The Voluntary Life

Hannah and I discuss ways to design a life without regrets. Hannah talks about how to use journaling to stay conscious of what really matters to you. I explain my own journaling exercise inspired by her approach- Each week I complete the following sentence stems: The most courageous expression of my feelings at the moment would be… The best opportunity for quality time this week is … If I were to let myself be happier, I would … The most extraordinary thing that I can work on these days is … The best thing I can do to get more transparency in what I do these days is … The best opportunity for automation in what I do these days is … The thing am I doing regularly that I least inspired by is … We are at our best these days when … The thing I am most concerned about going wrong this week is  … The way I would handle that is … The thing I am most resisting at the moment is … The most audacious goal that haven't fully admitted to myself is … Listen to the episode to find out more! Show Notes: Regrets of the Dying by Bronnie Ware Journaling for a Life of No Regrets by Hannah Braime Paul Graham's Todo Items (in response to Bronnie Ware's article). Episode 269: Review of A Guide to the Good Life by William B. Irvine The Crossroads of Should and Must: Find and Follow Your Passion by Elle Luna

Although it might not seem like it, disagreeing is a skill. To disagree well is not only an important skill, but also a learnable one. Most people disagree so poorly that they fail to even make an argument. This podcast episode presents Paul Graham's excellent article "How To Disagree" and discusses the concept of a hierarchy of disagreement. Show Notes: How To Disagree by Paul Graham Graham's Hierarchy Of Disagreement  

In this episode, I respond to listener feedback about peaceful parenting. Some of the topics covered include: Is spanking justified? What about minor kinds of aggression in parenting, such as confiscating possessions? One listener's experience of practicing peaceful parenting for 18 years. How come I argue against the use of psychotropic drugs on children? Show Notes: Previous Parenting Episodes The Myth Of Mental Illness by Thomas Szasz

Jake is interviewed on The Sample Hour podcast with the host, Drew Sample. We had a wide-ranging discussion covering options for living a job-free life, productivity, minimalism as a parent, and motivation— including the fear that motivates me. Show Notes: The Sample Hour Job Free by Jake Desyllas Becoming An Entrepreneur by Jake Desyllas

Does becoming a parent mean giving up a minimalist lifestyle? In this episode Hannah and Jake discuss their experience of minimalism and parenting. Some of the topics covered include: Baby-wearing as an alternative to prams Co-sleeping as an alternative to cots Breastfeeding and baby-led weaning as alternative to bottle feeding and baby foods Buying second-hand stuff for babies How attachment parenting and respectful parenting fit in with minimalism Show Notes: Hannah Braime Examples of Baby Wearing (baby carriers) Co-Sleeping With Infants (University of Notre Dame) Breastfeeding and baby-led attachment Sleeping Like A Baby: Simple Sleep Solutions for Infants and Toddlers by Pinky McKay The Fourth Trimester by Susan Brink The Attachment Parenting Book by William Sears Baby-led Weaning: Helping Your Baby to Love Good Food by Gill Rapley Brain Rules For Baby by John Medina Your Self-Confident Baby by Magda Gerber Information on risks of second hand mattresses Unruffled Podcast by Janet Lansbury The Philosophical Baby by Alison Gopnick Previous episodes on parenting Previous episodes on minimalism

A response to this listener question: "From what I gather, for much of your 20s and 30s you worked very hard on building your business and for long hours each day. It has clearly paid off for you, as you've sold the business and enjoyed many years of financial independence. But is this something you'd recommend for younger people? What's the best way of thinking about the work/life balance at that stage of life? I find myself thinking, what if I worked extremely hard for many years and died in a freak accident before I'd got to have significant life experiences? It may seem like pessimism, but to focus almost entirely on ones work must require some delayed gratification, unless your truly love your work. Similar issues are involved with extreme saving. I thought you might have some good insights about the sort of questions to ask yourself to get a better understanding of how to approach this." Show Notes: The Voluntary Life Community on Facebook Job Free by Jake Desyllas Mr Money Mustache Early Retirement Extreme

The identity trap is an idea from Harry Browne's book How I Found Freedom In An Unfree World. Harry suggested that some widely held assumptions about life are false. By accepting such false assumptions, you lose your freedom. He called these false assumptions "traps". The identity trap is the belief that you should be the person that others want you to be, rather than being yourself. There are two key questions to ask yourself in order to escape the identity trap. Listen to the episode to find out more. Show Notes: TVL Episode Discussing How I Found Freedom In An Unfree World How I Found Freedom In An Unfree World by Harry Browne