Discardia_ More Life, Less Stuff - Dinah Sanders [14]
Waving bye-bye
When you decide to drop or deactivate a project, take time to close it. If you have physical materials that you won't want or need anymore, decide their fate and send them away. Take a picture of that unfinished painting (or whatever) to document how far you got, and maybe write some notes about why you chose that project and why you're now parting with it.
If it's something less tangible—say, participation in a club for which you don't have time anymore—write a thank-you and farewell letter or make a call to conclude your involvement. Acknowledge the good in the activity and then move to a higher priority. If it was something you added to your plate just for yourself, such as, “I will learn Swahili in my spare time” or “I will read an entire new book every week”—make some kind of parting gesture to confirm that this item isn't just fading down to the bottom of your current list but is coming off that list. It is not still floating out there as an obligation anymore.
Know what you want to be doing now
You'll be less stressed if you have a clear head and a good picture of what's on your current list. Acknowledge things on which you might want to work in the future and realize that they are not a current priority. For things that are active now, prioritize them; if the list is at all overwhelming, move the bottom items into an inactive status.
Begin your efforts with what’s at the top of your list, whether it’s a habit, a project, or a goal by creating a new active habit or project. Based on your available time and energy, put in chunks of effort toward the things on your list and work in order.
At the top of the list, put things on which you want to work daily and restart at the top of the list every day. Some days you will make it farther down the list than other days. That’s fine, as long as you keep the list arranged according to your priorities.
Good progress isn’t perfect completion of everything; it is steady, prioritized time and effort toward what matters to you most.
If you beat yourself up over what’s not done, remember that all your possible projects need to happen in their season and when your energy, time, and priorities permit. It’s like gardening; accept that it can't all get done at once. Can't rake the autumn leaves in the spring, right?
Build in time to take care of you
When you’re setting priorities, consider goals or desires you may have, such as, “be less stressed,” “have more fun,” or “feel healthier.” Remember that progress comes from creating habits and projects to support them. It is vital to acknowledge consciously that these enjoyable things are also your priorities, and you can devote time and effort to them without feeling like you’re failing in other areas. You do not need to account for everything that happens in the universe. The rest of the world will get on fine without you while you take that half hour to build a couch cushion fort with your nieces, meditate, or walk in the park.
Sudden stuff will come up. When this happens, if it really isn't a higher priority than the other things in your queue, prioritize it and do it at the appropriate time, giving whoever is bringing it to you a realistic prediction of when you'll get to it (and, if needed, an understanding of the stuff that has to be cleared from your plate beforehand). Chug on through. Maybe you won't get very far down the list, but you'll know what's going on and work on the right things first instead of the noisiest or immediate fun.
When working on any activity, be fair with yourself over what you can achieve with that chunk of time and energy. Start and be focused. Don't stress about not completing everything in one 30-minute lap. Make progress, enjoy it, and move to the next priority. Over