I consider myself to be a pretty eco minded person, I wouldn't go so far as too say I'm extreme when it comes to conservation and minimizing waste, but I do exert a fair amount of effort to try to minimize my impact, especially when it comes to over consumption and blatant waste. And I certainly would consider our (Americans) use of plastic a blatant waste.

For my part, I always bring my reusable bags when I go shopping, and I even go so far as to use an empty bread loaf bag to pick up dog poop rather than throw it out unused. These days when I make my lunch I reuse one ziplock bag for several weeks, rather than dispose of it daily, and I also use a tupperware to pack my sandwich and vegetables. Right there, assuming that I make lunch 3 days (and eat out 2) per week, multiplied over 49 weeks (52 minus a measly 3 for vacation), that would ordinarily be 294 bags if I used one for chips or snack, and one for sandwich. But typically I reuse one bag for three or four weeks in a row before it becomes too nasty, and my use of a tupperware removes the need for half of them right away. So that puts me down to only 37 per year for 147 days of lunch. Not great, but a significant reduction from average.

But we all know that you can be the most efficient person in the world, and it's just a drop in the bucket compared to the waste of a business. So I now have a way to save another 245 plastic bags per year by doing nothing. How do I do this? I realized a year or so ago that the cleaning people swap out the bag in the trashcan at my desk if there is anything it.

So the solution? It's simple. I bring my trash to the office kitchen to dispose of it. And just like that, I don't use my trash can and they don't change the bag. (I've experimented to ensure that this is the case.) Just like that 245 bags removed from the landfill.

So above and beyond the hundreds (likely thousands) of plastic bags I save per year by carrying my reusable shopping bags and implementing these simple strategies, I now can include another 500 bags (a low estimate combining lunch and work strategy) that I am saving from our landfills.

If every person made these three simple adjustments, we could save hundreds of thousands (probably millions) of plastic bags from the landfills. Even at a small company of 20 people, these three virtually unnoticeable lifestyle changes would save 10,000 bags from our landfills over one year.

As you can see, making a difference is not that hard.

Labels: conservation, consumption, eco-friendly, how-to, lifestyle, resources

I have been thinking a lot about my life lately. About things like abundance, positive thinking, manifesting desires, and living the life I want. I am by nature a person without a lot of certainty, I am always double thinking, over thinking, second guessing, and oddly I know a lot about what I don't want but not a lot about what I do want.

Just recently I read this post by Steve Pavlina and it made me realize, even though I am great at dreaming and I want a lot out of life, I am not a great manifester. Which subsequently got me into an email conversation with a friend of mine who is currently in the process of manifesting the perfect life for herself.

It started with me writing an email, asking her if she thought I am inadvertantly manifesting scarcity in my life because of what I believe and my values. I have strong feelings about consumerism and over consumption, and I don't think money buys happiness. (I do believe that security can help happiness though.) So my question to her was, being that I don't think material abundance is necessory nor is it something I am interested in, does that mean that am I putting myself into a mindset of scarcity? Monetarily and materially I am quite happy with what I have, but I got to thinking if these feelings of contentment were in turn creating contentment in other areas where I may be lacking. And finally I was curious her thoughts on what I could do do align my beliefs and desires with a state of mind which would manifest abundance in other areas of my life, not necessarily relating to finances.

And of course, she had some very good feedback for me.

To address my question about financial abundance and being content, she made some good points that I had been thinking about. That it's not about overconsuming, but rather having enough/plenty of money, and having things you want that were made with care and that will last. And I suppose that if money is what it takes to do the things I want, regardless of whether it is a lot or a little, then that means having abundance. And a great way of looking at it, she said that if she chooses to shop at a thrift store, it's not about being cheap, it is about the treasures that can be uncovered. That it's about the ability to find the best things for her (or anyone), without needing to think about the price tag.

She told me that she visualizes her life being abundant. And suggested a gratitude journal, saying it helped her. Each morning she would write down 6 amazing things, things really crazy amazing to align herself with what she wanted to manifest. Then, before bed, she would write down 5 things that were positive and abundant things about the day to remind herself that she is already happy with the life that she is living.

The things she told me were all very positive and I am going to try to integrate some of them into my life starting today. We will see over the next few weeks if visualing happiness, success, and abudance can help me make some changes in my life.

Labels: how-to, inspiration, personal development, thinking

Photo credit: juicyraiI found this article about how to send food back at a restaurant over at Bohemian Revolution, and I think it's great advice. For a lot of people, this is trivial information, but it's always good being reminded that it's ok to send food back if you are not happy, and that there is a way to do it without being a jerk.

How to send food back at a restaurant

Labels: how-to, interesting, personal development, tips

How to Successfully Summit Mount Whitney in One Day - eBook Coming soon!

In my first real attempt to monetize this site, I am in the process of writing my first e-book. And because it will be my first eBook, I will be giving out the first 10 copies free. Keep reading for the details.

The e-book describe in full detail how to successfully day hike Mt Whitney, the highest mountain in the continental United States. I have attempted the hike twice, and completed it once, so I know what makes the difference between a successful trip and an unsuccessful one. I also spent quite a bit of time researching for this trip, so I have wealth of knowledge to share.

For those of you who don't know, I am just an average guy and I'm not an extreme athlete, but I learned from the first year's mistakes and successfully trained to complete the hike the second time around. Since this is my first go at an e-book, I will be giving out the first 10 copies free. All I ask is that after reading it you provide some feedback. I will then make any necessary changes and probably being selling it for $9 per download.

With this guide I am not trying to make you a superstar hiker, however I will tell you in complete detail the steps I followed to make the trip a success. My goal is to supply anyone with the desire to complete this hike with all the necessary information to prepare, train, and successfully complete this hike.

What you can expect from this guide:

• What months to go to have the best weather and the best chance of success
• How to navigage the permit process
• Training and preparation tips
• When to begin your training
• How to know if you're ready
• How much training is necessary
• What to expect in the days leading up to the trip
• Where to stay prior to the hike (Camping vs hotel)
• Acclimating to the elevation
• How and what to pack for the hike
• What to expect on The Big Day
• Photos of the trail and the mountain

If you are interested in being one of the first to receive this e-book or you wish to get on the list to purchase it, simply leave a comment below or contact me. I will notify you by email when the e-book has been completed.

Labels: ebook, hiking, how-to, inspiration, mt whitney

Photo credit: Sarah MaeHow often do you hear someone tell you that they are "swamped" at work? I've been thinking about this phrase a lot, and it's no irony that it's usually while I'm at work. I haven't touched a topic like this lately, but I used to quite a bit in the past. If you've been a reader for a while you know that I am a big fan of the the concepts of the 4 Hour Workweek and the idea of ROWE (Results Only Work Environment). And since I'm still a 9 to 5 working man, I still very often have thoughts like this, even though I'm not writing them.

I think everyone has found themselves saying "I'm swamped at work" at one time or another. How often do you hear it? Do you hear it more than you did 5 years ago when the economy was blazing? Well, I guess that's a real possibility considering the layoffs that are going around and the fact that your company just might really need to squeeze a bit more out of you, but it's also probable that you don't hear it any more often. I was thinking about it abstractly today, and I realize that being swamped is often indicative of mismanagement. If you are swamped it means your boss or manager is giving you more work than you can handle. Of course there are exceptions, and also industries which are more susceptible to creeping deadlines. But at my company, IMO it's mostly due to mismanagement. Changing tasks on people and losing attentiveness to what was last week's priority results in wasted time and effort, plain and simple. If it is repeatedly happening that something was a priority last week and it's not this week, there is clearly a problem. It's probable that giving you more work is just based on rash project decisions by management, or even worse is just a way to get you to work longer hours. At my company, it's both.

Do you know why I know?


Photo credit: reemerBecause I fell into the trap when I started. I would try to impress my boss by completing a task, but after about a year I realized that it was like chasing the dragon (see definition #3). The longer I worked the more I was expected to work, and the more I tasks I completed the more I was given. And even worse, all that work wasn't even helping the bottom line. As mentioned above, some of my tasks would change priority after a couple weeks or even daily. And other projects were completed "in a push by management" never to even be used.

I have secretly identified hours and hours worth of work that I have put in and my company expects that could be totally removed without even hurting the company. But do you know why no one isolates these tasks and axes them? Because 1) then everyone would only work 10-20 hours per week and we'd look like a bunch of slackers, or 2) the big boss would be so thrilled that another 10-20 hours worth of workload would be added that still wouldn't improve the bottom line.

So I slowly started pushing back, getting myself to an 8 hour day, and on many days much less. And you know what? Nothing changed. As long as they see my face and me sitting at my desk, all is well. There is no tangible measurement of success, the measurement is for the most part hours logged, and the impression of being busy. The company is still around, I get my paycheck, and my stress is lower. And you know what? As long as you are smart enough to determine what really is priority, you can work this out and still be the superstar with a bonus at the end of the year.

I do want to point out that I am quite aware that this isn't the most ambitious plan, nor is it particular enviable to admit to this form of slacking. I also realize that if I need to work like this then I am obviously in the wrong job. But this is not a long term solution, and I have not just settled for handling my workload like this. Instead it is a way to keep myself sane while I explore other options and keep myself motivated in other ways. And even though I have some guilt about it, like I said, I have worked much harder in the past and put in many hours on other projects that just turned out to be wasted effort, which is why I don't feel so bad.

So what did I learn?

I learned that you have to be responsible for managing your own expectations. If you get cornered into a tight deadline, or get more work than can be done in a reasonable amount of time, speak up. Otherwise the work will keep coming. With certain exceptions, being "swamped" is no more than having a boss who likes to give you too much work. Know what is priority, know how to make a difference, but manage your workload on your own terms. If you want to try to be the office rock star, go ahead, people will always find work for you to do, and in the end you may be lucky to have an appreciative boss and get all that your little heart desires, but more likely than not you will just end up stressed out and overworked, and you will continue being able to say "I'm swamped", while I'm sitting in my cubicle with a moderate workload, relaxed and stress free.

Related Links:

Labels: 4HWW, 9to5, how-to, productivity, work

Photo credit: clobsSometimes life just gets too busy. Work, eat, bills, sleep, exercise, relax (for a moment) work, run errands. It just seems to go on and on. Even for someone like me who tries to keep their life simple, it doesn't always work. When I am home I seem to keep myself too busy, and fall behind on all the things I want to do. Making an hour to just sit with a book never seems to happen, no matter how little is on my plate.

Quite honestly, as my girlfriend has correctly pointed out to me, I think a lot of my time disappears into the Internets. Keeping up with my RSS feeds, following Tweeters, checking the news, the weather, brainstorming ideas for my website, following links that follow links... You get the idea. In fairness though, I enjoy it, and I do also find time for other things like working in the garden, doing yoga, and watching a little guilty pleasure TV. And also, all that time spent online does keep me up to date with the world, as I seem to just devour all types of media, from blogs to news to real paper publications, but have found myself all to often starting sentences with "I read this article the other day" or "This guy whose blog I follow" and it makes me feel a little too dorky.

So when your time just seems to disappear and you can't seem to find time for the simple things, what better than a weekend camping in the mountains?


Photo credit: °FlorianSure, more than one night would be great, but when you're on a tight schedule, taking 24 hours away from the distractions of home can be a miracle cure. Just this weekend I drove out to the mountains east of San Diego on Saturday afternoon, and returned Sunday afternoon, and getting away like that worked great. The relaxation factor is much higher than if the same time had been spent at home. There are no temptations from the computer, none from the TV, and best of all there are no bills to look over and no cleaning to be done. Only the most simple tasks need to be tended to; setting up camp and preparing food. And when you drive back into town already you notice how the pace of life is moving too fast.

After a simple night like that spent relaxing -- having a few cocktails by the fire, sleeping under the stars, and reading a book -- you can return home recharged and feel like you escaped life for just a bit.

Related Links:
How to find the job you love
Simplify and De-clutter

Labels: camping, how-to, lifestyle, outdoors, random, San Diego, simple living, tips

Disclaimer: I should preface this article by saying that I do not currently have the job I love. This is really an article based on my thoughts, and one that can hopefully one day help me.

The situation

Perfect hit - Photo credit cloud_nineThe situation I seem to perpetually be in is one where my job is tolerable and pays decently with decent benefits, however I know that it is not the right place for me to be. In today's economy, conventional wisdom seems to say you should stick with something that is decent, however I don't necessarily agree with that. Sure, people are out of work and some would do anything for a job, but does that mean I have to tolerate something I don't enjoy? I'm not talking about walking out on a job, I'm just talking about actively pursuing something better. What inevitably happens with me is that I look for months and months at job listings, but I know that all would simply be lateral moves, just a band aid so to speak. And again, conventional wisdom says a job is a job, but quite honestly in my opinion conventional wisdom has never made people truly happy, it's the out of the box thinking that seems to reap the rewards. So what I want is to push my limits and find the "right" job rather than just another job that will fizzle after a year or so.

My predicament
By training I am a software engineer. I truly do not mind doing this work. What I mind is the mindset that seems to come along with most typical corporate environments. The need to keep producing and work more hours, without a concern of management for employees' personal lives. From my experience, most places that are corporate seem to expect that everyone should want to work as much as possible, to suck every last ounce of productivity out of their days. And if they are really productive, they simply get more work rather than a pat on the back for a job well done and some time off. And when it comes to time off, though I am lucky to get a generous four weeks, I also am sort of forced to implicitly think that this is enough, that most people get less thus I am lucky. And when I use it, rather than a "enjoy your time off, you deserve it", I get the wiseass comments like "Who approved this?" or am made to feel like I am getting more than I should. What it must be like to work somewhere where management treat everyone fairly and actually care about your personal life! On top of this, it seems that corporate environments seem to breed negativity, something of which I am guilty of participating in more than I care to admit. I have had two co-workers leave the company, one to attempt to start a coffee cart, and another to open a pet business, and both were not sent off with well wishes, but were chastised behind their back for doing so.


So what do you/I want?

My job - Photo credit estonMost people seem to accept the status quo, and that if things are decent that is as good as they can or will get. So as in my situation, many people say that I should be lucky or thankful to have what I have (which I truly am), but at the same time I don't think just because everyone else accepts something as a "success" that I should have to feel the same way. Sure, things could be a lot worse, I could have bad co-workers, worse bosses, less vacation, a more rigid schedule with longer hours, the list goes on, but does this excempt me from having my own lofty goals or ambitions? Just because everyone else accepts certains things doesn't mean we all have to. Certain lives work for certain people, but not everyone sees things the same way. Because most people barely even get paid time off does that mean I should start believing that two weeks is great? No, I still firmly belive that everyone should get 4 to 6 weeks paid time off.

So what do I want? Quite simply, I want to work somewhere that I can apply my specific skill set to help make the world a better place. Sitting in a cubilce writing code for Company X doesn't feed that criteria. A company or organization that can harness my skills and directly apply them to making the world a better place. And to surround myself with people who feel the same thing and care about work and life, and not just work. People who can share in life outside of work as friends and who can separate the need to work with the need to enjoy life, and who can inspire you to be a better person, and not just a better worker.


Where to look?

I heart my job - Photo credit cobalt123So we have now reached the point where I don't have any answers. The run of the mill job boards like Montster and Career Builder seem to be corporate breeding grounds, looking for more drones. Craigslist seems to be a bit better for interesting opportunities, but Craigslist is also notorious for surfacing people who are flakes. I don't know if that extends into the job postings as well, but I can say for sure there are always a lot of start up opportunities on there, which typically don't pay. So for this question, I don't have a good answer for where to look for your perfect job. I suppose it depends what you are looking for. I am starting to really believe that I can look and look and will never find my perfect job, I think one day it will find me. Good old networking probably is the best way to find the perfect job.

Is it possible in today's economy?
I believe it is, yes. The economy may be bad and people may be getting laid off, but if you are a self starter the claim is that economic down times can be one of the best times to start a new enterprise. You just have to know where to look for your niche. And regardless, even though times are bad when I browse the help wanted sections there are plenty of opportunities.

What do you think?
Share your thoughts. Where are the best places to look for extraordinary jobs? Are those jobs still out there right now? Are good employees staying put?

You may be interested in Idealist Cafe recommended books.

Labels: 9to5, how-to, inspiration, lifestyle, personal development, work

Visit my Green & Eco Friendly Online Store

There are many sites out there that explain composting in detail, how to do it properly, how it actually works, all that good stuff. There are also plenty that talk about apartment composting, all the equipment you need, and I'm sure that is all well and good. I've even listed a few below in the related links. But I decided to write this article to explain how I do it, what I have learned, and the equipment that I use. I am by no means a pro at this, and I'm not even claiming that I know what I'm doing, however I feel like I have been mostly successful with my apartment style composting, and want to share. Obviously if you have a yard you have a huge advantage, however if you are reading this article it is likely that you don't.
It should end up looking something like this

Photo Credit Normanack
First off, I will say that I am simple, all I use is a plastic bin (actually one of those plastic tote that is used for storage) that I bought from Target. I'm not sure the size, I would guess maybe 5 or 10 gallons. I drilled a couple holes in the bottom for drainage, but have found that it wasn't really necessary as long as you aren't overloading the big. To start, put in some dirt, sand, leaves, newspaper -- anything to line the bottom a few inches. I don't use standard newspaper because of the inks, but it would still work fine. However I do use newspaper from a mailing I get that I know is printed with soy based inks. Make sure that if you are using newspaper you tear it into pieces that are pretty small, nothing bigger than one inch by one inch.

Let me now tell you that I did learn quickly that this simple set up cannot handle all vegetable scraps that I generate. So I have learned what composts quickly and what doesn't, and I stick to using only those. You will figure this out soon enough. When I put too much in it started to stink and get too juicy. Another reason for this was that I didn't have enough green and brown dry matter (ie leaves, grass, etc) in there, so it stayed too wet and the moisture balance was thrown off. It will also help if you keep the food scraps very small. The bigger they are the longer they will take to break down. This means don't drop an entire banana peel in whole, make sure to break it into smaller pieces.

So now you have your container with some lining on the bottom. All you have to do now is put your scraps in, and make sure to cover them up. If you don't, the bin will attract flies and probably won't break down as quickly. Just enough to cover it so there is no exposed food should be enough to keep the flies and the stink away. Something else I do that seems to help the process is to only add scraps once or twice a week, rather than after each meal. With a container you have limited space, and if you add it piecemeal it becomes hard to keep it all covered, and if you have just little pieces of food spaced out all over in my experience it takes longer to break down than if you keep the moist scraps together. It seems to generate more heat this way, break down quicker, and then I can mix it into the bulk sooner. So if you collect scraps for a few days, then add them in and cover them, I would say within a week you can turn the mixture. This will let it aerate and again speed the process. Likely you will feel heat coming off of it, which means that it is working.

This isn't mine, but it should look something like this:

Photo Credit: You Grow Girl

I had started out keeping it covered thinking it would keep flies away, but I learned that it was unnecessary. Also, I will say that I don't actually keep this bin indoors, so I am able to get away with not keeping it perfectly sanitary. I am lucky to have some outdoor space where I can keep the bin.

Another thing that I have done, since the container is fairly small and the process ongoing is to keep a second bin for secondary composting. So when part of the bin is nice and dark and starting to look like soil, I scoop that into the second bin where I let the process continue, and in this bin it can dry out and is ready for use in my garden! This keeps the first bin actively composting, and I can always be adding to it.

It may sound confusing, but really there are just a few basics:

• Try to at least 1/3 of the content dry (leaves, grass clippings, etc)
• Always keep wet scraps covered
• Turn mixture every few days to keep the composting process active

It is pretty simple, and you will quickly learn what works for you in your area and conditions. Feel free to share any tips you have. Also, keep in mind that this is just what works for me. I am not a professional.

Related Links:

• Compost Instructions - Learn how to make compost, and why improving your soil is the best thing that you can do for your lawn and garden
• Composting 101
• Journey to Forever - Indoor Composting
• How to Compost
• Shop for composters
• Composting books

Labels: composting, environment, garden, how-to, tips

The one thing I want have always wanted in my life is simplicity. I have learned over the years that clutter only confuses things, not to mention keeps my mind spinning about all the things I want or have to do. I know that when I sit at my desk, if I have junk all over it, my mind somehow picks up that clutter. I don't seem to have the skill that some people have that allows them to relax their mind when they have a to-do list a mile long. So I have learned that a simple and uncluttered life leads to a simple and uncluttered mind. As much as I try to keep this under control, somehow things seem to "re-clutter". Perhaps it is because I don't have the discipline to filter the incoming items that work their way into my apartment.

I was over at Zen Habits this morning, and thought I would share with you some interesting advice regarding simplifying and de-cluttering. I am going to attempt to put some of this into practice tonight, so wish me luck!

Oh yea, as a little side note, the more I de-clutter the less my crazy cat has to play around with and make noise with when I am trying to sleep in the morning.

Here is the first link, outlining four simple rules of simplicity and how to apply them to your life, and if you are more ambitious, here is another link with 21 easy hacks to simplify your life.

Labels: de-clutter, how-to, lifestyle, simple living