The Voluntary Life

Latest Episodes:

204 Making Sense of Frugality and Minimalism May 10, 2015

Show notes

This episode is about making sense of two important concepts: frugality and minimalism. Frugality means to be economical or sparing with regard to money, but this definition prompts the question: what are the criteria for deciding if a choice is economical? Similarly, the definition of minimalism (to own the minimum amount of possessions) also prompts a question: what are the criteria for deciding what the minimum is? Both these ideas only make sense if they are defined in relation to your goals and purpose in life. Using examples from entrepreneurship, I suggest ways to define frugality and minimalism in relation to your goals. Show Notes:

TVL Episode 136: Your Purpose In Life
TVL Episode 116 (for discussion of the 4% rule)
The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement Eliyahu M. by Goldratt

203 Early Retirement and Housesitting May 03, 2015

Show notes

In this interview, Sarah tells her early retirement story and talks about life after quitting the rat race. We discuss why she has chosen housesitting both as a lifestyle choice and as a great financial benefit. She discusses the pros and cons of housesitting and provides some advice for people thinking about making the jump to early retirement. Show Notes:

Honoring My Compass

202 Self-Deception Apr 26, 2015

Show notes

In order to gain self-knowledge, you have to reduce the gap between what you think about yourself and reality. Although this is often an uncomfortable process, the truth is always liberating. In this episode, I share two theories from social psychology about why we sometimes lie to ourselves and fool ourselves, as well as suggestions for overcoming these tendencies. I describe some of my own approaches to overcoming self-deception by getting objective data about my life. Show Notes

201 Tools And Systems for Independent Learning Apr 07, 2015

Show notes

Jake shares his own tools and systems for independent learning. These are the hacks for proactive learning, rather than being an uncritical consumer of ideas. Topics covered include:

Making objectives for your learning and capturing them in Evernote
Coping with the information firehose
Filtering your search for learning materials using reading lists and subject tagging in Pocket app.
Capturing learning resources in databases using apps like Calibre and Evernote
Effective note taking with mind maps, highlights and written notes
Critical thinking
Habits to support learning
Automating parts of your learning system

Show Notes:

200 Quantified Self Mar 30, 2015

Show notes

This episode is about using technology to automatically collect and analyse data about your life. I share some examples of my own automated tracking of health and productivity data. I'm using various apps to analyse the data in the background and compile all the results into an automated, objective journal. It's getting easier all the time to quantify your life with minimal effort. Doing so can give you objective data and meaningful analysis about whatever matters to you. This can help you to live a more conscious and fulfilled life. Show Notes:

199 Car Free Mar 23, 2015

Show notes

Is owning a car really worth it? This episode is about the financial and lifestyle benefits of deliberately choosing not to own a car (I'm in my early 40s and I've never owned one). Topics covered include:

Why owning a car is often a waste of money
The health and lifestyle benefits of living car free, especially walking and cycling
Alternatives to car ownership including car clubs, peer-to-peer transport (e.g. Uber and Lyft), public transport
The problem of car dependency and why it exists
Challenges of not owning a car
Suggestions for how to live car free

Show Notes:

The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs
Life Between Buildings by Jan Gehl
TVL E74 City Air Will Make You Free
Walking 10,000 steps per day

198 Removing Trivial Decisions From Life Mar 15, 2015

Show notes

We are all subject to a psychological process called decision fatigue: every choice you make depletes your willpower and lowers your ability to self-regulate. This is true for trivial decisions as well as life changing ones. By designing trivial decisions out of your life, you can retain decision making capability for the things that really matter to you. In this episode I share some of my own experiences with avoiding decision fatigue and explain why I think minimalism is a great way to help you focus on the things that really matter. Show Notes:

Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength by Roy Baumeister
The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg
Article: Decision Fatigue Exhausts Self-Regulatory Resources But So Does Accommodating to Unchosen Alternatives
Image Credit: mylerdude

197 Resisting Conformity Mar 08, 2015

Show notes

Brett Veinotte is an educator and host of School Sucks Podcast. This episode is an interesting discussion with Brett about the power of conformity and how to resist it. Topics covered include:

How conformity to "normal" spending habits prevents people achieving financial independence
Solomon Asch's conformity experiments and what we can learn from them
How conformity can alter your perception
The importance of allies in resisting conformity
The role of privacy in reducing conformity
The danger of conforming to a subculture (and still being a conformist)
How exposure to different views can increase your independence of thought

Show Notes:

196 Self Knowledge and Entrepreneurship Mar 01, 2015

Show notes

In this episode, I interview life coach and author Hannah Braime (my lovely wife) about the relationship between self knowledge and entrepreneurship. Hannah is the host of the personal development website Becoming Who You Are. As a coach she helps people to develop their self knowledge and live a more authentic, fulfilling life. She is the organiser of an upcoming online symposium, The Entrepreneur's Inner World. Topics we cover include:

The role of self knowledge in entrepreneurship
Key themes that came up when Hannah interviewed 24 entrepreneurs
The benefits of entrepreneurship for personal growth

Show Notes

Becoming Who You Are
The Entrepreneur's Inner World Symposium
The Ultimate Guide to Journaling by Hannah Braime (free sample chapter here)
Anything You Want by Derek Sivers
Ep. 142 Extraordinary Time: An Interview With Augusto Pinaud
Double Double: How to Double Your Revenue and Profit in 3 Years or Less by Cameron Herald
The VIA Survey (Online Strengths Questionnaire)
The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work by Shawn Achor
Becoming an Entrepreneur: How to Find Freedom and Fulfillment as a Business Owner by Jake Desyllas

195 Technomadia Interview Feb 22, 2015

Show notes

Cherie and Chris live on a converted vintage bus that they have packed with technology. They call themselves technomads (technology-enabled nomads). The bus has a solar electric system, lithium ion batteries, a mobile internet setup, and lots of other fun gadgets. Cherie & Chris work online whilst travelling and visiting new places. In this interview they share their inspiring story, including both the highlights and the downsides of life on the road. Show Notes:

Technomadia Website

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