Are you there too?

Do you ever wish you could just shout out, “STOP!”  And then regroup EVERYTHING with the knowledge and experience that you have acquired … and from this point forward just life more “simply” ?????

You know you do!

But the problem is that we just don’t know how to go from A to B without “throwing the baby out with the bath water.”  We like our “stuff” and as much as we grow weary of living a hectic, overcommitted life, we are too afraid of being bored  or lonely or without luxuries that we now deem as necessities.  Am I wrong???

I would so like to say that I’m dedicating 2008 to “CHANGE” — and a major aspect of that CHANGE to be “living a simpler life.”  But this will take commitment.  Compromise will have to take place in many areas, but simplicity will have to be the overall deciding factor.  Can it be accomplished and where do I start?

At HOME —

• Get rid of the clutter!
  Everyone says that’s where you start.  For a pack-rat that seems almost sacrilegious. But it’s necessary.  So, whilst I’m off during the holidays — I WILL DE-CLUTTER.

• Reduce/Reuse/Recycle/Repair/Remove!
  I’ve got to  get rid of clothing and household items that I just don’t use. Fat clothes, skinny clothes, clothes I just don’t like: all can go!  I will donate them to Goodwill.  I will also commit to not buying any other item of clothing (that I might need sometime) just because it’s on sale and too good of a deal to pass up.  Geez! What a breeding ground for complexity.  I will repair what can be repair, and I will throw away what cannot.  There should not be guilt in realizing when something has served it’s purpose and is worn out … and there should be a dedicated notion to purchase items of good quality so that you don’t have things lying around that are in a constant state of disrepair.  Fix it, Use it  or Lose it.

No more keeping an abundance of storage containers, empty boxes, tubs, containers, or other cutesy knick-knacks that never serve any purpose except to take up space. Which leads to the next step …

• ORGANIZE! Living life on the run is either a “coping mechanism” for being disorganized at home, or being disorganized at home is a by-product of “living life on the run.” Either way, it’s cyclical … and it has to stop. I think there was a  reason that Beaver’s Mom and others from that era had “wash day” on Monday; grocery day on Thursday; and so on.  There is more freedom in being organized … one being, you don’t have to always hunt for something.

• PRIORITIZE and PLAN! Without priorities and a plan, we can become “any body’s dog who will hunt.”  I need to be strategic about life.  Our health (physical, mental and emotional) is at stake if I don’t.  A priority must be to “be healthier” and this means making an plan about nutrition, exercise, rest, relaxation, and renewal. So I must develop an eating plan that is nutritious and economical. I can do this. I have the “know-how” and the skills.  I just have to make it the priority and make a plan.I use the excuse about having to work and its easier to just eat on the go.  But look at me? (for those who see me on a regular basis) Has that served me well?  I think not.  So, since it takes two months to make a habit, I’m going to prioritize the months of January and February of 2009 to creating and adhering to a menu plan, followed by exercise plan and then a plan for rejuvenation.
• My mental and emotional health is also strongly tied to my financial health!  So, I’m going to schedule time to deal with this aspect of life once a week as well.  When there is more month than money, it can become so overwhelming that you just want to stick your head in the sand and hope it all works out.  It works out when we “make a plan” and stick to it.  So a budget and consistent steady plodding is a priority and major part of the plan.

And the ultimate goal … PEACE at Home.  People, I’m a mess. (Just ask Jack) I’m stressed, irritable, cynical, and otherwise a “she-dog” to live with.  Life ought not be such a complicated, convoluted, confounded mess.  There’s just too much stuff going on … and it all conflicts with some other piece of “shtuff” on the “to do list.”

I’m shouting out … STOP!!!!

STOP!!!

I really do need a simple life.

(Please feel free to share you own experiences or ideas of how to achieve this goal)