I’m Robert Deveau, and I’m still figuring things out.

Welcome to Robert the Ordinary. The name isn’t an excuse to play small or settle for a boring life. It is about staying grounded, curious, and human in a digital world that constantly demands we be extraordinary.

If you are looking for guru advice, a 30-day program to optimize your soul, or a rigid system to maximize your productivity, you are in the wrong place. But if you want to make everyday life a little better without giving yourself a second job, stick around.

Where I’ve been

Over the years, I have worn a lot of different hats. I studied philosophy, and I’ve worked as a real estate agent, a marketer, a web writer, and even a candle maker. I have spent years interested in ideas, self-improvement, and online business.

The honest version of that story is that I have started projects, stopped them, pivoted, and restarted again. I have chased the entrepreneurial itch enough times to learn a valuable lesson: enthusiasm alone does not build a sustainable life.

Why this site exists now

I wanted a place to document what I am noticing, trying, enjoying, and learning without the pressure to monetize every single thought.

This site is about making everyday life a little better without blowing it up and starting over. It is the home of my core philosophy: Choose Better, Not Bigger.

What I write about

Here on the site, you’ll find me writing about a few specific things:

  • Small systems that actually help: Like the 10-minute rules that keep a house running without swallowing your weekend.
  • Creativity and starting again: Writing, making things, and the freedom of letting a hobby just be a hobby.
  • Work, next chapters, and Gen X life: Navigating life at 55 and rethinking what the next phase looks like.
  • Curiosity: Deep dives into music, books, history, ideas, and whatever useful rabbit holes I happen to fall down.
  • Honest reflections: Especially the ones where I admit something changed my mind.

What I believe

  • Small, finished things beat grand plans that never leave the notebook.
  • You do not need to become a completely different person to improve your life.
  • Better is usually much more valuable than bigger.
  • A little humour, and a genuine interest in things, make life richer.

A few ordinary facts about me

  • No matter what industry I work in, I am always drawn back to writing.
  • I live in Ontario with my wife, Monika, our son, Zachary, and our 7 pets
  • I take pizza and hamburgers more seriously than is strictly necessary.
  • I enjoy debating ideas and following a good rabbit hole, whether that means analyzing a Rush album or reading up on World War II and US presidential history.
  • I believe curiosity is a pretty good way to stay young.

Stick around

If you are also navigating the messy, ordinary reality of figuring things out, I invite you to stick around. You can [read the latest articles here], or head back to the [homepage] to see what Choose Better, Not Bigger is all about.

I’m not here to tell you how to live. I’m just here to compare notes.