How to Simplify Your Life

Towards the Process of Simplification

Something that I personally discovered in my life is that as I become older and more advanced, I have tended towards a process of simplification. For example, more simple in my thoughts and ideas. With my things and stuff, more streamlined, which means owning fewer things. Also questioning everything. For example, rather than thinking about what the best headphones are, discovering that in fact, I don’t even need headphones. I could just play music off my phone speaker, or laptop speaker. Or, just going for long period of time not listening to music, fasting from music.

With cars, discovering that the best car is no car. More impressive to deadlift 600 pounds than to even own a Tesla model S plaid or Lamborghini.

Also with food, simplification. A preference towards fatty beef, like beef ribs, beef liver, or beef brisket. As a side, mustard, kimchi, or seaweed.

Also with design aesthetics, the best design being simple and streamlined. My great delight with iPad Pro, even the classic design of the iPhone SE. With Camera, Ricoh GR 3X.

Also with investments, extreme simplification. As of now, all I own is Bitcoin. 100% of my assets in Bitcoin, no other forms of crypto or cryptocurrency‘s.

Also with life in general, simplification. All I have a passion for is writing, thinking, blogging, vlogging, photography, spending time with Seneca, powerlifting, eating meat, and spending quality time with Cindy.

Why simplify?

The point isn’t to simplify out of some virtuous thing. In fact, it is a form of supremacy. Simple is supreme.

I think all of us are trying to live our best lives, and to live the most supreme version of our possible or potential lives. All the great thinkers and designers of the past have tended toward simple. In mathematics, simple yet eloquent equations like Albert Einstein. Relatively simple compositions from Leonardo da Vinci, simple design from Steve Jobs and Jony Ive, and simple cryptocurrency like bitcoin.

How to simplify your life

Rather than thinking about upgrading your stuff, or getting the new thing, think about how cute repurpose the stuff you already have, to make it better or faster. For example, my 13 inch MacBook pro touchbar from 2017 has slow down dramatically, which inspired me to start shooting extra small JPEG on my Ricoh GR 3X, which has sped up greatly my import and export process for my photos.
Smaller file sizes: even with videos, exporting at 720P, and uploading as far as superior. Smaller and more simple file sizes are better.
Just walk more: enough, the simple process of walking can dramatically improve your life. Rather than thinking about getting a new car, or the better car, maybe it’s just strive to walk more. For example, walk to the nearby gym instead of driving, and try to reduce your compass.
Spend as little time in the car as humanly possible: currently being stuck in the suburbs, the most virtuous thing I could do with Seneca is go to the park and do physical activity. We have found a very good park pretty close, which is about an eight minute drive. I found it better to keep going back to the same park, over and over again, instead of trying to go out and venture to further parks, which just means more time spent being stuck in the car.
Simpler but stronger. For example, at the gym simplify your workouts. I have found that if I could just condense all of my working out, it would gravitate towards three things: sumo deadlift, squat, and barbell or dumbbell floor press. And if you want to keep it very very simple, just go to the gym a maximum of three times a week. Monday Wednesday Friday if ideal.
Simple questions, profound answers: it is good to question common knowledge, and common biases, and striving to discover deep and profound answers.
Simplify your writing: the bias is that the more one rights, the more virtuous one is. Yet, it is better to have one very profound sentence, than 1000 words of standard ideas. for example, the aphorism from Heraclitus: “No man steps in the same river twice” is probably a quadrillion times more profound than any thought other the last thousand years.
Simplify your devices: I found it 1000 times more pleasurable to use my iPad Pro than my MacBook Pro. In fact, I’m not really that interested in buying a new laptop anymore. I’m more curious about how I could discover new mobile workflow options for myself.
Simplify your wardrobe: all black everything clothing. For T-shirts, only merino wool. Also, I’ve been starting to have a preference towards shorts, especially short shorts. All black. Exofficio Boxer briefs. Vibram 5 Finger Shoes.
Simplify your relationships: Rather than adding more friends to your life, focus on the friends you already got. And focus on the family you already got.
Simplify your library: simplify and reduce the number of books you like, try to stick to just three books you really like. Also stick to one or two music albums you really like, stick to three movies you really like. There to have a selection of your three favorites, and just keep reading or watching them or listening to them over and over again, then having a massive library, and only experiencing each media item one through twice.
Simplify your coffee: Only espresso

Simple is supreme.
ERIC

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Be intrepid. Embark on an epic SEOUL SOUTH KOREA WORKSHOP ADVENTURE this September 30-October 2nd, 2022. Bring the family along!

Workshops by KIM

Things I love

GoPro hero 10. I’m having so much fun with it!
Vibram 5 finger EL-X shoes: The best shoe of all time
iPad Pro: I wrote this whole thing on my iPad Pro, with the keyboard Apple voice dictate.
Beef brisket from Costco business center, commodity or prime cut
Going to the gym again. Going to the gym again has made me at least 100x happier again.