About me
My name is Ryan and I live in a suburb of Seattle, Washington with my wife our two cats (RIP the grey-man Georgie). I have a degree in Finance and started my career in data entry before progressing into IT security in a large tech company today.
While I’ve managed some success in the corporate world, which certainly has its benefits, I’ve always struggled with the rigid structure imposed by these corporate jobs:
- Strict schedules either enforced by policy or peer pressure from co-workers
- Demanding deadlines
- Long work hours
- And despite the old wisdom that these jobs are ‘secure’, there always seemed to be the threat of layoffs or surprise restructuring that can happen at any time
This all takes a toll, and I am often challenged to live a joyful and fulfilled life within this structure. What I’ve found is that between a 40+hour work & commuting schedule during the week, managing a budget and taking care of a home, often there seems to be no time left for hobbies & pursuits that make life worth living.
My goal in this blog is to pass along the knowledge I’ve gained in my mission to simplify as much of the day-to-day management of life to free up time for hobbies, side projects, and entrepreneurial pursuits that motivate me to get out of bed in the morning.
The key for me is to select priorities that deserve my time and attention then automate, outsource, or simplify the rest. I want to provide any tips I can for how to follow a similar model that will allow you to prioritize what makes you thrive and spend less of life’s limited time on the menial and repetitive.
What is Low Effort Living?
My whole life I’ve been accused of being lazy for not taking part in the same social activities as my peers. But this wasn’t laziness, it was survival (at least mostly). I just don’t seem to have the same deep well of energy that others use to socialize and spend hours on activities outside school and work. I need to be very selective about with whom I spend my time and what I choose to do during that time, or I will quickly be over-extended and accumulate stress.
Low Effort Living as a mantra is embracing this label so I can tell my side of the story. The Albatross is a great example of what this lifestyle is about. A casual glance at an Albatross in flight, rarely flapping its wings, could give the impression that it isn’t working very hard. The reality is they use the natural air currents above the waves to carry them incredibly far while using very little energy.
The purpose of flying style isn’t to be ‘lazy’; it is to save energy to be put to work when needed most. Similarly, living low effort isn’t counter to putting in maximum effort on our passions. Low effort in this context is about structuring your life such that time and energy spent on the menial and redundant is minimized. This structure then allows you the greatest amount of time and energy possible for pursuits of your choosing.
How much more could you accomplish if you weren’t spending so much time just maintaining what you already have? What else is there in this life you could experience if you had a few more free hours each week? My hope is this blog will provide the tools needed to start making this space for yourself.
The mission of this blog
This blog was inspired by my pursuit of simplicity in all aspects of life where I don’t feel it’s necessary to devote my full time and attention.
There’s nothing I love more than passing on what I’ve learned, as I want to help others avoid the same mistakes and challenges that I have. That’s the mission of this blog – to speed up the process of getting to a low-maintenance lifestyle and begin living a more fulfilled life.
My only request is that you don’t trust me! Let the resources in this blog help to build your knowledge but continue to do your own research. Everyone is unique, and what may be the best answer for me may not be what’s best for you.
Thank you for reading!
I want to thank you all for coming to visit. I hope everyone can learn a little something and find a way to live intentionally, focus on what is important, and simplify the rest. And once you’re there, then just f’in coast.