I posted this at my on-line creativity notebook "Commonplace Book" just after I helped my mom pack up 30 years of stuff from our house. I am adapting it for this blog, because I think pairing down and getting organized can also help with staying healthy.
First, I am done helping my mother pack up her house. It was full of 30 years of things. Next, I am helping her move all these things acorss the country to New Orleans. After that, I am going to purge my apartment of so much unnecessary clutter so as to avoid being overwhelmed with the things that don't matter and to develop a better appreciation for the things that do. Now I'm going to recommend a book. It's sort of a self help book for people who need to purge their lives of excess:
30 Days to a Simpler Life http://www.amazon.com/Days-Simpler-Life-Cris-Evatt/dp/0452280133
I read it years ago and had a nice "cleansing" by following the steps. But moving and working and jumbling of life has happened and things like pairing down and taking care to keep only the useful, beautiful things, that's sort of gotten away from me.
This goes along with staying healthy in one key way. Time is the precious commodity between professions, vocations, hobbies and interests, friends and family and also every day life things. Dishes, laundry, cleaning, sweeping, cooking. The time to balance all of those things and stay healthy is very complicated when there's too much of everything.
Today I thought to myself: Why am I taking up time sifting through a closet of albeit REALLY ADORABLE shoes I hardly ever wear trying to find the more practical daily shoes? Why do I store pieces of paper with potential projects that I never worked on from 4 years ago? It's not going to happen! Let it go! It's getting in the way of the piece of paper from the thing I am working on right now. If I can get rid of the little things that are in the way, I can clear up way more time for the things that matter.
If I make sure to have an organized house, a reasonable schedule and less of anything that's getting in the way, then the chances of me having time to exercise and pay attention to maintaining a healthy diet are much higher.
I like to walk about among the beautiful things that adorn the world; but
private wealth I should decline, or any sort of personal possessions, because
they would take away my liberty.
First, I am done helping my mother pack up her house. It was full of 30 years of things. Next, I am helping her move all these things acorss the country to New Orleans. After that, I am going to purge my apartment of so much unnecessary clutter so as to avoid being overwhelmed with the things that don't matter and to develop a better appreciation for the things that do. Now I'm going to recommend a book. It's sort of a self help book for people who need to purge their lives of excess:
30 Days to a Simpler Life http://www.amazon.com/Days-Simpler-Life-Cris-Evatt/dp/0452280133
I read it years ago and had a nice "cleansing" by following the steps. But moving and working and jumbling of life has happened and things like pairing down and taking care to keep only the useful, beautiful things, that's sort of gotten away from me.
This goes along with staying healthy in one key way. Time is the precious commodity between professions, vocations, hobbies and interests, friends and family and also every day life things. Dishes, laundry, cleaning, sweeping, cooking. The time to balance all of those things and stay healthy is very complicated when there's too much of everything.
Today I thought to myself: Why am I taking up time sifting through a closet of albeit REALLY ADORABLE shoes I hardly ever wear trying to find the more practical daily shoes? Why do I store pieces of paper with potential projects that I never worked on from 4 years ago? It's not going to happen! Let it go! It's getting in the way of the piece of paper from the thing I am working on right now. If I can get rid of the little things that are in the way, I can clear up way more time for the things that matter.
If I make sure to have an organized house, a reasonable schedule and less of anything that's getting in the way, then the chances of me having time to exercise and pay attention to maintaining a healthy diet are much higher.