What's with the hacks?! Grandma's all upset with young people cutting corners these days. Short-cuts do not deliver you to your dreams, she says, though it will look like you're getting closer; then the god of idiots high-tail you back to the start where you have to walk the path again - this time without cheating.
Like Grammie, I'm down on hacks, yet I'm all for discovering a shorter path to achieve your perfect life, no corners cut. Despite what you may think, you won't find personal trainers, gadgets, personal chefs or more than what you have now on the fastest route. Paved by a way of thought, this path offers a fresh attitude and draws on ideas that first appeared in the Japanese Edo period. Likely, the writings belonged to a 17th century version of House and Home magazine, in an article titled, "SHIBUMI - Secrets to Living Well That Are Not Hacks."
Shibumi is a quality of intelligent refinement that underlies common, every day objects or experiences.
For all Your Goals and Dreams, Let Shibumi be Your Guide
De-Clutter
Your house. Your mind. Your schedule. Does your social life feel obligated? Do you really need to mow the lawn every Sunday? If your phone didn't exist, what could you do with your time? Would you take up meditation or a cooking class? Go for a run? How much time do you waste in drama or conflict with others? On the carousel you go, an hour later you get off and nothing changes. Be brave. Strip away activities that don't light you up. Except taxes; and Pap smears; you should probably keep them.
No Time
Apparently your life is covered in a thick blanket of wasted time. Who knew?! Like chemtrails - the white lines in the sky that just might be someone's creepy effort to affect climate change - your spare hours are hidden from you in plain sight. The American Time Use Survey conducted by The Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed that everyone - statistically speaking - watches 2 to 3 hours of TV per day. A quarter or a third of our waking hours is spent on non-work-related activity. It's not a horrible thing to be lying around watching John Snow and his winter that is inevitably coming. You simply need to be aware that you have the time to start an exercise routine, meditate or create fresh meals from scratch, if you want to.
Less is Less
If you feel your life is over-loaded and your health or happiness is strained, strip your life back to the boards. Don't buy more stuff. Despite what advertisers say, you don't need gadgets, fancy work-out gear or prestigious gym memberships. Find an inspiring YouTuber who creates fresh workouts that you can do in your house. Walk around the block. For nourishing meals, think simple. It takes the smallest amount of effort to create a fresh, colorful and nourishing meal. Take Jamie Oliver's 15 minute meals for example.
Drop the Consumerist Mind
Throw out, reduce, refine. Use your time intelligently. Forge your home, exercise and work schedule into an expression of simplicity. I promise you will not live a boring life, if that's what you are afraid of. The consumerist mind will have you think that without all this stuff, you will be but an empty shell, yet the opposite is true. Without this stuff, you will find yourself, and realize that happiness is an inside job.
Think Shibumi
Effortless effectiveness. Understated Excellence. Beautiful Imperfection.
Statistic Source: http://www.bls.gov/tus/