A very good friend once told me many years ago, that in order to simplify her life she committed to doing just one thing each day. This didn’t mean she did one thing then sat around lazily the rest of the day, but she would only commit to one significant activity each day. If other things occurred, great. If not, great.
She, like many of us, was in the habit of trying to “get it all done”, do more and be more. Her days off were already filled the week before with plans for grocery shopping in the morning, meeting someone for lunch, watching grand nieces and nephews in the afternoon, then possibly an activity with friends in the evening. She was busy doing enjoyable things, but she was exhausted at the end of it all, and other ”quiet” activities she enjoyed like gardening or enjoying a cup of tea and a book, always fell by the wayside.
By committing to just one thing, say an evening activity with friends, the rest of her day was left to flow as it would. She might garden. Someone might stop by and she’d enjoy a cup of tea while visiting. Grocery shopping and other chores would still get done. But she was calmer and more focused on the tasks at hand without being rushed on to the next activity.
I still think about her words and to this day I still try to schedule just one thing each day.
Voluntary simplicity is the art of doing less and feeling more. It’s about being fully present for fewer activities rather than trying to fill every moment with more.
If my guy and I plan a morning of fishing, I typically won’t plan another activity for that day. We may still do other things, if we feel like it, but I’m not bound to additional plans if I’m too tired and I can simply be present and enjoy fishing. If I plan a massage or acupuncture appointment after work, I won’t plan anything else after, so I can simply enjoy the relaxed state for the rest of my day.
For those of us who are “planners”, this helps us the most because were often thinking about the next event as we’re finishing up the first and therefore not being fully present in the first activity.
Try scheduling fewer activities in order to enjoy each one more fully. Limit your schedule and let the rest fall into place.
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