As many of the readers of Simple Life Reboot know, our journey to a simpler, more fulfilling life, began in the Spring of 2013. (see: The Trip that Changed Everything) But before we “changed everything”, the over-arching feeling had been that

SLR 089: Own Your Work

Jul 9th, 2015 5m 10s

“If you want your children to turn out well, spend twice as much time with them and half as much money.” – Abigail van Buren My Uncle Russ once told me about a neighbor who sent his son over to ask if he could wash his car. My uncle told the b

SLR 088: The 7 Deadly Sins and Simplicity

May 28th, 2015 12m 59s

Daily we stand against the tide, the relentless negative forces of human nature that work to bring us down. The challenge to be better, and do better, is never ending, and ever present, in each of our lives. How do the 7 deadly sins; wrath, gr

SLR 087: The “Perspective” Benefit

Apr 18th, 2015 3m 15s

Sheryl and I recently took a trip to Victoria, B.C., to wipe the cobwebs off our dashboard GPS map, and to fulfill one of the original intentions of our embracing simplicity almost two years ago, now. For those who are not familiar with our sto

SLR 086: Walk To Run!

Jan 15th, 2015 5m 9s

It happens every year about this time, mid-way through January, after the holiday meals and desserts have fully accreted and solidified in the form of “love” handles. Now comes the not-so-glamorous work of unpacking the storage shed, of taking

SLR 085: Topics to Avoid at Christmas

Dec 11th, 2014 1m 28s

This Christmas, when you gather with family and friends, remember that it is not about pretense or appearance. Love everyone as they are, just as you are loved by God, who came among us to make things right. Focus on the needs of others. Give

SLR 084: The Hidden Gift

Dec 4th, 2014 3m 41s

“The only true gift is a portion of thyself.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson Sheryl and I love Christmas. For those of us who have discovered the value of the simple and minimalist lifestyle, the gift-giving portion of the holiday has become less import

SLR 083: Giving Thanks!

Nov 27th, 2014 2m 27s

“There is one day that is ours. Thanksgiving Day is the one day that is purely American.” – O. Henry I give thanks to God and Country, for without God, I would have no life, and without America, I would have no liberty. I GIVE THANKS …to AMERIC

SLR 082: Life Is Not A Race!

Nov 20th, 2014 3m 25s

“Humility is the foundation of all the other virtues hence, in the soul in which this virtue does not exist there cannot be any other virtue except in mere appearance.” – Saint Augustine When it comes to our work, there is nothing wrong with hu

SLR 081: Inspiring Snapshots of Simplicity

Nov 13th, 2014 3m 26s

“Tell your story.” – Joshua Becker, Becoming Minimalist, speaking at SimpleREV 2014 There is something beautiful about hearing a person’s story that allows us to connect with both the individual and his or her experience. Whether a person’s c

SLR 080: Create A Living Masterpiece With Intention

Nov 6th, 2014 2m 18s

“A great artist can paint a great picture on a small canvas.” – Charles Dudley Warner What does your life canvas look like? Are you filling up your canvas quickly, with an array of colors assembled as an afterthought, or are you painting with i

SLR 079: Unmasking Our Fears About Essentialism and Simplicity

Oct 30th, 2014 5m 21s

Fear is deceptive. It often masquerades as something else, fooling us into believing an outright lie or otherwise thwarting our ability to make lasting positive change. Far too many of us yearn to reboot our lives into ones of greater simplicit

SLR 078: Are You “in Control”? Try the Clutter Experiment!

Oct 23rd, 2014 3m 29s

“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” – William Morris When Sheryl and I moved from our large colonial home to smaller accommodations next door, we found ourselves faced with the necessity o

SLR 077: 7 Steps to Help a Loved One Embrace Change

Oct 16th, 2014 4m 29s

One of the most difficult questions we get is: “What do I do when I want to make changes, but my loved one does not?” Whether the desired change is to rightsize, de-clutter, reduce activity or financial overload or otherwise, we generally en

SLR 076: A Shout Out for SimpleREV 2014!

Oct 9th, 2014 1m 48s

Having just returned from Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.A. a heartfelt “THANK YOU!” to Joel Zaslofsky and Dan Hayes for putting together the first ever SimpleREV conference where folks from around the world came together to share stories and dis

SLR 075: 5 Proven Strategies to Crush the “Sophomore Slump” of Lifestyle Design

Oct 2nd, 2014 4m 2s

Have you had this experience? You start out strong, buoyed by the excitement of a new challenge and the promise of better things to come. Then, somehow, as you move beyond the initial phase, the load intensifies, progress slows and you los

SLR 074: Why Roughing It Can Be So Much Fun!

Sep 25th, 2014 2m 43s

Like many, I spend my fair share of time and effort trying to avoid physical discomfort. An example would be my strong preference for a comfortable bed. So, why do I fondly remember sleeping on that bumpy mattress jammed in the back of our car

SLR 073: The Exquisite Beauty of Living Simply

Sep 18th, 2014 2m 37s

“It sure seems like you’re working pretty hard just to ‘simplify‘ your life”, a somewhat skeptical friend observed. He was, of course, right … though I did not want to admit it. Fortunately, we both had other pressing commitments, otherwise I

SLR 072: The 5 Essentials of Being Nimble

Sep 11th, 2014 9m 22s

Nimbleness is the ability to pivot, to adapt to new circumstances and keep moving. It is achieved, primarily, through the creation of margin in our lives. In this fast-paced, unpredictable world, our ability to remain calm, constant, and in co

SLR 071: The Value of Nimble

Sep 4th, 2014 4m 7s

The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown. –H.P. Lovecraft Change is something people have always resisted. It’s something we fear and try to avoid, even knowing it is

SLR 070: 3 Things to Stop Spending Time On

Aug 28th, 2014 4m 55s

“Money is not the prime asset in life. Time is.” Unknown Far too often we fail to appreciate the preciousness of time. Unlike other resources, it is irreplaceable. Nonetheless, we tend to operate in default mode, either rushing about or co

SLR 069: Removing Roadblocks to Compassion

Aug 21st, 2014 5m 35s

I wanted to edit it out. In our 67th episode, Interview with Mom, we asked if she had learned anything from observing our Simple Life Reboot journey. I hoped to hear how inspired she was, or perhaps how we were making a difference. Instead,

SLR 068: Five Unexpected Benefits of Simplifying

Aug 14th, 2014 4m 30s

Sheryl and I have been talking lately about some of the unexpected benefits of our decision to simplify our lives. It was just 15 short months ago that we undertook The Trip that Changed Everything, our 10-day tour of the California coastline b

SLR 067: An Interview with Mom

Aug 7th, 2014 12m 44s

Far too often the journey to simplicity focuses on our own needs and desires. In an effort to share another perspective, Dave and I sat down for a candid talk with my mother, Carolyn. Mom has had a front row seat on this roller coaster ride to

SLR 066: The Designed Life of Michael Hyatt

Jul 31st, 2014 2m 54s

Sheryl and I have been influenced by a number of extraordinary thinkers on the subject of simplifying your life to focus on what is important. One person who has inspired us is Michael Hyatt , author of “Platform”, and online entrepreneur, who