Simple Habits

This November I've been reviewing many simple lifestyle choices: Choosing what's essential, limiting my projects to three at a time, creating simple daily routines, clearing the clutter, and leading a slow-paced day. Simple living requires a certain amount of discipline and a routine of good habits, which I have incorporated, for the most part, into my weekly schedule.

That said, I STILL don't get around to these simple, healthy habits: Taking a short daily walk and eating healthy snacks. Today I'm going to make a plan for motivation.

Agenda:

1. Read "The Power of Less"
2. Simple holiday decluttering
3. Simple projects list
4. Print an inspiration page

1. Read "The Power of Less":

Continuing with this little book by Leo Babauta, who hosts the Zen Habits blog. I bought it because simplifying is a favorite topic of mine, one I long for and keep trying to perfect.

I'm reading to Chapter 17: Simple Health and Fitness. The author lists all the reasons for adopting healthy habits, and then says, "It's like forming any other habit - you just need to be consistent about it." Uh huh.

His plan is pretty good, at least for a young person. My sedentary habits are pretty firmly established, and I need some motivation! He has a list of 30 exercise motivations, and I chose these:

1. Me time: If I can get out of the house for a walk alone, I get a little time to myself to contemplate life.
2. Time with a friend: Alternately, if I schedule a weekly walk with a friend, it's harder to back out.

2. Simple holiday decluttering:

This month I set an intention to care for our home with scaled-back and simplified goals, because this is the season of drawing inward to regenerate, and Simple Cleaning is one way I can re-focus my attention on family, creativity, and abundance while still maintaining a well-ordered and peaceful sanctuary for those I love.

Along with simple cleaning comes decluttering. This is a time of year to purge, to give or throw away things I don’t need, give up habits I don’t want, and pare down my activities to make time for introspection. 

Leo Babauta would say to get down to the essentials in each space. My goals this week:

1. Simplify the office space and make room for working on the gifts I'm making.
2. Create a better space for collecting the components for kid projects and pocket items.

3. Simple Projects List:

Last month I initiated Babauta's "Simple Projects List" - with my top three projects only, which I need to finish before starting any others. (A "project" is something that has several steps, and takes only a week or two.)

My simple projects list this week:

1. Sewing: Sew new Owl appliqué and frame Small Forests.
2. Celebrate the season: Christmas pudding, pumpkin pies, Thanksgiving tree, advent wreath
3. Mantra signs: Plan one new sign, finish GRACE sign and Wild Bee sign.
4. Butterflies and bees: Gather supplies for beaded butterflies and bees

4. Print an inspiration page:

A couple of years ago, when we were working together on our Huge Garden Project, I began a practice of printing out a daily page of garden inspiration and the day's list of garden tasks, and putting it on a clipboard. I found this to be a great way to focus my day and muse about possibilities.

I think it will help me to reframe my day and my priorities now, especially if I can pinpoint the deepest reasons for my priority actions, and list any things I need to gather or prepare.

And I will include my plan for a daily walk and healthy food!