Discardia_ More Life, Less Stuff - Dinah Sanders [4]
The same is true for the clutter in your head. Your time and attention are finite. Begin by letting go of self-pressure to do or think about more than is actually possible. Then, give yourself enough mental room to focus comfortably on what really matters to you. Allowing that space will optimize the effect of the time and attention you choose to apply. The true measure of success is to gauge your progress not by the number of actions or your busyness, but by the increasing closeness of your goals.
In Part III, “September Discardia: Core Principle #2—Quality over Quantity,” you’ll make a shift toward a higher quality life through the solutions provided to 11 symptoms of quantity overload.
Core Principle #3: Perpetual Upgrade
Little actions add up to big changes.
—Brad L. Graham, blogger and bon vivant
Life is short; spend your money, time and energy where it enriches your soul. In every possible moment, lean toward experiencing the good stuff. Don't hesitate to optimize your world when it will save you unhappiness and not add to anyone else’s. Note that getting a better version of something doesn’t always mean spending a lot of money; you can find cheap or even free upgrades. When you’ve figured out something you need, it is the rightness of the solution—and not the price—that makes it work. For example, some of the most useful pieces of furniture in my home were free castoffs.
Strive to have ever better problems. Watch for the predictable roots to issues and continually hone your skills at solving, removing, or reducing their occurrence. When something feels wrong, trust your instincts and avoid it. Ask, “Am I getting what I need here?” Whether you call it perpetual upgrade, life hacking, or kaizen, keep tweaking your world incrementally in the direction of excellent.
Part IV, “December Discardia: Core Principle #3—Perpetual Upgrade,” gives you 14 symptoms and solutions to instruct you in the art of fine-tuning your life.
As you work through the book, watch how something that is right (or close to right) can throw the wrong thing, the unneeded thing, or the outgrown thing into sharp relief. There is a tipping point of attention after which your surroundings begin to help you move in the direction you want to go. Your life lurches like a hot-air balloon filling up and, as you throw overboard the now clearly identifiable crap that isn't right for you, it starts to lift higher.
Whatever the reasons for having stuff you don’t want or need crowding your life, the best gift you can give yourself is the ability to let things go. Make it your goal, as designer and social activist William Morris advised, to have nothing in your home that is not beautiful or useful—or both. Rid yourself of anything that does not make you feel more true to yourself. Small changes add up. At least during Discardia’s four occasions a year, but ideally every day, take time to tune in and give your world a little twist toward the best day you can imagine.
Part One
March Discardia: Getting Started
Resolution review
Our Discardian year begins with the basics. When March rolls around, return to your foundations. Having survived another holiday season and done your big end-of-the-year thinking and goal setting, now is the time to look at the habits and ideas that have survived a few months.
Which resolutions actually received your energy when the rubber hit the road?
What goal still feels important but lacks the supporting structure for you to make it real?
Where have you wandered off track or decided to change the route and what does that tell you about how your daily life can better support your vision for this year?
Give yourself a tune-up and make sure that the little stuff that you’re adding up is working well to help you achieve a more fulfilling life.
Where to begin?
The biggest impediment