2971: 8 Ways to Reclaim Your Life by Brian Gardner with No Sidebar on Breaking Out of a Rut

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[00:00:21] Just go to urlaubsguru.de slash podcast summer and book a vacation as you love it. For you, for you, for the whole family. It's a minimalist Monday edition of Optimal Living Daily Episode 2971 8 Ways to Reclaim Your Life by Brian Gardner of nosidebar.com and I'm Justin Malik.

[00:00:41] We're going to jump right into today's minimalist Monday post as we optimize your life. 8 Ways to Reclaim Your Life by Brian Gardner of nosidebar.com I think one of the most important elements of nosidebar is the intentionality in which we live our lives

[00:01:03] and our underlying desire to find happiness. We simply want to enjoy a well-designed life. However, there's this thing called distraction which has a tendency to get in the way of who we are and what we want to do with our life.

[00:01:18] It's usually a subtle thing like the tide in an ocean and before we know it, we're lost at sea. The good news is we can easily change course and get back on track. Here are 8 ways you can reclaim your life. Please don't be overwhelmed with this list.

[00:01:33] Start with one item and see how it goes. We're all a work in progress. 1. Travel. Go places you've always wanted to visit. Two years ago, I was sitting up in my office mindlessly browsing my Instagram feed. I realized there's a deep feeling of resentment

[00:01:51] I was having for my friends who were posting photos of places I wished I was at. Snow-filled mountains in particular. I decided right then and there, I needed to make a change. I walked downstairs and told my wife, I'm going to go to Colorado this winter.

[00:02:07] I need to be in the mountains and experience life. Either you can go with me or I can find some friends to meet me up there. This past December, 10 of us took a trip to Broken Ridge and enjoyed some much needed time away.

[00:02:21] It's now an annual thing and we call it Brocation. 2. Social media. Unplug from your devices every now and then. We live in a day where access to our smartphones, tablets, and laptops is practically 24-7. At any given moment we have the luxury of hopping online

[00:02:41] or opening our email and while that's a blessing, it can also be a curse. There's nothing wrong with using our devices but it's problematic when we become addicted to checking in and start to abuse the privilege. It's crucial we prioritize those we love over our devices

[00:02:59] every day of the week. 3. Have conversations, seize the day, and talk deeply. There's something to be said about sitting across the table from your favorite person, enjoying a cup of coffee and having fine conversation. Something I don't do often enough but something I'm being more intentional with.

[00:03:19] While you're at it, be sure to ask questions and dig below the typical surface that conversations seem to stay at these days. Be authentic, speak openly, and reap the rewards of love and friendships the way they were meant to be. 4. Declutter. Remove the unnecessary junk in your life.

[00:03:40] The old saying goes, where your junk is, there lies not your treasure. Obviously this begs a significant question. Why do we end up buying too much stuff that we ultimately don't end up using? Well it's safe to say that many of us have access in our homes,

[00:03:57] in our cars, and in our closets. Make good use of the stuff you don't need by donating it or giving it away. Let someone else use and enjoy the stuff you don't. 5. Try new things. Have no fear and enter the unknown.

[00:04:14] A few years ago my wife and two of our friends signed up to run the Las Vegas Rock & Roll Half Marathon. At the time I was lifting weights and had never run more than a mile. This was quite the challenge.

[00:04:26] Though I would have gone as a spectator to support them, I decided to run it with them. Not only was I unconditioned for running the race, I had only four weeks to train. But train I did and I proudly finished the race. Five years and 24 half marathons later,

[00:04:44] running is my passion and something I do five days a week. I never would have imagined I would have loved it so much, but taking a risk and trying something new paid off. Next step 26.2 miles. Number six, reminisce. Look back and remember things that matter. I'm a romantic.

[00:05:06] I always have been and always will be. But one thing I don't do often enough is look back on my life and remember the things that are worth holding onto. Maybe this has something to do with the fact that I'm constantly on the move,

[00:05:18] constantly thinking up new ideas or constantly attending to things on my to-do list. Regardless of the cause, it's therapeutic for me to close my eyes and think about my journey. It's something I want to go out of my way to do more.

[00:05:32] After all, why wouldn't I want to remember the best days of my life? Number seven, solitude. Spend time all by yourself with nobody else. Confession time. This is by far the item on this list that I struggle with the most. And if I'm being honest with myself,

[00:05:50] it's because I don't want to hear what the silence in my life has to tell me. Pair it with a job that requires me to spend 8-10 hours a day online and you have the making of a built-in excuse which I use quite often

[00:06:04] in order to avoid solitude. The truth is, I sometimes wonder if I know how to experience it. Nonetheless, it's something I know I need to do because if anything, it recharges my creativity and makes me more productive.

[00:06:19] For now, consider this a do as I say not as I do suggestion. Just keeping it real. And number eight, rest. Stop what you're doing and do nothing. This might sound a bit like solitude, but the difference here is that you don't need to rest alone.

[00:06:37] For me, this means I need to shut down my computer, put my phone away, and do something other than work. Perhaps this is opening up a book, taking a walk, or flipping on the television.

[00:06:48] However it looks, the idea here is to break up the monotony of the day and participate in events that break the norm. Or maybe it means laying down in the middle of the afternoon and dozing off for a while.

[00:07:00] It's amazing what a 20-minute nap can do for you when you're 41. You just listened to the post titled Eight Ways to Reclaim Your Life by Brian Gardner of nosidebar.com. Thank you to Brian. Something I found interesting when I was going over this list

[00:07:19] is that just one of these can actually hit multiple of the rest, all in one. And that is travel. Yes, travel can be stressful for some being included, but check out how many of these eight things that it can include. Obviously number one, travel.

[00:07:37] Then often it includes unplugging your device, or at least not checking it as often when you're busy traveling, which was number two. Having conversations that often happens while you're traveling. That was number three. Trying new things. That was number five and that's definitely going to happen

[00:07:54] if you're traveling to a new place. Number six was reminisce, which I think can be part of the conversation or while you're on a plane for instance. Possibly number seven, you might be able to get some solitude. And number eight, rest.

[00:08:09] That's almost all of them just with travel or a vacation. So if you don't know where to start, that could be a good one. When I volunteered in the Rocky Mountains at a meditation retreat center, I'd argue that all of these were accomplished in one go.

[00:08:24] I got rest and solitude some of the days. I was reminiscing because I had been there before. I was trying new classes that they offered. I was unplugged from my phone and computer for most of the trip. We had lots of conversations. I was traveling of course.

[00:08:40] And I can even argue that I decluttered when I started packing. So it is possible all without feeling overwhelmed. If anything, I felt the opposite of overwhelmed. But go with what works for you and sounds the easiest. I'm here supporting you.

[00:08:55] And with that, thank you for supporting me by listening to this show every day and sharing it with others. Have a great start to your week and I'll see you tomorrow. Wear your optimal life. Awaits.