Living Simply by Building What I Need

If you don't know me, this article will give you insight into my way of thinking and how I approach life, business, and projects. Life is very noisy and fast for most, more stuff, bigger promotions, more accomplishments, more extra curricular activities, on and on. More things we’re told we need—most of which never really make life better or happier for that matter. I'm not saying be lazy and don't be ambitious and provide for your family. Just slow down and understand this: more money only solves money problems, not relationship problems, time with your kids or chasing your curiosity. Have you ever allowed your curiosity to take over and lead you? Let me give you an example, one evening I was walking up to my shop with my headlamp and I kept seeing these green colored light reflections beaming back at me from the grass. I was fascinated to find out it was Wolf Spiders! So, I went and retrieved my loupe and a magnifying glass to have a closer look at these spiders and I got lost in my yard for a couple hours that night exploring. Spotting wolf spiders at night felt like part-arachnology and part-stargazing. Nevertheless, I learned a lot about Wolf Spiders that evening and their importance in nature. My point is to slow down and listen to yourself.

Building Only What I Actually Need

Living simply doesn’t mean living without, it means living with intention and being present.

Instead of buying furniture, storage, or outdoor structures, I build them:

Black Walnut

• A small greenhouse for starting seeds

• A table for my woodworking shop

• A wooden soap dish for my shower

• A bench to sit on next to my wood stove where I take off my boots

When I build something myself, it usually lasts longer, works better, and means more than anything I could buy off the shelf.

From Standing Tree to Useful Thing

There’s something grounding about starting with a log. Before it’s lumber, before it’s a project, it’s just a tree that grew slowly over decades. When I mill a log, I’m forced to slow down and pay attention—to grain, tension, defects, and potential. Nothing is rushed, and nothing is wasted if I can help it. That process alone changes how you think about consumption. When you’ve handled the raw material from the very beginning, it’s hard to treat wood as disposable.

The Freedom of Using What You Have

One of the biggest lessons from running a sawmill is learning to work with what shows up.

Logs aren’t perfect. They’re crooked, tapered, or oddly shaped. And that’s where creativity comes in. A knot becomes a feature. A short slab becomes a stool. Off-cuts become boxes, siding for a cabin, or firewood.

This mindset spills into the rest of life:

• You don’t need perfect conditions to start

• You don’t need the newest tools to do good work

• You don’t need excess when resourcefulness will do

A Slower Pace, By Design

Milling lumber and building with it naturally slows things down. Wood moves at its own pace. It dries when it dries. It resists when it needs to. It rewards patience and punishes shortcuts. In a world obsessed with speed, wood insists on presence. That slower pace has reshaped how I think about work, success, and time. I’m less interested in scaling endlessly and more interested in doing meaningful work that leaves something tangible behind.

Simplicity Isn’t Minimalism—It’s Connection

For me, living simply isn’t about owning less for the sake of it. It’s about being closer to the source of the things I rely on. When I sit on a bench I milled and built myself, I remember:

Me, in my woodworking shop

• Where the tree grew

• The day it was milled

• The decisions made along the way

That connection adds value no price tag ever could.

Why I’ll Keep Milling and Building

As long as there are logs to mill and things to build, I’ll keep choosing this path.

It keeps my hands busy, my mind clear, and my life rooted in something real. Living simply, building what I need, and respecting the material has taught me that a good life doesn’t require more—it requires just enough, thoughtfully made. Slow down, if you can't be happy with a cup of coffee or tea then you won't be happy with a yacht.

Best

Jason