Minimal Changes
Minimal Changes started as a blog in 2010. It was written by Kevin Olega to explore minimalist principles and apply them in finances, goals, technology, time, work and life. Minimal Changes is transitioning from a blog into a single page online ebook. If you'd like to read the blog please head over to the archive. This main page will update regularly so feel free to come back for the story's continuation. Unlike the traditional blog format, Minimal Changes will now be read from top to bottom.
Minimal Changes story
In 2010 after a five year struggle in the corporate world, I was dissatisfied with my results. I had started accumulating debt and clutter instead of getting closer to my goals. I realized I was wrong with a lot of things.
My formula was simple. Work extra hard, increase my income, buy a shit load of things and be happy. To motivated myself by making my carrot big and I pushed and struggled toward it. Not knowing that the guy holding the carrot in front of me was myself as well.
At 24, I was exhausted.
What If everything I was doing was wrong? If so, how would I live differently?
I somehow knew that I had to do. I just wanted to be clear with it myself. I started writing online. It was a blog then called minimal changes.
Fast Track Lie
Everyone wants to fast track to success. There are a lot of offers on the subject. A book, a course a program or a business is claimed to have increase your chances of fast tracking. I tried quite a few. I worked on fast track opportunities in insurance, real estate, network marketing, online business and proceeded to fuck up each one. I'm not trying to accuse all fast track offers as bull shit but in my experience..
I mess things up every time I accept an offer or strategy to fast track my success.
Fast track is a great way to get you to spend more money
A lot of things will be said by "experts to get you to fast track and spend more money.
Don't believe me
I already know the answer. You do to. I don't think I ask myself well questions well enough. I always wanted expert opinion. I wanted to fast track. I'm a productivity junkie so I want things fast. But what if I messed up because I was wrong? What I was wrong because I kept believing in lies? Lies taught to me and lies I tell myself. I could be lying. If you're going to continue reading, don't believe me.
Why Minimal Changes?
Everything in nature grows slowly-common sense
Every awesome change in my life happened with minimal changes.
When I was trying to pick a name for my first blog, the past two statements stuck. Almost everything awesome that happened to me happened slowly. Whether it's learning a skill, improving my finances, kicking a bad habit and building relationships all these things took time. Whenever I tried to rush, I ruined opportunities. Haste makes waste as the saying goes. I'd like to refine that statement. Masters of specific skills can perform rather quickly. I think the better saying should be "undue haste makes waste."
When I expect something to progress gradually I sometimes see changes in leaps and bounds. When I expect growth in leaps and bounds, the opposite almost always happens.
New Rules I Set
Use what you have do what you can.
Let go of everything that clutters your life so you can focus on the important.
Instead of paying for books, why not write your own instructions.
Do things with minimal changes.
Minimal Changes
Minimal Changes is the opposite of the fast track mindset. It's about doing less and achieving what you want. It's about being realistic with expectations and acting in accordance with reality. What reality? Things take time. Results get better as I get better. I shouldn't beat myself up as I go my pace.
Use What You Have
What ever you want to do, what ever kind of person you want to become, you already have "enough" to get started.
You don't need running shoes, gym membership and sports clothes to get fit.
You don't need a billion dollars to get started on what you want in life.
Everything else you think you need might be icing or an excuse to get started.
You have enough to move forward.
What is the "core" of what you want to do?
What do you have and what can you use to get started?
"Everyone has an awesome idea of what the want. They also have a long list of what they need to get started but that's all in the future. The final version. What if they started with the leanest working prototype? The one percent that has the one important function that they want to achieve and call that version 0.01 and just started with that. Imagine the possibilities compared to them waiting for what they need?" -
Derek Sivers
Do What You Can
We all see an awesome futire where we can do anything that we want. I was waiting for that. I have a list of things I wanted to do I believe that I can start as soon as (I'm awesome or whatever). I realized that if I just do what I can I already started with what I wanted to do and I don't need much to make life awesome.
I don't need much
I thought I needed a billion dollars to have an awesome life. Today, I realized that it's not true. A lot of things do cost money. I don't deny that reality but the thing that make us truly happy.. A good laugh, a smile, holding hands, a hug, a kiss, making out don't cost money. I thought I needed a mansion, a Ferrarri, the latest gadgets as soon as they come out. The truth is I don't.
Look at your goals. Do you honestly believe you need that to be happy? If so will you suncerely refuse to be happy until you have that?
Experiment it yourself
Write Your Own
Let Go
Live on Less