When George Washington was a teenager, did he really, really, really want a car?

Unlikely.

In order to want something, you probably need to know it exists. But my guess is that it surely helps if you’ve been marketed to.

One definition of happiness is wanting the things you’re likely to get (or, conversely, not wanting the unattainable). One definition of marketing is persuading the world it wants what you have, regardless of whether they can afford it or not.

We don’t hesitate to motivate employees by marketing them the benefits of being promoted, even if they all can’t possibly get this. We don’t hesitate to tease kids by marketing every conceivable unattainable Christmas gift at them, relentlessly.

Teenage girls are taught what to want by magazines and by peers.

Patients are taught what to want by doctors who prescribe new tests. And doctors are taught to do that by lawyers eager to sue if they don’t. Imagine going home and saying, “the doctor wanted to give me another test, but I said no…”

This cycle of assigned wants is going to get a lot worse before it gets better. The game theory demands it.

And so, once again it seems to come down to a personal decision. If you decide what you want (instead of letting someone else decide for you) perhaps you could choose the things that would actually bring you and your loved ones the satisfaction you can live with.

via Seth Godin

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As the people in my close circle noticed in the last week, I have a new phone I am stuggling to put down. Nokia SA are getting involved with bloggers on a more regular basis, and I am hoping they will see value in the site and the way we are doing things for the Urban Ninja ROKThis Project and that we could add them to the roster for 2010.

So after a unsuccessful first review of another phone I had almost lost hope, but then the wonderful Olga suggested I try the new N97. I was hesitant, to say the least.

I was wrong.

This phone has been amazing. With the Nokia PC Suite, I was able to upload my contacts in 1 click, from an Excel file. With 4 clicks, my email was up and running. I have a few accounts, and they all work well on the phone. The internet is fast (3.5 HSPDA), and the best part is the desktop, which very much like the CMS which runs this website, works with Widgets. I have a twitter, facebook, email, weather widget on the desktop, so its all 1 touch access.

Oh, and its got a bigger hard drive than my first laptop 32 gigs, so I can store all my music, and use my killer Sennheiser earphones with them, so that while on the bike I can handle calls, and listen to background music, to keep the legs going.

Nokia Maps worked first time to get me to a location to drop some Kleinhoekkloof Wines to a lucky client, and all in all, its great. Battery life is about 2 days, which is great for the amount of time I use the phone, and the 5MP camera takes amazing pictures, like this one.

I`ll give it 2 more weeks and then give a full review, but if you are in the market for a phone right now, I am not saying get this one, but at least consider it.

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Post written by Leo Babauta on Zenhabits and it was so applicable for a friday I could not leave it out. Have a cracking weekend!

There’s too much emphasis these days on productivity, on hyper efficiency, on squeezing the most production out of every last minute.

People have forgotten how to relax. How to be lazy. How to enjoy life.

Try this: read some of the best books, magazines and blogs on productivity, and see how many will tell you how to get the most out of the time you spend waiting, how to maximize your energy, how to make use of your commute time, how to make every meeting more effective, how to get more out of your workday, how to crank out more widgets.

People are working longer hours, constantly checking their inboxes, constantly focused on Getting More Done.

But to what end?

Are we producing more in order to make more money for corporations? Or to make more money for ourselves? Or just to hold on to our jobs — jobs we might not like anyway?

It’s possible we’re trying to get more done because we love doing it — and if that’s the case, that’s wonderful. But even then, working long hours and neglecting the rest of life isn’t always the best idea. Sometimes it’s good to Get Less Done, to relax, to breathe.

Let’s take a brief look at how to do that.

The Beauty of Getting Less Done
While working long hours and cranking out a lot of widgets is one way to go, another is to work on important things, to create amazing things, and then to relax.

I’m not saying you should surf the web all day, or take naps all afternoon … but why not? Why not enjoy a lovely nap? Why not take a long lunch and then a siesta? Why not enjoy a good book?

I get people who ask me all the time, “What should I do on those days when I can’t seem to be productive?”

My answer: “Enjoy it!”

Sure, we need to produce sometimes, especially if we have to pay the bills, but an obsession with productivity is unhealthy. When you can’t get yourself to be productive, relax. Let go of the need to be hyper efficient. Stop feeling guilty about enjoying yourself.

But what if you can’t motivate yourself … ever? Sure, that can be a problem. But if you relax, and enjoy yourself, you’ll be happier. And if you work when you get excited, on things you’re excited about, and create amazing things, that’s motivation. Not forcing yourself to work when you don’t want to, on things you don’t want to work on — motivation is doing things you love, when you get excited.

It’s how I work every day. I work on lots of projects, on things I really care about, with people I enjoy working with. (See my guide to becoming self-employed if you’d like to do the same.)

How to Relax
It’s funny that I’d even need a section on this topic — how to relax. It seems like it should be something we all know how to do. After all, aren’t we constantly searching for ways to be less lazy? And doesn’t it logically follow that we already know how to be lazy?

It’s possible you already have mastered the art of relaxing. And if so, congratulations. You are a Get Less Done master. All you need now, perhaps, is to let go of the guilt you might feel, and enjoy this relaxation.

But for those of you who have forgotten how to relax, you’re going to have a tougher time. Here’s a hint: don’t stress out about it. If you don’t know how to relax, it’s OK. Breathe. Take it slowly. One step at a time.

Some steps:

* Take 5 minutes to go outside for a walk. Breathe the fresh air.
* Give yourself more time to do things. More time means less rush.
* After work, get outside, take in nature, run around if you can.
* Play. Play like a child. Play with a child. Play when you work.
* Give yourself a day off. Sleep. Watch TV. Eat bon bons.
* At work, give yourself an hour off. Don’t try to be productive. Just have fun.
* Work with someone who is exciting. Get excited about a project.
* Take evenings off. Seriously, no working in the evenings.
* Get a massage.
* Breathe.

Step by step, learn to relax. Learn that productivity isn’t everything. Creating is great, but you don’t need to fill every second with work. When you do work, get excited, pour yourself into it, work on important, high-impact tasks … and then relax.

—
Post suggested by Noemi.

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Considering my days are largely based around branding, triathlon and my new philanthropic venture, I thought to include a bumper edition of 5 Clicks for the day today, and leave you with 10…

1. Have you ever got stuck in a situation where a freak thunderstorm kinda ruined your vibe, mid ride? You need to have one of these. It’ll fit right into your back pocket, next to your iPod, keys and tools.

2. History is here in the 1987 Team Time trial at the Tour de France. Times have changed…

3. Sitepoint Talks about how business ethics could change your life.

4. Wikipedia lays the definition of Philanthropy out there. ROK This is going to turn the entire population of the world into small time philanthropists, acting on behalf of those who have no choices, and giving on behalf of those who do. Stay tuned…

5. Every one of you is at some sort of desk right now. Here are some innovative desk designs for you.

6. Own a business? using social media? Read this and if you need to step out of the curtain, contact Rok Media for more help at Twitter or mail info [at] rok.co.za

7. Building House? How about a house made entirely of the friendly weed? Rasta’s must be all over this idea. Especially Rural Rastas…

8. The Attention Surplus by Seth Godin

9. Vital tips for effective Logo design.

10. Remember…

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Are you this guy in the morning?

I know many people who struggle getting up in the morning. I think it largely has to do with how you go to bed – this waking up tired thing. Couple of fool proof remedies which work for me are:

1. Cup of rooibos about 30min before bedtime. settles my tummy. no sugar, no milk. Rooibos + applejuice.

2. Stop work at least 2 hours before bedtime. Nothing kills my sleep more than a mind still working while I`m sleeping. 2 hours seems to do the trick for me.

3. Stretch, or rub your fascia with a Myofacial ball. I will go into the ball tomorrow, but stretching the line which runs from your foot, through your back into your spine, makes for better sleep.

4. Have a bedtime routine. Brush teeth, wash face, whatever it takes to teach your body that its now going to sleep. Do it. Teach your subconsicous to respond to these triggers to trigger good, healthy sleep.

5. Urban Angel tells me I need to sleep in 2 hour batches, so either 6 or 8 hours. Ask her why. Its something she preaches. I am merely the student.

Give those a shot, so you dont look like this kid in the morning. It is not puuuurdy.

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I’m awake when I should be in bed. I went to bed, but got up again to write emails and proposals.

I have a real passion for what I’m doing at the moment and its overlapping into my sleep time.

Is that a good thing? I hope so. Who knows…

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There is at least one thing Bolt and I have in common other than being proud Puma Ambassadors.

Here is me…

and this is Bolt…

Only difference is that he holds numerous world records, olympic medals and had a range of personalised clothing from Puma named after him.

But I guess he’s no Ironman. thanks Puma for keeping my head firmly on my shoulders.

Maybe when he’s in SA they`ll let me open the set before he trashes the decks. maybe…

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So, we have all heard of this amazing girl, right? She is fresh out of school, and the world has jumped to conclusions that she is indeed, secretly, a man. Her remarkable increased performances this year shout of some sort of substance abuse, surely, to the negative, pessimistic people out there. That is how they justify the fact that they would never go above and beyond.

I feel so bad for her. You have the incompetence of ASA (Athletics South Africa), combined with the sheer uselessness of Julius Malema (who today proclaimed that no white people were there to welcome her back to SA whilst Grant from the 12-3pm show on 5FM was there, and that he was not the only wit ou in attendance) and in the middle is this amazing talent, a fresh, 18 year old talent.

Imagine you were world class, from a remote area, and in your final year at school – someone saw you and took you to get the proper training, rehab, prehab, nutrition etc. I bet in a year, a rough diamond would be shaped into an incredible talent. We see it ALL the time with Kenyan runners, swimmers around the age of 16, and indeed, amazing talents in South African rugby who come up at 18/19 and shine straight from the Platteland.

Now imagine your administrative bodies failed you, a egotistical headline seeker “Polititian” grabbed your glory to headline his own plight, and that every person who asked you a question was not what you did differently in training, but if you could please remove your pants so they can see, for themselves, if you are ACTUALLY a woman.

Ok, Caster looks big on TV. I bet if you stood next to her she would be small. maybe 1.6m in heigh, and under 50kg in weight. She is muscular, yes, but I bet with her hair loose, and something girly to wear, there would be no claims.

But will we see an imagine like this?

I doubt it. She doesn’t seem to care. I don’t blame her at all and I would be hugely suprised (and ASA huge emboerissssssed) if anything more comes of this.

I hope she breaks the 800m, 1500m world records time and time again. That she continuously puts the pessimists at bay and that indeed, we all take her on as someone to be proud of as a South African, of all colors.

Leave race out of it, you bafoons. For a light humor moment though, click this link… here.

Julia Malema…. hahahah!

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Storck calls this its Aero 2. Shimano DI2 compatible only, and you are looking around $18000 complete here. Apparently Faris here in the pic at Cape Epic 2009, gets his for Kona.

Thats him in the back, suffering. More or less where I’ll be at Epic 2010.

Which I doubt I could do on a Storck Aero 2.

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“Omit needless words.” - William Strunk Jr., The Elements of Style

While minimalist aesthetics and products and the minimalist lifestyle appeals to a lot of people, they find it easier to like it than to live it.

Minimalism is something people might strive for, but they don’t know where to start.

I’d start with the advice of William Strunk Jr. in his classic minimalist treatise on writing (quoted above), but apply it to life in general, and everything you do: “Omit needless things.”

I could (and probably should) stop writing there, because that’s really all the advice you need. However, the idea needs a little expanding. Strunk, for example, wrote:

“A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid all detail and treat his subjects only in outline, but that every word tell.”

This is the addition to “Omit needless things” that is necessary: not that you have as little as humanly possible, but that every thing you do have counts.

Let’s apply this to various areas of life:

• Possessions: Look around you, at work and home. Is everything you own important? Can you get rid of things, and keep only the things that really matter? Edit vigorously, until you’ve whittled it down to the minimum for the life you want to lead. Read: A Guide to Creating a Minimalist Home.
• Buying: It’s a waste of time to reduce your possessions if you just buy a bunch more. What’s important is being content with life, not stuff, and thereby reducing your needs. If you don’t use buying to fulfill your needs, you’ll only really buy what you need. Or maybe you’ll be able to go without money.
• Eating: How much do you really need to eat? Do you need the big plate of chili cheese fries? The fully loaded nachos? All those slices of cakes? All those cream-filled sugary coffees? Often the answer is no. Omit needless food, and make everything you eat count — by making your food nutrient-dense, fiber-dense, healthy and filling.
• Doing: Do less. Make everything you do count. Look at your to-do list and see what’s really important. In fact, examine your work life in general and see whether you’re really making every day count. Omit needless activity.
• Goals: Do we really need 101 goals? Can we do with just a few, or even one? By focusing on less, you can really pour yourself into it.
• What you produce: If you produce something, whether it’s writing or music or software or clothing, see if you can simplify and keep it more focused. If you create a website, can you give it one single purpose, with one call to action? Can you do that with your writing or music? Figure out what that purpose is, and edit ruthlessly so that everything that remains counts.
• The rest of life: In anything you do, see if you can apply these principles. There’s no need to get obsessive about it, of course, but it’s always useful to examine what we do, how we do it, and whether we really need to do it.

If you’d like some irony, here are a few blogs I’ve been enjoying, for those who want more minimalism:

• Minima
• Becoming Minimalist
• Minimal Mac
• Why the Minimalist Lifestyle Appeals to Me

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