On “Minimal” Inspiration…

• Posted by chicagosean
• on February 14th, 2011

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As Traders, it is very easy to get lost in a world that revolves around finance. We operate in an industry that depends on information and we have developed amazing ways to aggregate, process, and consume this information. There is so much information coming at us from every direction, it never stops, and we can never know everything there is to know about a certain company, its stock, the news surrounding a sector, or the macro winds swirling behind the scenes.

Take it from a guy who spends the majority of his day reading blogs, newspapers, and the StockTwits stream – financial media can become all-consuming.

Therefore, in an effort to get different perspectives and fresh ideas, I also subscribe to many bloggers outside of the financial realm who I regularly gain inspiration from. The bloggers I am going to introduce to you here speak about minimalism, zen pursuits, adventure, and even danger. They help balance out my mind, keep me entertained, and often put me in the right mindset to be receptive to new ideas when I go back into Trader mode and review the markets for opportunities.

So, in no particular order, I present to you a sampling of some of my favorite non-financial blogs:

• Zen Habits, by Leo Babauta. The design of this site is the very definition of minimalist. The information provided is maximalist. Leo discusses all types of ways to gain a more zen approach to life, health, work, and family.
• Becoming Minimalist by Joshua Becker. This blog documents a middle class family of four’s journey into minimalism. With two children under the age of 8 living in Essex, Vermont, you can imagine the challenges.
• Blog of Impossible Things by Joel Runyon. I had the pleasure of meeting Joel at a TweetUp hosted by @evbogue in Chicago in December. At the time, I was unfamiliar with his blog. Joel has an infectious “I’ll attempt to take on anything, once” attitude that comes across beautifully on his blog. You’ll find yourself rooting for Joel and wanting to join him as soon as you can.
• Traveling Ted TV by Ted Nelson. Ted is a personal friend of mine who has had the good fortune to travel to many places around the world. He has an amazing ability to pull it off on the cheap, and his blog documents his travels. In addition, he provides commonsense activities for adventure seekers in Chicago and the midwest.
• Advanced Riskology by Tyler Tervooren. This blog is about “achieving better living through uncertainty” – essentially, taking calculated risks. Traders can most certainly relate to Tyler’s approach to danger and adventure.
• Exile Lifestyle by Colin Wright. I’ve also had the pleasure of meeting Colin at the same above mentioned TweetUp. An incredibly engaging guy, Colin picks up and moves just about every 4 months to an entirely new country (he’s probably in Iceland by the time you read this). A real-life International Man of Mystery.

There are many more incredibly inspirational bloggers, adventurers, and lunatics I follow that will allow you to escape the 24-hour financial news cycle. But I fear I’ve already inundated you with too much. I’ll save the rest for a future share.

Enjoy getting lost and inspired with these sensational resources.

The information in this blog post represents my own opinions and does not contain a recommendation for any particular security or investment. I or my affiliates may hold positions or other interests in securities mentioned in the Blog, please see my Disclaimer page for my full disclaimer.

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