The post isn't about 72 things you must do in order to simplify your life. The 72 things are ideas and suggestions, things to think about. I am beginning with the first one, because it seems central to how to live my life in general, not just how to simplify it.
"I. Make a list of your top 4-5 important things." This list basically sets your priorities and the way you want to live your life. This is what I wrote:
- Creating. Writing!, drawing & painting, crocheting.
- Freedom. Being able to do what I want to do when I want to do it, not being tied to an 8 to 5, commuting, unsatisfying-job existence (and getting burnt-out, and getting sick — again). Being able to do work that I think is fun, being able to work wherever I want to work. Having time and energy for my important things.
- Love & Friendship: having close friends to talk with, having friends to do things with, having people to love. (Having a "romantic" relationship would be nice, too.)
- Compassion & Giving: Things like volunteering for EcoBot and being the Vice-Chair for its committee, volunteering to do stuff here and there, and maybe volunteering to work with shelter cats and cats at adoption events. Giving my time.
- My Health. Physical, emotional, mental. Getting the care I need and taking care of myself in every way.
It's not an exciting list: there is no lust for travel (not that I would turn it down, and the Freedom item would allow me to do so, but travel isn't important to me as a thing by itself). No building a hugely successful business (that wouldn't leave me very free). It's a list that feels good to me. It feels open; all of it feels "free" to me. I wasn't sure about 4 and 5, because they weren't exciting, but even though I'm not doing all I could be doing (possibly because I'm not free as I struggle with money and worry and grief), I am doing some and there is lots of room for growth.I can see what I want here. I'm not sure how to get to all of it. And I need to just start writing: if I can write more than one blog on a regular basis, I can write a story. I can start a novel. I can work on any of a number of things I want to write. The blog seems different from "real" writing, but for goodness sakes, look at my weekly word count! That's real writing alright.
Who knows? As I pursue the things I can easily pursue now, maybe the others will simply come to me.
What are your top 4 or 5 things?
Writing a blog totally counts!!!
ReplyDeleteJulie
I like it. And, completely biased because I'm scrounging for volunteers for a cat adoption event tonight, volunteering with cats is awesome and so so so needed. I swear, the majority of our volunteers only want to work with dogs (which is fine and their right, but frustrating when I need cat people).
ReplyDelete1. Toby (my cat, the light of my life who has been with me from the moment I moved to DC and abandoned his first mom because he loved me more and knew we were meant to be together)
2. Jarrod (time for him, keeping our conversations going, staying connected, not taking my temper/stress out on him)
3. Finding homes for other animals and doing what I can to move us into a culture where adoption is always the first option and giving up your animal to a shelter is only an absolute last resort.
4. Financial security (which completely conflicts with #3). I don't need to be rich, but I'd like to someday afford a one bedroom apartment and have a real emergency savings so I don't worry about affording anything Toby ever needs.
5. I guess family? Finding a religion that feels right? I'm not sure. I do care about my friends, I'm just not good always about doing what I should.
Hey Bethany, good to see you!
ReplyDeleteYou don't need to come up with a number 5 on the list. Or you could come up with one later. I'll probably refine mine; they seem kind of general. However, my Freedom item includes, in my mind, financial security. It all comes down to what it means in your mind. And I don't think that your 3 and 4 have to be in conflict. You never know what will happen.
Hey I really liked this post. Also check my new post for my list. It's eerily similar. (Cause I stole it.) lol
ReplyDelete