Notes & Quotes: A Day in the Life of a Minimalist by Joshua Fields Millburn

I recently read A Day in the Life of a Minimalist. When i read non fiction, attend a webcast, (like this one) or watch a documentary, i like to take notes.

My note taking rule while reading is that if the content makes me stop and read it again, i write it down.  (Not because i didn't understand it, but because it stuck out.)

Here are my notes from this book, numbered for reference:
  1. A few hundred years ago, everyone was a minimalist by default.  Instead of living simply, they were simply living.
  2. Giving is living -- we don't feel truly alive unless we contribute to other people in meaningful ways.
  3. Sure, the details are different, the circumstances are different, but we all have the same 24 hours in a day.
  4. I no longer waste my money, and thus it's far less important to pursue it endlessly.
  5. Food is fuel, nothing more.
  6. Strategy is just a fancy way to say recipe.
  7. At the end of the day, my experiment was a failure.  But it was a beautiful failure..
  8. Eventually the frustration turns into reward; the pain becomes pleasure.
  9. Attention must be paid, even during the most mundane tasks.
  10. The sooner we clean up our own mess, the sooner we can move on with life.
  11. The real value was in the words -- in the action of reading -- not in the physical books themselves.
  12. The value is within you, not your things.
  13. How much of your music is in the way of the good stuff?
  14. Once i jettisoned the superfluous stuff in my life, i was able to focus on my health, cultivate meaningful relationships, get into the best shape of my life, grow as an individual, and contribute beyond myself in myriad ways.
  15. Both people must do their part to grow the relationship.  Only then will both of you be satisfied with the relationship you've built.
  16. Being unhappy and discontent is completely reasonable within our society.
  17. If you are not happy with your situation, no matter how comfortable it is, then you won't ever feel secure.
  18. I needed to replace the stuff in my life with meaningful pursuits.
  19. Contentment comes from within, not from the entrapment of protruding hip bones or the bling-bling of consumer purchases.
  20. Irrespective of the arena, whenever i air out my flaws, i grow.
  21. Sometimes you have to follow your heart even when you know you are going to lose.
  22. Even if it is in shambles, as my life once was, no product is going to fix your problems.
  23. It's easy to be entertained, but it's hard work to seek out the truth.
  24. When your work becomes your life's mission, you no longer need a work-life balance.
  25. When i need to use the internet, i go to a library or coffeeshop and i use it deliberately, no longer wasting hours of my life "surfing the web."  Living my dream doesn't allow for sure pillory.
  26. My only bills at this point are rent, utilities, and insurance.  Everything else had to go.  I decided that pursuing my dream was worth it.
  27. The only thing we all have in common is time.  We all have the same 24 hours in a day.  So, get up at 3:30 am if you have to.  If you want it bad enough, you'll find the time.
  28. Nearly all masterpieces share two commonalities: time and action.
  29. Let your masterpiece become your obsession.
  30. To get what you want, you must be willing to take action; you must be willing to do the work.
  31. Success is a simple equation.  Happiness + Growth + Contribution = Success.
  32. There is a direct relationship between someone's ability to handle uncertainty and his or her unhappiness.