I spend a lot of time sharing self-help advice on this blog, but every so often, I like to step back and look at the bigger picture. What are the ideas that really matter?…

Looking back, one of the main reasons I got “stuck” in various areas of my life is that I waited around until the conditions felt perfect for taking action. I didn’t feel like taking…

Way back in high school, I was a great sleeper.  No matter what time I went to bed I would fall asleep with relative ease, and sleep soundly through the night. In college, despite…

Any time I’ve made a lasting change in my life, it’s started with one key assumption: I can’t rely on my willpower being permanently higher than it is right now. Too many plans hinge…

While I can appreciate both a cool, minimalist space and a warm, cozy one, my wife is firmly on Team Cozy—and I’ve happily embraced it. Over the years, I’ve picked up a lot of…

It’s funny, but most people I know who adore Mister Rogers came to appreciate him as adults, not as kids. My own story is much the same. As a child, I remember watching his…

I’ve noticed a common misconception floating around: people think you need to be virtuous—or at least have your life in perfect order—before you can even begin practicing minimalism. Let’s toss that idea out the…

For most of us, the holiday season feels like life hitting fast-forward. We’re swept up in festive activities, savoring the kind of joy and novelty we don’t often experience the rest of the year.…

The ability to speak truth is one of the qualities I value most deeply in a friend. How can you hope to grow close to someone, to build a meaningful connection, if you can’t…

The most helpful advice I’ve received in life often comes in the form of what not to do. There’s something about hearing the things to avoid that feels clearer, more actionable, than being told what you should do.…

My experience with minimalism is that it almost inevitably pushes people toward discovering a deeper purpose for their lives. It’s funny, really. There’s no obvious reason it has to work that way, but in my experience,…

I’ve always thought exercise was a bit strange. Think about it: our lives have so little natural movement in them that we actually have to carve out time to go somewhere and move our…