Well obviously my New Year's Resolution isn't about getting things done fast. I'm nine days into the New Year and just talking about my resolution. I feel the need to also tell you that I have only taken down half of my Christmas decorations, and instead of feeling ashamed I'm actually feeling quite liberated! So there to all you homeowners associations that are just itching to write me a ticket. According to the rules I have thirty days from the holiday to remove all holiday decorations, and this year, I just think I'm going to use all thirty days!
Okay, so my New Year's Resolution wasn't my own. But really, whose is? There are only so many things we can resolve to do so there has to be some copy-catting in there somewhere. (Is that even a word? Guess I'll find out when I spell check)
My resolution this year is to Simplify. And I'm sure I will be all wordy just telling you about it, which means that I'm not really simplifying just yet, but here goes.
Life has become such a frantic, frenzied thing that I can no longer stand it. As the country song goes "I rush and rush until life's no fun". Who is that, Toby Keith? Correct me if I am wrong- I'm not the best at remembering who is who and I want to be sure I give due credit.
We get up earlier and earlier to hurry up and get to work. We have so much work that we take shorter and shorter lunches. We leave work later and later, but then when we get home our time with our family is too short. Add to that all the chores and activities and next thing you know we are crazy in the head. But personally I never say no to anything. And I'm so busy cramming things into my schedule and into my home I have decided it's just too much.
I started off with cleaning out a few of our too-many-to-count closets. If you are wondering why I have been quiet on the blog lately it is because I am simplifying- starting with our possessions. Do we really need to keep every single magazine we ever received? Between my collection of Martha Stewart (going back six years) and my husband's collection of Automobile, Golf, Road & Track, and Maxim we threw out recycled (we really did) three full boxes of magazines. And can now see the top of our lateral filing cabinet in the office as well as the bottom of the drawer in the coffee table.
I am working my way toward Hayley's closet as I have gotten very lazy about packing up the clothes she has outgrown. I was keeping them in her diaper stacker hanging in her closet. Oh yeah- Mommy Tip! Who really uses that diaper stacker for diapers? Hang it in the closet and tuck outgrown clothes into it whenever you think about them. Then when it is full you can box them up. But that only works when your child doesn't have a closet full plus two dressers worth of clothes. Because she has outgrown so many of them so fast they are now littering the entire floor of her closet. I'll take a picture for you before I clean it out.
But in reality, simplifying goes beyond just cleaning things out. It means that sometimes we are going to stay home instead of rushing around like mad people. And I'm sure sometimes we may feel bad about saying no, but it also means that our lives will be much more peaceful.
It means that if I'm going to have a barbecue and invite a bunch of friends I'm probably only going to serve burgers and chips. Why spend a whole day making dips, pasta salads, potato salads, and chopping fruits and veggies? If my friends want to bring side dishes then more power to them, but if they want to come over for a simple burger and to hang out in the pool then they have found the right place.
It means that instead of going out to eat as much I'm going to spend time learning how to cook- and learning how to enjoy it. For us cooking is a necessary evil, without food we will starve. There is no real pleasure in cooking and it is something that must be done as quickly as possible, especially because we have so little time. But if we can simplify the rest of our day then that hour in the evening may become pleasurable and may actually help us unwind.
I'm starting the process now. Check back in with me in a month to see how well I'm doing. And don't judge me just yet, I've always been wordy and that one will be a tough habit to break.
Jenn - I think we must be on the same wavelength! I have absolutely 'gutted' our house & now have a garage full of bags and boxes waiting to go to various charity or recycling places.
As for the cooking, buy a slow cooker - I adore mine and use it all the time for roasts, casseroles, curries, chilli..... Before going to work I literally throw whatever we are having into the slow cooker & all I have to do when I get home is cook the rice/pasta/veggies.
As for lttle girls' clothes I constantly say that I am buying only what they need...only to be tempted everytime I enter a clothing shop. Perhaps they should have a group set up, you know like AA, but for childrens clothes addicts!
Yvonne x
Posted by: yvonne | January 10, 2008 at 12:06 PM