Minimalize to Maximize Your Happiness: Cut the Crap By Jake B. Melton
About The Book:
Minimalize to Maximize Your Happiness: Cut the Crap, provides you with ways to alter your life and business by finding added happiness through applying principles of minimalism and simplicity. Learn how to attain more purpose, success, and time in your life by getting rid of toxic relationships, mental clutter, and things that keep you from finding peace and joy in your life. Learn how to “cut the crap” and live a life that propels you forward.
Cut the crap, from your life that is holding you back, whether it’s relationships, possessions, processes, attitudes, or thoughts. Whether you are simply looking to find peace in a demanding world or you are growing a business, these ideas and principles will help you achieve added happiness and clarity in your life.
Get a Quick Glimpse! Here’s part of the introduction:
“Growing up I was always drawn to organization, simplicity, cleanliness, and order. I always sifted through my possessions and got rid of things I didn’t need or want anymore. As I got older, I recognized my own self-made, minimalistic tendencies in my design, my nature, my mentality, and my style.
When this modern movement became more popular over recent years—especially after documentaries and other written works had been published around the idea of minimalism—I realized I had already been living along the lines of a minimalist for much of my life. When minimalism became more widespread, it didn’t seem like anything foreign to me. It certainly wasn’t something that seemed very far “out there.” It always seemed right. So for me, it came first nature. It wasn’t a question of whether or not it would benefit my lifestyle, because I was already experiencing the benefits.
What I learned from the very beginning after taking on the label of living a “minimalist” lifestyle, was that minimalism is not an overnight decision—it is a journey. It takes time to understand its purpose and to be able to apply its principles to one’s life. It takes a conscious effort to see it unfold and benefit your reality.
Minimalism not only improves your physical atmosphere, but it truly does impact your mental and emotional atmospheres as well. Becoming a minimalist can mentally and emotionally help you live a happier, more harmonious life. It can help you clarify your goals, vision, focus, and improve levels of gratitude. Minimalist principles should be applied to physical space, but must also be applied to the emotional, spiritual, and mental spaces.
As a public speaker, author, and coach, I have seen far too many people that suffer at the hand of stress, anxiety, fear, worry, depression, anger, bitterness, and hopelessness. Those effects have also weighed on my mind at some points and have taken over a large portion of my life at times. This is where I realized there was more to minimalism than just the physical aspect, there was a much larger emotional and mental side.
I needed to minimize those negative feelings and attitudes, settle the emotional state of my mind. After years of living and applying minimalism both physically and emotionally, and seeing its positive effects, I knew I had to share what I’ve learned with others.
I took a look at everything I was doing and recognized that minimalism has changed my life and it can do the same for those who aren’t already practicing it. I want to share with others that which has made a significant impact in every realm of my life. Whether someone is missing something in their lives, is in need of an extra boost, or needs answers to their own deep-rooted questions, minimalism can be a path of change for them.
I have gathered my experiences, lessons, ideas, expertise, and combined them into a program that can help business owners and everyday human beings find greater fulfillment in their lives, and find that happiness, success, time, and purpose are top priorities on the lists of most important things to people.
Also, help others apply minimalism to the most vital and burdensome aspects of their lives. Being a consultant and change leader in the business world, I recognize an opening for me to help business owners and entrepreneurs “minimalize their businesses.”
I have given every ounce of energy and every piece of knowledge that I have in helping others minimalize their lives and businesses. I coach and support them as they apply minimalism and change principles that will help them find increased success and peace of mind.
So, here we are now. This book will stand as a guide for you (as the first milestone in my “Minimalize Your Life and Minimalize Your Business” program), to use and apply to your everyday life and business.
Though this book is simple in nature, my hope is that you will find nuggets of knowledge, sparks of insight, and perhaps find ways you can achieve greater happiness and fulfillment in your life that you haven’t quite thought of before.
This book will enable you to see improvement in your relationships and your families. You will see your business grow in ways you didn’t think was possible, based on simple ideas and principles. It’s nothing too detailed or abstract and I did that so that it can remain applicable to anyone at any point in their life.”
Editorial Reviews:
“I’ve just finished reading for the second time “Minimalize to Maximize Your Happiness: Cut the Crap” by Jake. A very pleasant reading, a wise view on growing in business and personal life. Personally, I am quite good at getting rid of toxic relationships at work but I had not realized how much “material things” were clogging up my life… until I read Jake’s book. I’m ready now to start cutting the material crap. Thank you, Jake!”
—Ivette Javet: Quantitative Research Consultant
“I’ve just finished reading ‘Cut The Crap’ by Jake Melton. What a fantastic, straight-talking, no holds barred, honest read. I loved that it was short, punchy, and to the point.
This book ‘cut out all the crap’ reinforces the importance of how much more you can grow if you ‘cut the crap’ out of everything in your life that doesn’t serve you. It’s so simple, yet we overcomplicate it.
I would recommend this quick, yet impactful read to anyone. It’s definitely going to be my ‘go-to handbook’ when I need a gentle reminder to ‘CUT THE CRAP’ ”
—Jill Ritchie: Scottish Life Success Coach
“I wanted to recommend Jake’s book: Minimalize to Maximize Your Happiness. The author shares some wonderful ideas to cut the crap out of your life. Jake gives great tips to maximize your effectiveness in your family, relationships, at home, and at work. The ideas will stimulate your thinking to take action on ways to simplify your life. Quick and easy read! Pick up a copy and read it today!”
—Coach Jim Johnson: Motivational Speaker, Author, Autism Advocate
“Jake Melton has a powerful message that everyone needs to hear. In his book “Minimalize to Maximize Your Happiness: Cut the Crap”, Jake cuts through all the ‘noise’ that surrounds us and gets right to the core of what really matters.
Jake communicates from the heart in a way that truly resonates, taking us on a journey of how to simplify and refocus holistically – mentally, spiritually, emotionally, and physically. In doing so we can connect back to our values, find a sense of purpose and live a life full of joy and gratitude.”
—Roseanna Saluni: Organizational Dev, Human Potential Coach
“I so highly recommend Jake’s book Minimalize to Maximize Your Happiness “Cut The Crap”
It was a very easy read which I loved. But it also really made me think. I thought organizing was important, well it is much more than that. Jake talks about cutting the crap out of every aspect of life.
Something I had never thought of. He talks about how when people come over you take all your crap and throw it in a closet and then when they leave you to put the crap right back and don’t get rid of it. I know I can’t be the only one guilty of that!”
—Caren Cooper: Wellness Consultant and Influencer
About The Author:
Jake B. Melton is a millennial speaker and change author, minimalist, and modern workforce expert. During his minimalist journey, Jake has learned how to focus his business, focus his clients’ businesses, and help others improve their lives by ridding the things that aren’t helping them progress.
He lives to help others find peace, happiness, and purpose by applying the principles of minimalism, simplicity, focus, and essentialism. Jake provides keynotes and workshops based on his change program, “Minimalize Your Life and Business.” He also provides one-on-one coaching to those in need of minimalizing and focusing their businesses and personal lives.
Be sure to contact or book Jake if you are in need of a speaker and consultant to actually help you make a positive change in your life and/or business to increase happiness and profits. He currently resides in Dallas, TX with his beautiful wife and two children.
JAKE’S MISSION IS TO HELP YOU AND YOUR BUSINESS: “MINIMALIZE TO MAXIMIZE YOUR PROFIT, TIME, PURPOSE, AND SUCCESS.” He wants to help you clear the clutter in your life and business, streamline processes, CUT THE CRAP in the workplace, and help you make MORE money with fewer resources.
His goal is to challenge his audiences by helping them embrace change, let go of the unnecessary, and inspire forward focus and progression. Visit jakebmelton.com to book him as your keynote speaker, schedule a one-on-one “minimalize your life or business” session, or book your next change seminar or workshop. More products and books will be coming your way!
Jake Melton is a minimalist with valuable expertise in simplicity, essentialism, and minimalism and how you can apply principles of these philosophies and LEVEL UP. Jake has crafted a program based on applying principles of minimalism and simplicity to one’s personal life and to the business world. His populating #CutTheCrap helps people find added happiness and success in their lives by cutting the crap that holds them back.
Jake is a motivational change speaker and simplicity author. He is the Founder of The J.B. Melton Group, LLC.
Jake delivers special insight to ridding the unnecessary, negative, unused processes of your life and business to help you make MORE money with fewer resources. As he speaks to your audience, he helps business owners and human beings alike, find peace, reduce stress, increase organizational effectiveness, and embrace change in a demanding universe. He empowers people to minimalize and simplify their lives and find greater purpose and fulfillment in their businesses, families, teams, etc.
Jake finds joy in his family, kids’ successes, barbecue, theater, crime history and profiling, antiques, sports, the Los Angeles Lakers, and reading on the beach with a nice, cold glass of Diet Coke.
The author currently resides with his wife and two kids in Dallas, TX.
Get a signed copy! (Amazon)
My Review:
Appearance:
A notebook size book which means easy to carry, and light. poor quality of printing (in some pages), especially at the end of the book, some pages are Off-Center. I liked the simple and minimalist cover design.
Content:
Minimalize to Maximize Your Happiness Book is written in an inspiring way of teaching a lifestyle that represents simplicity and having less stress about unnecessities in life or losing what you have collected as a luxury.
The concept of minimalism is more about being intentional about what you bring into your life which allows you to get rid of relationships that are unhealthy, and get rid of stuff and clutter that you don’t need in your life.
The author began with the definition (in his opinion) of the title of the book, which helped to understand his point of view better, then explained the misconception of minimalism to help the audience to better understand its true intent and purpose before deciding whether or not it’s the right journey for them.
This book is the autobiography and the lifestyle of the author as he explained he grow up with it and he claims its the reason for his happiness in personal life and success in business.
This book contains 6 sections of Cut the Crap in Your Life, Business, Relationships, Material Crap, Home, and Workplace. in each section, the author is trying to teach, how to identify, what is holding you back from happiness and success, by making examples of our everyday lives, asking you to cut those craps to find the freedom.
In the second section, the author is explaining how he was able to help businesses to find those craps and helped them to identify important tasks and focus on priorities that bring more value to their business. the result was, it freed them up from the time, effort, and possible expenses of having too many tasks.
In the third section of the book, Cut the Crap in Your Relationships, as the author defines this crap “as toxic to our blood” he teaches you how to identify this type of crap (poison) in your personal life and asks you to get rid of it since you are wasting your time and energy on something that would never make you happy.
(I am so thankful because I cut this crap many years ago in my life when I identified those craps in my relationship or friendship with people who had nothing to do with my happiness but they were causing me trouble and holding me back from being a successful entrepreneur.)
The other interesting section of the book is Cut the Crap in Your Workplace, I am %100 agree with the author by saying, many of us spend more time at work than we do at home, with some metrics, he explained how complicated a workplace could be especially from poor relationships, ineffective processes, misunderstanding, lack of respect, jealousy, selfishness, and we must be willing to cut out the things that cause work-related stress, toxic cultures, and unsafe work environments.
There’s a question: Is your boss making your life miserable? if yes, The author’s answer is: ask for help. Your boss might even be impressed with that and improves your relationship, or you might need to recognize what is going on, or getting a job somewhere else to start experiencing the happiness you deserve. don’t put up with it if you can’t solve this issue, then cut the crap.
As you have read above the author is a coach and business owner, he stayed professional and never used his book as a commercial material to advertise his services to the audience, although he made examples of problem-solving of the minimalizing method to his clients, which I found useful but not enough. I really hope in the next edition (if any) the author makes more examples of different situations and problems which minimalizing way as a simple method, could be the resolution for the problem solving, cutting the crap, facing happiness and way to success.
In the end, I’d like to thank Jake B Melton the author of the book, for giving me the honor of reviewing his first book by providing the paperback and PDF version of the book in exchange for honest feedback.
to know more about him visit: jakebmelton.com
Did You Know: (Book Articles)
What is Minimalism, Then?
Minimalism is practiced by an individual human being. It is the responsibility of each person practicing minimalism to judge whether or not things, people, processes, attitudes, or actions are helping them achieve higher levels of happiness and success. If it helps you find freedom from guilt, negativity, stress, depression, and toxicity, then you are on your way to living a minimalistic lifestyle.
Yes, parts of minimalism are about getting rid of tangible things that occupy physical space, but it’s much deeper than just that. I will help empower you by identifying aspects of your life that you can cut out to find added harmony, joy, peace, and happiness.
It’s human nature to seek after happiness.
We live our lives making everyday decisions that either add or subtract from our own level of happiness. As you read through this book, I want you to constantly consider this;
“What are you doing in your life to add to your happiness?” Likewise,
“What are you doing or not doing that may be taking away your potential happiness?”
Determine what crap you need to cut to eliminate whatever it is that isn’t supporting you in your journey to experiencing happiness.
I have always believed that a bad relationship is as toxic to our blood as injecting it with poison. Whether we think it or not, the emotional consequences our minds and bodies receive from dangerous, negative relationships can damage us just as badly as poison affects our physical bodies. Our mental and emotional well-being not only affects our relationship with depression, anger, resentment, guilt, and bitterness but like real poison, it affects our physical state as well.
…I did realize that many of those relationships I was trying so hard to maintain and correct were hugely affecting my mental, emotional, and physical health. I was adding fuel to my own fire. I was paying for a storage unit to store “crap” in my life. I was investing my time, hoping I’d eventually get some form of friendship in return, only to find out I wouldn’t.
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