Not ‘To Do’ List

I like the concept of a not-to-do list. Not just because it adheres to my flippant, rebellious nature, but also because life is as much about what we choose not to do as we choose to do. Simplification, after all, is as much about removing things as adding them – peeling the layers to find … Continue reading Not ‘To Do’ List →

Looking To The Future (Then Trying To Ignore It)

All good things must end. So with a month left on the clock here in Kenya, I am reminded that the ‘next stage’ of life looms. At the end of 2009 I took a break from the day-in day-out drive of running a business – partly because I was burnt out, and partly because the … Continue reading Looking To The Future (Then Trying To Ignore It) →

Moguls, Success, Money and the Elephant Man

For years I wanted to be a business mogul. You know the type – a Thomas Crown mixed with a Richard Branson – overladen with opportunity, events, praise and, of course, generous dollops of money. I wanted my rich double-cream chocolate gateaux with cherries, and boy, was I going to eat it. I tried, at … Continue reading Moguls, Success, Money and the Elephant Man →

Angling for Simplicity

We’re programmed to do things: Get up early. Read a book. Don’t slouch in front of the telly. Be productive. Get going. Time is money. Life’s too short. Bollocks to that. I read a delightful interview with Chris Yates the other day – which can be found here. Not only did I love the picture … Continue reading Angling for Simplicity →

The Simple House

A few people have asked me what I'm doing posting simple thoughts from Kenya, rather than from within a yurt near Glastonbury, or in Marin. Which, given my skin's disposition to redden at the slightest hint of sun, or hypocrisy, is a fair question. I realise I've neglected to mention what I'm up to. Shame on … Continue reading The Simple House →

Girls Gone Mild – The Power of The Ordinary

The great lesson ... is that the sacred is in the ordinary, that is to be found in one's daily life, in one's neighbors, friends, and family, in one's back yard ... -- Abraham Maslow I’ve read T.S Eliot’s The Lovesong of J Alfred Prufrock a few hundred times. Each time I read it I … Continue reading Girls Gone Mild – The Power of The Ordinary →

Fulfilling Resolutions – A Year In Review

At the beginning of last year, I made a promise to live simply, within my means and to focus on working towards some of my personal goals, rather than my professional. I summed it up in the New Years resolution, ‘to enjoy myself as much as possible and end the year with the same amount … Continue reading Fulfilling Resolutions – A Year In Review →

Achieve More by Doing Nothing – A Laziness Guide

Protestants block your ears, you might want to ignore what follows. I propose we all be a little lazier sometimes. Not all the time in a pizza-box hurling, beer-drinking, playstation tapping, dope-smoking teenage way. But having the gall to go to bed in the middle of the day and watch a movie or have a … Continue reading Achieve More by Doing Nothing – A Laziness Guide →

Simplicity is complex

My experiments with simplicity have resulted a few different permutations, culminating in one of the best years of my life (to date). Yet simplicity is an ongoing journey that brings sacrifice as well as reward and pain as well as pleasure. Since July I have been living one version of the simple life here in … Continue reading Simplicity is complex →

Go easy

One of the best ways to determine the positive impact of a philosophy or lifestyle is to take a peek at the lives of those who follow it most closely and examine the result. However, perhaps even more important is the ability for the average person to adopt and maintain the philosophy. Is a philosophy … Continue reading Go easy →