Showing all posts tagged #minimalism:


Detroit Athletic Club Panorama

Posted on July 9th, 2018


At the conclusion of a wonderful dinner with our dear friends, we realized that it was almost sunset. So we went upstairs to the roof to take in the view and continue conversation. What a treat to not only take in a bit of the game; but better still see the beautiful sunset colors after the storm we missed during dinner. It was also great because the rain cooled everything off and gave a wonderful freshening to the city. We sat and thoroughly enjoyed the scene and each other’s company for another hour. I am still filled up from the evening. This photo isn’t even in the top ten moments of the night.

Travel Light

Posted on October 6th, 2014


Last week I took a three day trip to Chicago for the Story Conference. As per normal, I choose to travel light. A few people commented on my setup so I figured I’d take a photo and share about the contents I carried on my back.
  • Arc'teryx Axios 25 Daypack - I love this backpack. I have had it for 4 years and could not be more happy with my choice to purchase it. Ask me more about this and perhaps I can dedicate a post to it…
  • One pair of pants is all you need, otherwise a complete change of clothes for each day. Additionally a pullover for chilly mornings.
  • Toiletry bag is a nice little bag from REI. Tootbrush, toothpaste, deoderant, aftershave lotion, hair wax, q-tips, bandaids, etc. My lip balm I always keep in the pen pocket for easy access.
  • I carry my Moleskine journal with me.To write in this, I use my Uni-ball 207 black .38 tip pen. I rarely ever use paper; but for the discipline of journaling I enjoy my good pen on Moleskine. I also write longhand notes to people from time to time. My wife got one from this trip.
  • I have my iPad Air. I take all my conference notes in GoodNotes with my Adonit Jot Pro.
  • My Moo business cards were in the easy access hip belt pocket.
  • Attached to the inside clip, I had my card case (swag from Story2010) for collecting business cards and receipts.
  • Attached there as well is my key fob for returning to my car on the way home.
  • In that same outside pocket, I keep my headphones and sunglasses.
  • Buried deep in the bag were my charging plugs/cables. I also have the Jackery portable charger. I was on Twitter all through the sessions and was tethering often; therefore this was a great safety net to make sure my phone stayed alive.
  • My Fugi XE-2 is a fun addition. I love using this mirrorless camera! Not able to be seen is its case which I used to prop up the backpack. I have a great portable tripod, but choose not to take it on this trip. I knew I’d be struggling for time to use it and therefore made the choice for a slightly lighter pack.
  • Finally, my Contigo Thermos. I have owned this for 7or8 some years. It’s so durable. It doesn’t spill. It keeps coffee hot through to the afternoon. When I’m done with coffee, I use it as my water bottle.
Everything I need; nothing I don’t. Travel light; enjoy the journey.

Why I don't intend to get an iPhone6

Posted on September 17th, 2014

I have fielded texts and DMs asking my opinion. I copy/pasted the following from one such reply.

Short answer is SIZE and stewardship of resources. What's the purpose you want to accomplish with a "pocketable" device? It should be a tool for you to be a good friend. It should remind you to be where you want to be and it should keep you connected to your extended circles. It should take good photos. It should not be a barrier between you and your loved ones. It should also not cause you to spend more for a phone bill than is prudent. A larger screen will only lure you into looking at it more. At the expense of who you might be across the table from. At the expense of your data bill. I also question how well the camera lens will fare as it squeezes in and out of pockets and countertops when it sticks out so obnoxiously. I also use my phone instead of my DSLR whenI want to travel light - the big phone seems counterintuitive... One more issue, if you're going to spend $700 (and you do spend that entire cost with the initial fee and *monthly charges for the next two years; you better make sure it is worth abandoning what you currently have in your hand…

*We save $25/month on each of our phones that are out of contract. $300/year is a steep cost for something that’s not going to truly be beneficial.

What do you think? Am I missing something crucial to the decision of what to do with this choice?

Minimalism Fuels Creativity

Posted on May 30th, 2014

Simplify and minimize - external order creates internal possibility

Use Evernote for everything

Posted on January 15th, 2014

I continue to have conversations with friends who ask me to teach them how I use Evernote. I'm certainly glad to; however I realize I should share the following (my endorsement of my friend Sandi's post about how she uses Evernote) that I copy/pasted from my facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/egwolfe/posts/10202889927640229

I wholeheartedly endorse Evernote as the #1 must-use (as opposed to just must-have) productivity tool. Sandi is right on when she says you can't overuse it. My exact workflow is different than hers, but general thought process is quite similar... Tags are great, text recognition is the jam - one of my favorite tips: take a photo at the at the end of your meeting - search by any word written on the board and the note will be recalled!

To start this year well, watch the #GTD video I posted last week; then start using Evernote. It is your catch-all file-cabinet that you take with you everywhere...and then some!

*Make sure to give it the time it deserves during your weekly review. This summer, you'll wonder how you ever lived without it.

Evernote is one of those programs that is weird to get the hang of, but once you do, it will change your life. The secret is to use it for everything. If you use it only for this or that, it will never really make sense for you. I’ve been using it for 5+ years and let me tell you, I hyperventilate a little bit without it. It’s the VERY FIRST THING I load onto a new computer. Over a better browser, over mail, over a calendar. The very first thing.

It took me a while to really hone my method - I tried various things and then discarded them like outgrown shoes. Occasionally I’d abandon it for something newer and shinier, but I always come back. And in the last two years, I’ve discovered a groove that is absolutely life changing. I hope that something here will resonate with you and make your life easier. Here’s how I use it.

1. Put EVERYTHING in it. You cannot overuse Evernote.

  • My daughter is at a swim meet. I open a note and call it "Waterford Swim Meet". It auto tags the date and location. I jot down which events she’s in. I take a photograph of the program. I take a handful of photos of her at the meet (terrible photos, I’m far far away) and one of the score board with her time on it when she broke a personal record. All go in the note. As she swims, I jot down her times for each race. On the way out, I throw away the program (no more, "where should I put this, maybe I’ll make a scrapbook someday") and can tell her what she placed, what her times were. I tag the note with three tags: "Leslie", "8th grade" & "swim".
  • I just acquired a microwave for over the stove. I open a note and call it "Microwave". I take a photo of the sticker with the model and serial number. I do a quick google search for that model + manual, download the manual and add it to the note. Finally, I photograph the receipt and add it to the note. Done. I throw away box, manual & receipt, knowing I’ll always have them if I need them.
  • I’m at Supercuts with my son and I open a note and title it "Boy haircut". In it I jot down which blade he likes for the sides and the top. We stop at the shoe store and buy sneakers. I take a quick photo of the label on the box. I label it shoes and tag it with his name.
  • I’m at the doctor with my daughter. I open a note and label it "Dr Adams". I jot down her height and weight, prescriptions and anything else valuable (shots, tests, etc). I tag it "Leslie" "Dr". Later when the bill and the EOB from the insurance company come in, I attach those to this entry.

2. Tag with three things: Who, When, What

  • You can get (and I have) crazy elaborate with tags but I’ve found that in order for them to be most useful, you only need those three pieces of info. The’ve never failed me. Who? What? When? I don’t always use tags and I don’t always use them all. But all my tags are one or more of those items.

3. Search here first

  • I get a phone call during rehearsal and the daughter says the director doesn’t want her to wear boots on stage, she needs flats, can I get her some black ones real quick? I head to Old Navy, pull up Evernote and search "shoes" and boom, there I’ve got her most recent size.
  • I’m filling out paperwork at the high school info night and need to know when a tetanus shot was. I pull up EN and search "tetanus" and get three entries - one for each of us. I grab the one tagged with the right kid, look at the date, and there you go.
  • I’m at Lowe’s and shopping for the little bulb in the microwave that illuminates the stovetop. Holy moly, there’s like a million sizes, what? I pull open EN, search for "microwave" and right there on my phone, boom, owners manual for my microwave that I can search through and find the secret code for the right bulb.
  • I’m talking to another swim mom about how the kids qualify for certain events and she tells me the time cut off. I pull out EN to see what my child got in that event with a 5 second search of "swim" and "50 back". There’s my answer.
  • I’m on the phone with student loan people and they need to know my AGI from line whatever in my taxes last year. Open EN, search for "Taxes" choose the right one and 20 seconds later, I have my answer.
  • I’m trying to find a new recipe for couscous and remember that I saw one in the magazine at the drs office a month ago. I open EN and search for "couscous" and there it is. I took a picture of it and EN found the word IN THE PHOTO.
  • What’s the name of that orthopedist I saw one time in Myrtle Beach? Open up EN and search for "orth" because I can never spell that word. Luckily, I only get hits for him and Collin’s orthodontist so we’re all good. I simply took a photo of his business card and then threw it away.
  • I’m talking to a friend who’s visiting Galveston and can’t remember the name of the pirate that we found who is buried there. Open EN, search for "pirate" and it finds the photograph of my kids standing next to the monument from the word "pirate’ engraved in the marble.

Evernote has replaced my recipe book, my filing cabinet and my filofax. It’s replaced 3 boxes of kid memorabilia in the garage. If I want a timeline, I put "leslie" 1st grade" and automagically I have samples of her work, her art, her schedule, her report cards, name and numbers of her teachers and photos of her…all in a neat timeline.

Because Evernote lives in the cloud, it doesn’t matter if my phone breaks or my house burns down, I’ll always have access. And I’ll always be able to find what I need quickly and not have a home cluttered with "I better not throw this away". It’s absolutely priceless.

Eric G Wolfe

Creative Director | Process Architect. Design Strategist. Leadership Coach.