It's the little things...
I’m back from my blogging break. I mentioned in my last post I was going to take some time off for about “a week or so,” and one week turned into three. It was a conscious choice, but it wasn’t easy to give myself permission to take a break.
Do you ever feel that way? You’re tired, but you keep telling yourself, “I have to do just one more thing, and then I can relax.” [Read more...]
We all have the same hours of the day, and it’s easy to fill those hours with a whole lot something, or a whole lot of nothing. I stay home with my children while simultaneously juggling several professional projects, but I don’t think I’m busier than anyone else. In fact, I have no desire to win the “busy contest.”
I have plenty to do. But I also spend a lot of time walking around in circles. Wait, what was I doing? Where was I going? There are lots of words to describe me, but “efficient” is not on top of the list.
So I decided to do one thing to help increase my efficiency. [Read more...]
I’m writing this from the road. Four adults and three children stuffed into an Excursion– an over-sized vehicle that feels a bit too small for us. We are traveling to New York for Uncle Frank’s 70th birthday. It’s supposed to be a surprise, but I’m pretty sure Frank’s not reading my blog. My sister-in-law and I volunteered to ride in the far back. Baby Blake and his car seat are sandwiched between us.
I’m practicing deep breathing and pulling patience from the very core of my being. The bright side is, I enjoy the company. The people are not the problem. It’s all the stuff.
When you’re traveling with kids, there’s a fine line between packing too much and not enough. There’s stuff under my feet, between the seats, behind my head. I look out the side window and admire the rural Pennsylvania country side. I’m not much of a country girl, but right now, I’m loving the looks of all that space. At the sight of it, I’m able to exhale.
Over at Hybrid Mom this week, I am taking an inventory of the things I really need and the things I don’t. Click here to read Project Clean House.
And what about you? What do you do with all your stuff? Are you more likely to save it, or get rid of it? Have you noticed a difference in how it makes you feel?
This is a good day. I’m zipping through Facebook faster than a speeding bullet. I’m checking email with more power than a locomotive. Okay, I’m exaggerating. But only a little.
I just added more memory to my 5-year-old computer, and I can almost hear it thanking me for giving it extra space. For months we had been dragging along, reminiscent of those dreadful dial-up days. I came close to tossing my laptop out the front door each time I watched minutes (which felt like hours) of my life pass by.
Now that my computer is operating at a more zippy pace, I am amazed at the physical sense of relief I feel. Like when my car is not accelerating properly, and I realize I need to release the emergency brake.
Have you ever noticed the sense of freedom and spaciousness you feel when you clean out your closet, clear off your desk, or when someone cancels an appointment, freeing up an extra hour in your over-scheduled day?
I have spent the past couple of weeks clearing space in all areas of my life. Restructuring my weekly calendar so it allows time for work and time for R&R. Sending a pile of clothes to Goodwill so I can find the pants I actually want to wear. Tossing out eyeshadow circa 2005, and rediscovering what the top of my desk looks like. (It’s a nice smoky glass… I was pleasantly surprised.)
I felt instantly lighter, more energetic and relaxed, more efficient and productive. Like my aging laptop, my internal hard drive can get clogged. Cram more files into a computer that’s already overflowing with data, and I’m just asking for a crash. Our lives are no different. We need room to breathe. Room to think. Room to process and decompress.
When you clear out the gunk and the junk, you make room for more of the good stuff to come in. If you think you’re too busy, too stretched, too committed to your responsibilities… ask yourself what it’s truly costing you to navigate through jammed up, overcrowded days. Imagine how it would feel to release the emergency brake and zip down the open road. Or take a nap. Or exercise. Or allow that great idea to take shape. Or do the thing you really want to do but say you never have time for. The possibilities are endless.
What’s the one thing you can do TODAY to begin creating more space in your life?
