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By Johnny, September 4, 2009 11:21 pm

I’m so glad this week is over. It’s always hard to get back into the groove of things after a vacation. But luckily I was able to do so this week. I’ve been trying to sleep early and wake up early. I’ve been somewhat successful. I’ve gone to sleep around 11 a few times but most of the time I’ve been turning in around 12 to 1. Waking up at 6:30 to 7 has been consistent.

Why the sudden shift in habit? Over my vacation, I had the opportunity to finish a book called SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE: 100 WAYS TO SLOW DOWN AND ENJOY THE THINGS THAT REALLY MATTER by Elaine St. James. This book had suggested many interesting ideas which I wanted to practice. Her book came highly recommended by a blog I’ve been following over at Zen Habits. I realized that I need to do some simplification in my life which would include some decluttering as well as keeping things simple. I believe this will help me focus more on what really matters to me the most.

I realize I’m pretty fed up with the way we Americans consume. We over consume and we’re not ashamed of it. We waste things in the process and we still complain that we don’t have enough. So by simplifying I will get rid of everything until I am left with the things I am happy with. I am not going to let the media dictate my lifestyle and what I “need”. Many people know I am planning to be car-free in the near future. That would certainly help my simplification cause but I’m still working some things out before I pull the trigger and sell my car. The plan is to try to get rid of it by the end of year.

Just to digress, I got to ride my bikes from Tuesday to Friday. Yes even through the smoggy conditions but I promise I took it easy until Friday. I took the fixie out to work on Friday morning just to discover that I suffered a flat about 1/4 mile away. I ended up walking back and instead of driving my car, I just hopped on my next bike and rode into work. I was a bit late but no later than when I went into work after 9am. I was sweaty and hot but I freshened up when I got to work and was enjoying the a/c. Because of Labor Day holiday, we were allowed to leave early. I ended up leaving around 3PM and rode in the blistering sun. Came home sweaty of course but I immediately changed into shorts and went back out to the grocery store to buy oat bran. I was going to bake muffins but needed oat bran. Again I chose to go by bike instead of car. It only took about 30 minutes to go to the supermarket and back. Well worth my time in the setting sun.

I finally got to wash my car when I got home because the sun had set and the temperatures began to fall. I was so ambitious that I spent more time fixing my flat, clean my bike, and oil the chain. The fixie is running like new. I made dinner and baked my muffins. It felt like I did so much today! If this is what they mean about doing things that matter then definitely sign me up with this simplification movement.