The 2011 Challenge: August and Everything After
I'll claim that I decided 'being on time for updates' was something my life no longer "needed." (After all, since I've cleared out bras, gym shirts, and more than twenty pounds, shouldn't I bulk up my list?) My blog-along with chemgal18 and SunflowerAKB has gone on for long enough that I'll quit boring you with the list, and instead refer you to the page with my past updates. And, because that's how we play the game, let's review The 2011 Challenge:
What are 11 things your life doesn't need in 2011?
How will you go about eliminating them?
How will getting rid of these 11 things change your life?
We're all getting to a point in the 2011 Challenge where we aren't making much progress. Some of this is natural--after all, the year is 2/3 gone!--and some of it is facing the big stuff (hello, ambivalence. Actually, I pretty much tackled this one in its intended form during the first month of the Challenge, but I still have evenings when I am knocked over by the fact that I did not take the opportunity to live There). Trying to write an update, I went back to read the original prompt. Then I had a stunning realization--I don't like it. Because just because my life doesn't need certain things shouldn't mean my life can't have certain things. (Like, I don't need to spend 15 minutes doing my hair every morning. I am physically capable of eliminating that act...at least until my hairdresser kills me for it. But I don't see why I should feel like I have to eliminate it--until it interrupts my workouts of course.)
Maybe we'll make this the 2012 Challenge, or maybe I'll just ruminate on the idea a little longer. Because here's what I've been thinking about: what are the things that your life doesn't need, but that you value enough to keep? By now, we have energy (and physical space) to spare, thanks to the "things" we've let go of. My gym bag has room for wear-in-public yoga pants (yup, I've become one of those) and an extra bathing suit. I have energy that I'm no longer using to suppress the fear and the ambivalence. Sure, I could dedicate myself to noble pursuits and higher thinking. But I could also preserve the extras that I cherish in my life. The Challenge has me thinking about the difference between "extraneous" and "bonus." With this extra energy and space, it seems worth taking the time to nurture the "bonus" parts of my life.
What are 11 things your life doesn't need in 2011?
How will you go about eliminating them?
How will getting rid of these 11 things change your life?
We're all getting to a point in the 2011 Challenge where we aren't making much progress. Some of this is natural--after all, the year is 2/3 gone!--and some of it is facing the big stuff (hello, ambivalence. Actually, I pretty much tackled this one in its intended form during the first month of the Challenge, but I still have evenings when I am knocked over by the fact that I did not take the opportunity to live There). Trying to write an update, I went back to read the original prompt. Then I had a stunning realization--I don't like it. Because just because my life doesn't need certain things shouldn't mean my life can't have certain things. (Like, I don't need to spend 15 minutes doing my hair every morning. I am physically capable of eliminating that act...at least until my hairdresser kills me for it. But I don't see why I should feel like I have to eliminate it--until it interrupts my workouts of course.)
Maybe we'll make this the 2012 Challenge, or maybe I'll just ruminate on the idea a little longer. Because here's what I've been thinking about: what are the things that your life doesn't need, but that you value enough to keep? By now, we have energy (and physical space) to spare, thanks to the "things" we've let go of. My gym bag has room for wear-in-public yoga pants (yup, I've become one of those) and an extra bathing suit. I have energy that I'm no longer using to suppress the fear and the ambivalence. Sure, I could dedicate myself to noble pursuits and higher thinking. But I could also preserve the extras that I cherish in my life. The Challenge has me thinking about the difference between "extraneous" and "bonus." With this extra energy and space, it seems worth taking the time to nurture the "bonus" parts of my life.