. Instead of getting up in the morning and driving my car to the office, then driving to the gym, then driving to the bar only to drive home, I get to walk to the office and enjoy the mornings weather, I get to spend my lunch sitting by the river at a restaurants patio watching boats cruise by. No, I'm not climbing a mountain or building the worlds largest bonfire, but I get to spend my free time out of the house.
All this being said, the city is not a forever thing for me. One of my goals...is to live in a place I can wake up in the morning and go for a quick mountain bike ride, on real mountain single track, before heading to work at a job that allows me to work outdoors or at least with products and services related to being outside. And I want to be able to do this year round. I really do like snow, but I hate winter. The things I love to do don't happen below 45 degrees. From pretty much December 1st until April 1st I'm cooped up, I'm trapped.
I have gone on January hikes, but since I don't ski, ice fish or snowmobile, there's not many other options. And not to be a dick, but hiking in the mid-west really isn't much more than a long walk in the woods.

My professional goals center around owning my own business. In my mind there is nothing more rewarding than the challenges faced and overcome by a business owner. That, and all of the above having been said, my business will be related to something outdoors. I have a few plans in my head, some of which are making their way out on to paper (I'll keep you posted). These plans just need to be viable enough for me to live off of. I have no real aspirations to be a millionaire, I just want to live comfortably off of a day to day life that I enjoy. I want to wake up excited about what I am going to do for the day. I want to care about the work that I am doing.
The great thing (and shitty thing) is that I know what it is going to take to obtain this. It's going to take long hours and hard work. But at the end of the day all those late nights are truly worth the stress and aggravation if I get to wake up in the morning and give two shits about what I am headed to at the office (after a 10 mile mountain bike ride of course).

I'm not a guy that wants much. I couldn't care less about a fancy house with all the bestest bells and whistles. Give me an average house, on about 20 acres, a jeep wrangler, and a good sized gun collection. I don't need decorations up the ass, I don't need the fancy slate counters and high end kitchen appliances. In fact, the less shit I have, the better I feel. I intend to spend as little time inside as humanly possible, so why spent the money to decorate and fancify?

Ok, so at the end of the day...I want to spend most of my life outside, I want a job that involves the outdoors in someway, I want to be able to enjoy this stuff year-round, I want to own my own company that does outdoor stuff, and I want an average house on a few acres without a bunch of shit I will never use. Oh, and a jeep wrangler.

I'm a pretty simple dude.

-JB