Make your Twenties about Experiences, Not ‘Stuff’

In his innocent and carefree life, my little hero of a robot, Wall-E, certainly hoarded a lot of gadgets, gizmos, and toys in his habitat on a barren Earth. And maybe some of those things added value to the curious robot’s life. But I came across an article on The Simple Dollar today that offered a good lesson for those of us trying to find purpose and a much more meaningful life in our twenties by spending money and time wisely. Trent Hamm writes:

I could have stepped back, looked at my life, and realized that the stuff wasn’t fulfilling me. I was seeking experiences and a deeper understanding of who I am and what really mattered to me. More stuff didn’t do that at all.

Let’s see if I can clear it up. Watching a film is an experience. Owning a DVD is accumulation of stuff. Going to a concert is an experience. Owning a pile of CDs is accumulation of stuff. Playing through a great video game is an experience. Accumulating a big pile of such games is just stuff. Traveling to rural France is an experience. Buying $500 worth of French cookware that you’ll barely use is accumulation of stuff.

The solution is simple, especially when you’re young and have the freedom and energy to easily go out and explore the world: load up your twenties with experiences, not stuff. Explore the world and figure out who you are and what you want from life. Minimize the items you have, maximize your experiences, and do it without sacrificing your future.

When Wall-E fell in love with Eve and chased her into outer space, you  didn’t just see his charming innocence brought out by his fascination with junk, gadgets and toys. He takes a chance and follows his heart, and the fullness of his character comes through as he pursues Eve, longing to recreate the romantic feelings instilled in him by watching his copy of Hello Dolly.

I’m not saying you should ditch the Rubik’s cube, iPod and the paddle ball and take a ride into space like he did. But eliminating some unnecessary stuff, making better decisions, and placing value on experience over your things can make an impact, especially while your young.

Buying Experiences in Your Twenties [via The Simple Dollar].

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Staying Fit: A Surprisingly Simple Lifestyle Choice

Over the course of the last two years, I’ve found healthy eating habits and a regular exercise routine to be one of the single most effective life choices I’ve ever made. After packing on quite a bit of weight during my senior year of high school and even more during my freshman year of college, I made a simple choice during the summer of 2006: I would eat less, and exercise more. I started to care about nutrition again and got back into doing cardio. Without taking up too much psychological attention and stress, my new simple goal took me from 195 lbs to 150, shedding about 5 lbs a week on average and felt really great.

It wasn’t until the following summer that I began lifting, toning up, and getting into a far-more habitual and structured fitness routine that I enjoyed even more. But sometimes it’s easy to forget how easy it is to maintain or switch-up a routine by keeping it simple. Leo Babauta from Zen Habits rounds up a great set of rules to follow if you’re looking to get into fitness – especially to clear your head and set some smart goals in the midst of all the competing advice out there that can confuse and sometimes even prevent you from starting.

The Simple Fitness Rules [Zen Habits]

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