April | 2010 | Ryan S. Taylor

Archive for: April, 2010

Simplify Your Digital Life

Apr 29 2010 Published by ryanstaylor under Goals, Motivation, Success

There will come a time in your life, and many times thereafter, where you need to simplify. We have a great tendency to accumulate stuff over time. There’s nothing wrong with that, it’s human nature. It is in our nature to desire, to constantly want more. It is inherently selfish and, once again, there is nothing wrong with that. If we were not selfish, we would never survive as a species. That said, there will be times when you need to simplify.

For most people, simplifying means getting rid of stuff, or cutting back on a certain form of consumption. For others, it can take on a deeper meaning. In my case, it usually means I have too much stuff, both physical and digital. This time, meaning, the past few weeks, I’ve been simplifying my digital life.

I accumulate hundreds of files on my computer, stored locally and in the cloud. I save articles, download PDFs, save videos and music, and download new software. I tell myself that I will need this for future reference, or I’ll keep it to read/watch/listen later. In reality, almost 90% of what I save I’ll never use again. Yet my hard drive fills up with files. My Evernote database contains hundreds of saved notes and articles. My Google Docs folder bulges with stuff I’ll never use. My Google Reader account has numerous blogs I never get around to reading. Like a closet full of old clothes, it was time to throw it all away.

I cancelled all of my blogs and deleted nearly all of my browser bookmarks. I went through every document and trashed anything I hadn’t used in 30 days and knew I would never need again. I trashed my entire Evernote database. There was nothing in there I wanted to keep. I figure if I ever need to find it again, I can Google it.

I had multiple computers in the house. Did I really need three? No. I am down to one laptop. I removed programs I never used. I removed unused browser extensions. I cancelled nearly all of my email newsletters. I reclaimed plenty of hard drive space and cloud storage. It was liberating as it always is.

The one problem with nearly unlimited digital storage is there is no real incentive to delete anything. In the past, digital storage was limited and expensive. You could only keep so much, lest you wanted to invest in a backup solution. As the price of hard drives plummeted while their storage capacity skyrocketed, online storage became free and abundant thanks to Google’s Gmail service. With 1gb of storage, now over 7gb, there was no reason to throw anything away. Microsoft offers 25gb of free storage with its Skydrive service. USB thumb drives offer 8gb of storage for next to nothing. Hard drives with 2 terabytes of space cost less than $200. Digital storage is too cheap to meter now, as coined by Chris Anderson, author of Free: The Future of a Radical Price. It is becoming increasingly difficult to run out of digital storage space. That doesn’t mean you need to keep every single file. The more you accumulate, the more difficult it is to manage it. Search technology has made it easier to find what you are looking for, but you still have to keep the file stored somewhere, in some hierarchical structure.

Just imagine if all of your digital files were a physical equivalent. What kind of physical storage space would you need? How much junk would be piled in your house? How much time would it take each day to manage all of that? Just because it is in the ether doesn’t mean you don’t have to manage it at some point. The fact that you can’t see it doesn’t mean it’s not there.

My digital purge has been liberating. I don’t miss the 30+ blogs I read every day, or attempted to read. I don’t miss the websites I bookmarked. I don’t miss the videos, music, and lectures I listened to once. I don’t miss any of it. What I do keep is what I really want to keep.

Take some time to purge your digital life. Purge the same way you would clean out a closet full of old clothes. Be judicious with the delete button. I haven’t even started on purging your social networks, but it would be worthy to cancel network you do not regularly frequent. I keep myself to three main social networks: Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. I only use Twitter to post my blog entries. I follow no one. I use Facebook and LinkedIn to keep up with old friends, family and colleagues.

Purge and purge often and you will clear your mind of unnecessary clutter.

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

One response so far

Another Reason to Stay Out of Debt

Apr 26 2010 Published by ryanstaylor under Finance, Goals

This article in USA Today about the financial problems facing Generation Y sums up everything I’ve said about debt. Get out of it as fast as you can. Better yet, do whatever you can to avoid getting into debt.

Here are some telling quotes from the article:

Only 58% pay monthly bills on time, a National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) 2010 survey said.

On average, Gen Yers each have more than three credit cards, and 20% carry a balance of more than $10,000, according to Fidelity Investments.

Millennials are graduating from college with an average of $23,200 in student debt, according to the most recent data from the Project on Student Debt. That is a 24% increase from 2004

The story chronicles a couple in their late 20s that amassed over $100,000 in debt by the time they got married. This was the sum total of their credit card and student loan debt. Shocking but not surprising. Now they’re going completely frugal and paying off their debt. Hopefully they’ll be able to pay it off and enjoy the rest of their lives debt free.

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

Comments are off for this post

A Physical Presence

Apr 24 2010 Published by ryanstaylor under Motivation, Success

The title of this post comes from a Level 42 song released in 1985. While the song’s lyrics have nothing to do with the topic of my post, the title reflects something I’ve been feeling over the past couple of weeks. I’m spending more time with the physical and less with ethereal. In other words, I’m spending less time on the computer and more in the physical world, primarily buying books.

Volumes have been written about the decline of physical contact as we move more and more into the online world. We communicate more through electronic means than face-to-face conversation. I am not lamenting this trend at all. Through Facebook, texting, and email I’ve gotten back in touch with many of my old school friends. It has been wonderful to reconnect with my old chums.

I read more now than I ever did thanks to the wealth of information on the net. I’ve practically received a college-level education in economics for free thanks to the massive resources at the Ludwig von Mises Institute and LewRockwell.com. That said, I still love holding a real book in my hand. I doubt I can ever get into e-book readers like the Kindle, iPad and Nook. It is compelling being able to hold hundreds of books in one small device. But alas, nothing beats the feel of a real book. For one, it doesn’t require electricity and it’s doesn’t crash. It’s portable and will last forever if properly cared for. I’m still buying an iPad but it will be primarily for movies, music and surfing the web.

I’ve been on a book buying binge the past two weeks. I made a list of books I want to buy and have been working my way through it, building up my library again. I had donated a bunch of old books to make room for new ones. I decided to buy books that I want to keep for reference. I’m fortunate enough to have a good public library so I can read many other books I would normally not buy.

Many gurus and experts encourage everyone to read to be successful. There are always complaints that kids are not reading enough. I’m not sure I totally buy into that argument. With the internet, I think kids, and adults, are reading more now than they ever did. They may not be reading full-length books, but they are reading articles, columns, emails, blogs, forum posts, tweets, Facebook and MySpace posts, just to name a few. The eBook readers will open up a whole new generation to reading, if the publishers don’t resort to over-zealous licensing restrictions; I’m not optimistic about that. Kids no longer have to rely on boring, crappy textbooks in school. They have a world of knowledge at their fingertips.

Parents, don’t despair about your kids’ lack of reading. They’re reading whether they know it or not. Encourage them to keep on reading, whether it’s online or a real book.

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

Comments are off for this post

Is There Ever Enough?

Apr 22 2010 Published by ryanstaylor under Motivation, Success

My last post, Built to Last, was predicated on the notion of buying things that will last years; preventing you from constantly upgrading your stuff. It was a way of slowing down, saving money, and enjoying the things you currently have. This post is an extension of Built to Last. It asks the question, “Is there ever enough?”

There is never enough. It is human nature to constantly desire. You cannot turn off desire no matter how hard you try. You can prevent yourself from acting on desires, but you cannot turn off desire. Without desire, humans would never accomplish anything? We would curl up and die because we would have no desire to even live! Desire is normal, natural and encouraged. Desire is involuntary, acting on desire is entirely voluntary.

There’s an internal battle between desire and what is enough. Each individual has his or her own limit as to what is enough. There is no right and wrong. You can judge whether someone has too much or not enough, but it is none of your business. You can have as much or as little as you desire, and so can every one else.

Only you can decide. How much money is enough? How much stuff is enough? How many gadgets are enough? How many shoes are enough? How many men/women are enough? The list is endless. You have to determine how much is enough and what the consequences are. If you believe there is never enough of a certain item, are you ready to make to sacrifices and work hard to ensure you have an unlimited supply of what you desire? I can never have enough cigars, scotch and wine, so I ensure that I have enough income to satisfy those desires. There are many who think who can never have enough money. That is perfectly fine and you will have to constantly work at earning more and more money. Note that because you believe you can never have enough, no matter how much money you acquire, it will never be enough.

I’m not chastising anyone for want too much. It is a personal matter. But I want to get you thinking about what, and how much, is enough. Can you have enough of something so you don’t have to think about it anymore? Can you buy something knowing that it will last 10-20 years? Can you keep something that long and not have a desire to replace it?

Keep your desires strong. Act on those that make the most sense to you and fit with your values. Only then will you have enough.

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

Comments are off for this post

Built to Last

Apr 18 2010 Published by ryanstaylor under Finance, Goals

It’s no surprise that we are a disposable society. We have been at the whims of technology and fashion for decades. As the cost of goods has dropped, it is cheaper to buy new instead of repairing the old. For example, the replacement cost for a broken carafe costs almost as much as buying a brand new coffee maker. Why buy a new carafe when I can buy a new 12-cup coffee maker for $10 at Target?

During economic booms (credit induced or otherwise), people are more disposable. New is better. Cars, clothing, houses, furniture, appliances, and technology all get upgraded even though the old model is still perfectly functional. But during economic busts, like the one we’re experiencing now, people hold on to what they have simply because they no longer have the credit or income to sustain a disposable consumption lifestyle.

Regard of your economic condition, or the country as a whole, it is good practice to buy the best you can afford with the intention of that item lasting many years. I’ve begun a quest to do just that. I’ve also taken inventory of my current possessions to determine what is of lasting value and what will need replacement with something that will last longer. Look at your possessions and determine if it’s cheaper to replace or repair. Sometimes a bit of polish and elbow grease can make something look new again.

Look at your car. Have you been thinking of buying a new one? Think again. Many of the cars on the road today can easily last 10 years and longer with proper maintenance and care. If your car is on the old side, keep in mind that it is almost always cheaper to repair an old car than it is to buy a new one. New cars cost more not only in financing, but in insurance and maintenance. It may make sense to buy a new car knowing that it will be the last car you need to buy for the next 15 years.

Your computer can last far longer than you think. Unless you need to live on the bleeding edge of technology, your computer can last at least 3-5 years, even with repairs. Desktop systems will generally last longer than laptops, since laptops get carried about and are more susceptible to damage. This also applies to the applications on your computer. Do you really need to spend money and upgrade to the latest version when the old version satisfies your needs?

The goal of all of this is to save money. You are no longer keeping up with the Jones by buying the latest and greatest. You are spending more money upfront for higher quality goods while your replacement costs are far off in the future.

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

One response so far

Thoughts on the iPad

Apr 07 2010 Published by ryanstaylor under Goals, Leisure, Motivation, Success

I’ve been using Macs since the first one came out in 1984. The first computer I ever bought was a Mac Plus. At work, I have 15 Macs in my office, either functioning as my daily work computer, test systems, or servers. I’m no fanboy, but I know a good computer system when I see one. The Mac makes it easier to do my work. As a music making machine, it is second to none. I’ve used the Mac to produce music for over twenty years now. That said, I have never owned an iPod or an iPhone. I didn’t want to get caught up buying too many gadgets. Now comes the iPad.

I’ll get to the iPad in a minute. My next purchase is an iPhone. With the current slate of applications out there, an iPhone can become almost a de-facto computer for me. I do a lot of web surfing, texting, and talking. I watch a lot of movies and listen to a lot of music. I’m currently watching movies and listening to music, along with playing games occasionally, on my Sony PSP. I enjoy the PSP, but I want a device that will do everything, and the iPhone is that device. It’s a device that will help me be more productive. I won’t be giving up my Moleskine anytime soon. Even with all the fantastic technology, nothing beats the immediacy of pen and paper for capturing ideas.

And now about the iPad. I was curious about the iPad since it was announced. My initial impression after reading everything I could online, was that is could be a suitable laptop replacement. I loath lugging around a laptop, no matter how light or thin it is. Battery life is always an issue and I realize just how much the operating system gets in the way of my work. I just want to start the thing up, be online, and start writing, or reading, or listen to music, or watch a movie. The iPad seemed like a device that would let me do that. My only concern was typing on the virtual keyboard.

I finally got to play around with it at my local Apple store the day after it was released. It was light, thin and felt natural in my hands. I intuitively navigated my way around the device without thinking about it. It responded quickly and naturally to my finger movements, swipes and pinches. It was blazingly fast. The screen was bright, crisp and rich. As is the case with almost all Apple products, you can feel and see the quality. It didn’t feel like a cheap peace of kit. There was heft to the unit without being heavy.

I launched the note pad application and turned the iPad on its side so I could type in landscape mode. The virtual keyboard appeared. It looked just like Apple’s physical wireless keyboard that ships with the iMac. I started typing. Wow! I’m a fast touch typist. The virtual keyboard kept up with my typing speed and I made very few errors. It felt natural even though there was no tactile response. I felt like I could type a full blog post, or something even longer, on that keyboard with no issues. The virtual keyboard reminded me a lot of the keyboard used by Dillinger, played by David Warner, in the 1982 movie, Tron. I was sold.

I’ll be buying one this summer, once the 3g version ships. The WiFi version is nice but I want an always-on internet connection no matter where I am. The iPad is a laptop replacement for me. Along with my iPhone, I can work anywhere and anytime. I’ll still have a desktop Mac at home; one is required for the iPhone and iPad to transfer files.

This is the beauty of capitalism and the tenacity to create something astounding based on an idea. Many have tried the tablet computer before, including Microsoft, but Apple has a way of making products that remind us of the future that we dreamed of as kids. Still, where’s my flying car and laser rifle?

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

Comments are off for this post