Simplify!

I have been talking "simplify" for years.  So much so that I even changed my email address to incorporate it at one point.  However, it is easier said than done at times and - surprisingly so - harder to maintain at others.  I guess it depends on your current definition and all that is going on around you.  To me, to simplify simply means to find better ways to do something.  It might cost less or a bit more.  It may be better for the environment or temporarily use a bit more resources.  It may mean having less, or may mean having just a bit more.  It is a personal journey - one that you must find the right fit for it to work - and, just as with clothing, the "size" may need adjusting from time to time.  

For me, when I picture a life "simplified," I see being comfortable, while not wasting and being prepared - being a bit more proactive instead of reactive, so life moves along a bit more smoothly.

Sustainable - Lessons learned the hard way

My writing style is still feeling forced and in brain freeze mode, but there is work to be done!

What I learned over the past few weeks is my current way of "functioning" was NOT sustainable.  I was doing well balancing everything that needed done - work, school, house, crafting - and then the final straw landed at my feet.  This caused many near sleepless nights, leading to disrupted days.  This snowballed over the other stuff making even simple things seem overwhelming and difficult.

I had hit the proverbial brick wall - crashed and was burning.

That's how I describe this past week.  During this "crash and burn" week, I realized I had let some things take too much of my time, while letting other things slip and get pushed aside.  Some of these things weren't a big deal - others were.

I have limited amounts of time and energy.  It all gets spent.  It's time for me to refocus what I can onto what I want the focus to be on.  I must learn to live within my means - not only in the financial sense, but time, energy, focus, talent, desire.  I must determine - once again - what is important to me, discarding that which does not fit within.

How to find the balance? Learn the words Sustainable and Simplify!

I had a saying early last week:

When my cup got full, I grabbed a saucer.  Then I grabbed a soup bowl.  I have since added a salad plate and a main course plate.  I now say, "skip the tableware - perhaps I now just need to go straight to the trough!"

If we are blessed with an unending supply of time and energy, perhaps the trough is okay.  However, even then it is likely to still be messy.  The reality of life is there is a limited supply of both time and energy.  When our focus, our time and energy, is split in too many directions, everything suffers.  However, there are things we can do to help bring a bit of balance to the scene and alleviate some of the stress and the energy drain - or at least be sure it is spent on the right things!  To accomplish this, there are a few things we need to keep in mind.

SUSTAINABLE - Able to be sustained.  SUSTAIN: to support the weight of

SIMPLIFY - The word "simplify" is a verb and requires action.  It means to make less complicated, clearer, easier

Each area of life can be asked these questions:

1.  Can current resources (time, energy, funds, etc.) support what is being done or what we want to do?
2.  Are there ways to make an area (function, activity, job, etc.) less complicated or easier?

These are the two questions I'll be using as I move forward - trying to unravel a bit of the mess and chaos and hopefully, finding a bit of peace and clarity.

And we begin....AGAIN!

In the week since the last post, I got everything caught up, everything figured out and am well on my way.  Then I woke and reality slapped me!  Instead, work got busier, things fell further behind and I exhausted myself more than I realized.  I even had to cancel an activity I had been looking forward to for weeks - because I was overly exhausted.  My brain and body had been locked in high gear for too long with no break.  I spent yesterday doing as little as I felt I could get away with and resting.  I'm not a napping person, but the day included 2 naps.  Yep - exhausted.

Where does this put me?  Still a bit tired today and with a big  dose of reality.  Here's my reality:
1.  I am not a machine.  As much as I'd like to think I am, I do not have a fluffy tail and ears and I do not roll around with an Energizer battery beneath my feet.
2.  I have limits.
3.  Those limits are not what they used to be or even what I thought they were.  Reality sucks some times!
4.  I must learn to function within those limits.
5.  If I push those limits, my mind and body WILL crash.

All of the above made it VERY clear to me that I was out of balance!  A closer look would reveal everything is currently out of balance.  It is time to work towards regaining that balance - again.

So...the old blog having glitched out on me, brings me to this new blog - just in time for this new start.  No area will be left unturned, so let's get started.

~Whew~

The past month and a few days have been absolutely packed full and crazy.  I FINALLY finished both of my classes earlier this week.  That being said, I'd love to add things have since slowed down.  However, why lie?  Work has been crazy busy, I've already registered for my Fall classes and I'm still trying to play catch up with all that fell behind during the summer semester.  I have a two week "break" from school, so it's time to pick up a few things, dust them off, evaluate them and see what moves forward.  Oh, I almost forgot.  I also started a little side thing of trying to sell some of the crafts/hobby stuff I do from time to time.  I have a lot to catch up on and a lot running through my mind, so there will likely be many posts over the next few days.  Let's see if anything useful falls out.