2K11 24/7

Doomz tackles a major challenge. A year at a time with daily updates!
 

The 2K11 24/7 CIII: The Quest for Less Manifesto — 3 of 3: ENTROPY

We worry too much.

Here in Toronto, worrying is the name of the game. We're either worrying about where we're going to get money to pay off our debts, or worrying about how we're going to save up enough money to buy stuff so we can worry about where to get the money to pay THOSE debts off.

We worry about or futures, we worry about what's already passed. The weather, chores, our jobs — they're all fair game. We worry about our stuff and get more stuff to cope with the worry.

You know that I don't hide the fact that I'm an advocate for having less stuff. I think that it's the things that we need that should be made sexy — not the things that we think we want. Life would be far less confusing this way. But stuff is everywhere. You can't hide from it. Advertising is everywhere we look. Stuff will FIND you.

So what can you do about it all? How do you become happier in this maelstrom of activity around you?

Read the rest of this post »

Filed under  //   2k11 247   manifesto   quest for less  
Views // Posted April 13, 2011
// 5 Comments
 

The 2K11 24/7 CI: The Quest for Less Manifesto — 2 of 3: ORDERING

I know I took a quick detour for a bit there, with a couple of voice posts and my big list of 100 tips for the 100th post, but it's time to get back on track.

It's REALLY EASY to be a slob. Seriously. I could do it every day without effort. Looking around me right now, I see a bunch of scattered papers for a bunch of projects that I haven't quite gotten around to doing yet; I know that there's laundry that has yet to be folded over in the next room; and don't even get me started on my bedroom — by the time I get in there every night, I'm too tired to give a care about keeping it in order. It just seems to be easier to just try and take care of one thing in life at a time and not worry about all the menial tasks of keeping things in order.

But is this the better way to live?

Read the rest of this post »

Filed under  //   2k11 247   blog series   manifesto   quest for less  
Views // Posted April 11, 2011
// 0 Comments
 

The 2K11 24/7 XCVII: The Quest for Less Manifesto — 1 of 3: CHAOS

One of the side effects of having too much stuff is the fact that you seem to constantly lose things. Or is that a side effect of simply being disorganized? In any case, disorganization is directly linked to the amount of stuff you own, and here's my case for why having less will make a happier you.

This, however, isn't exactly the easiest thing to do in a society that's become so stuff-centric. You are nothing without stuff. Your personality, worth and mantra for life are the direct correlation of the total sum of stuff you own. I think the equation goes a little like this:

Screen_shot_2011-04-07_at_5

You are categorized by the stuff you own. Slotted into certain social circles. Provided certain opportunities in life. So much is based upon what's in your closet, on your counter, the car you drive and the TV your own. One wayward decision and you could be altering the tone of your life completely, an unknowing victim to the social ebbs and flows of life!

There's a little problem with this, though. Especially in cities.

Read the rest of this post »

Filed under  //   2k11 247   quest for less   stuff  
Views // Posted April 7, 2011
// 2 Comments
 

The 2K11 24/7 LXI: Starting that Digital Cleanse

As part of getting things ready for the wedding (my parents have 15 people staying over!), my Dad rearranged my room. My series of graphic novels were stacked (out of order); my closet was stuffed with a number of boxes that had previously been sorted around the room; but most interestingly, he found a USB key that I thought I'd lost ages ago. It's always interesting to see what's lying around on old drives — and how much you just don't need anymore.

Read the rest of this post »

Filed under  //   2k11 247   digital cleanse   purging   quest for less  
Views // Posted March 2, 2011
// 0 Comments
 

The 2K11 24/7 LIX: Playing With Myself (in a G-Rated Way!)

There's a game I play everytime I come back to Mississauga. It doesn't really have a name, but the goal is always the same. It's really simple. Here're the rules:

You either WIN or you LOSE

Read the rest of this post »

Filed under  //   2k11 24/7   chores   cleaning   quest for less  
Views // Posted February 28, 2011
// 0 Comments
 

The 2K11 24/7 XLVII: T is for Temptation

"Don't mess with Mr. T
Don't mess with Mr. T
T (he'll get ya)
T (he'll get ya)
T (he'll get ya)
T (temptation...)" -- Big Sean, "Mr. T",

If I were to write a list of the things in life that can be a pain in the ass, temptation would be way up there on the list. All too often, our ids take us down paths we probably shouldn't be taking, mostly due to the Mr. T mentioned above. Whether it's a minor temptation (e.g. "Just one more piece", "It can wait 'til tomorrow" or "Just let me sleep another 10 minutes") or a major one (e.g. "S/he never has to find out", "Just this once" or "What harm could it do?"), they're always there, just waiting to wrench us from our paths.

I'm not even talking about this from a religious standpoint (though, admittedly, it'd be way easier to do so since there's a standard set of rules one must abide by, more or less) — even if you don't believe in a creator, there are temptations you'll come across in life that you might take and REALLY come to regret later.

You've seen some themes repeat themselves in my posts a few times since the beginning of the year — this is because I think that they're important and just good, solid advice that can help YOU through the challenges you're SURE to face in life.

Let me focus on a few of these principles now so we can discuss how you can better manage temptations when they come your way:

Read the rest of this post »

Filed under  //   2k11 247   advice   quest for less   temptation  
Views // Posted February 16, 2011
// 1 Comment
 

The 2K11 24/7 XXXI: Why Having So Much Crap is Such a Pain

Blergh. This post would've totally come out earlier, but got wrapped up in all sorts of stuff — dodgeball, taking on an additional role at work this week due to my colleague being on vacation — it's just been busy. But I'm committed to getting you that daily content, so here I am :) !

So I made some progress in the Quest for Less yesterday - not as much as I'd hoped, but I soon found that the goals I'd set had been slightly naïve. My room is filled with memories, minutia and memorabilia from moments past. (Feel free to quote that.) Although our stuff is transient and in many cases will not outlast us, we can't immediately discount the emotional bonds we're form with it. Instead of dumping things outright, we categorize them - putting them in piles depending on their function, or perhaps the ever-ambiguous "maybe" pile :)

Some things that helped to get me sorted included these approaches:

Read the rest of this post »

Filed under  //   2k11 24/7   quest for less   stuff  
Views // Posted January 31, 2011
// 2 Comments
 

The 2K11 24/7 XXX: The Quest for Less - INTRODUCTION

So after church today I came back to Miserysauga for the night to hang with fam and just rest. But I didn't come alone. As part of the Quest for Less, I've brought a whole bag full of stuff that I've had lying around in one form or another for way too long. Half-done scene sketches, reference material, old magazines - lots of stuff that's either crap or that could be repurposed to something greater. I always tell Sarah that one of my main daily goals is to never come home with as much as I have when I head out the door in the morning. This applies to:

  • The amount of stuff in my bags
  • The amount of weight I'm carrying on my shoulders from the to-do list that needs tackling/how many things I have on my mind for that day
  • Sometimes, even the number of bags I'm carrying

I love the idea of downsizing life (except when it comes to job - that's never cool). I'm sure that at one point in my life, amassing all the stuff that I have made sense. I'm sure that much of it had sentimental value at one point or another. But now is not then. The things that have a LOT of sentimental value to me - my candygrams received through five years of private school - sit in a box I've duct taped in triplicate. If I ever feel like I've reached the lowest of lows in life, that box is meant to help remind me of good times and who I can be if I try :)

Read the rest of this post »

Filed under  //   2k11 247   quest for less  
Views // Posted January 30, 2011
// 1 Comment