Last week I shared about feeling overwhelmed. That feeling hasn't really subsided. What I see is I spend a lot of time:
- Playing around online
- Looking for stuff - unorganized piles of paper and stuff that I don't need
- Reading/watching/listening to things that don't feed me
- Talking on the phone
- Dealing with computer issues
Those things leave me feeling
- Feeling unproductive
- Unfulfilled
- Feeling rushed
- Overstimulated
Generally I have too much coming in and not enough going out. It is pretty simple - I am consuming a lot of information - some of it important, some not - and not doing enough with it.
I took some steps last week to make some changes:
- I upgraded my computer to Lion to sync all of my calendars to my iPad and iPhone. They weren't sycning before and I had some information on one device, some on another, and then other stuff on another. I have been so confused for 2 months. Now that is solved. Best $29.99 I have spent in a while.
- I found a handwriting/notebook to replace paper notebooks for my iPad. Now it is all in one place rather then a zillion pieces of paper.
- I bought a protector for my iPad screen - now it isn't so delicate and I can really start using it. Yes, it has taken me months to integrate the device into my life.
- I stopped reading the book club book that we were reading this month, The Tiger's Wife. I just couldn't get into it and decided I didn't need to keep trying.
- I went to the library to have reading material that wasn't also hooked up to games, the web,Facebook, Twitter - to have an offline experience.
- I am integrating more yoga and walking.
This week I am going to schedule my days more. Be more disciplined. Just for a week and see how that goes. I am REALLY disciplined about meetings. I set them up, I prepare, I go, I act on what happened. So, I am going to schedule things like I schedule meetings and be really disciplined about them. I am also going to get a new project binder, go through the pile of mail, and pay all my bills so they aren't nagging me from the corner. I am toying with checking in with myself each hour to see where I am and what I am doing, but I don't think I need that extra pressure right now. I will also continue to add yoga, but also either more writing practice or sitting practice - both I have been really lax on for quite some time.
The crazy thing is that I live a REALLY simple life. I have a garden, live next to a park I walk in, live in a small town, work part time (although it is really full time) and all this extra pressure is my own. I realize that this is my life and I can do what I want with it. I don't have to push things in, waste time, or do what other people say. I am in the unique position that I have crafted a simple, beautiful life. It is time I started living it. That time is now, step by step.
