Good Advice ... No Workaholics Here!

I ... am a workaholic.  There.  I've said it. 

No, I'm not a workaholic where my paid job is concerned.  I can draw boundaries there. But I'm an "at home" workaholic.  I can't ever sit still and relax without forcing myself to do it.  I ... am a human doing, not a human being!  Today, I came across a new article about 11 Creative Ways to Avoid Becoming a Workaholic.  The article addresses the workplace, but is SO applicable to my life.  Take a look, and tell me how you avoid overworking yourself during your "free" time.

Simplify

Websters has this to say about the word SIMPLIFY

To make simple or simpler: as
a: to reduce to basic essentials
b: to diminish in scope or complixity

and of SIMPLE

1: free from guile: INNOCENT
2a: free from vanity: MODEST
2b: free from ostentation or display
...
6: free from elaboration

... or eLABORation (my thoughts)




We all seek a simpler life. Do you know anyone who has ever said, "Hey, can you think of a way to make my life more complicated? It is just too simple!" If so, don't tell them to read this. They won't understand.

The American Dream ... the American Nightmare. What does it involve?

Accumulation - of things, of responsibilities, of wealth
Stability - in work, in play, in friends, in things
Control - everything within control, or at least "controlled risk"
More - giving our kids more than we had, getting more ... better ... faster

Sometimes more is just more.

But what if we thought about the American Dream as it really is today. (A side note, I think that the original "American Dream" was wonderful. Make a safe, secure place for your family in a land of freedom and opportunity. That is, you have the freedom to be all that you ever dreamed you would be.) Since when does safety equate to total control? When did security come to mean accumulation of more than we can steward well? Why has opportunity turned into MORE MORE MORE? Since when is freedom the same as creating a small world that is never changing, if we can help it? Just seems like a burden of complixity to me.

So, we all talk about simplifying our lives. I've begun to take action.

First, no more accumulation. It is true that you tend to fill the space you have. Live in 300 sq feet, you will accumulate 350 sq feet of stuff. Move to a larger place ... more stuff. I was astounded when I realized the amount of energy I put into trying to find workable storage to decrease clutter and organize the stuff. I DON'T NEED BETTER ORGANIZATION, I NEED LESS STUFF! I believe that we take on responsibility for everything we acquire. If I buy a shirt, I take on the responsibility of keeping it clean, storing it properly, and wearing it, whether or not I actually like it. That's good stewardship. Think about it. Everything you own, even the stuff you never see because it is buried under all the stuff you see only because it is on the top of the pile. Yes, all that stuff is your responsibility. Does it bring convenience or pleasure to you? Does it enrich your life? My answer is a resounding NO! So, the downsizing begins. Change is in the wind.

I had a victory moment the other day. The space under our bed is empty, except for a small stool that I use to reach things in the closet (I'm a little reach impaired). Nothing else is under the bed. I didn't shove it under something else. I went through it, appropriately placed the important things, and got rid of the rest. Oh, and guess what I have in my closet ... only clothes that I wear. And on my side of the closet are ALL my clothes (all seasons). I don't have any clothes stored anywhere else. VICTORY #1.

I'm now on a quest. Take a 5 bedroom, 3 bath house full of enough stuff for an 8 bedroom 5 bath house, and downsize it to fit into a two bedroom apartment. Are we moving into a two bedroom apartment? I have no idea. But I want to be ready if we do.

Simplify ... it is the beginning of a journey.

Reduce/Reuse/Recycle

In our family, we try to follow the Reduce/Reuse/Recycle slogan in everything. It is an attempt to try to be less of a consumer, and show more care for this world God has given us. I look around sometimes and am so saddened by all the waste that I see in our society. How could we feel so privileged that we think it is not our responsibility to take care of our resources? Less privileged societies seem to have such a solid understanding of how precious everything is.

There are so many ways to cut back. Very little goes into the trash. The one area in which I want to go a step further is food trash ... composting. I'm hoping to start a compost pile this summer. I know the smell can be really awful, but there must be some way to do it so that our wasted food doesn't end up in a plastic bag in some landfill somewhere.

Every little scrap of paper goes into the paper recycle ... tags from purchases, little scraps I've used for notes, paper from around tea bags, etc. And those scraps for jotting things down are almost always cut from paper that has been printed on only one side (reused first). We have stopped using bottled water, and have reusable water bottles that we wash and refill (made from "safe" plastics :-) ) We've replaced all our bulbs with florescent, and turned the thermostat down to a cool 63 degrees. We did have it at 59 degrees, but found it very difficult to shake off colds when it was so chilly. I almost never turn on a light when the sun is up.

So, we've taken what I would consider the second-level steps toward taking care of our resources. There is so much more that we could do. It is just SO important ... I think about the world I have inherited from my parents and grandparents, and how it has changed for the worse. I can't imagine the world I am going to leave for my kids and grandkids. I know this process of deterioration is by design, leading to Jesus' return and the righting of everything. Until then, however, I feel such a responsibility to take care ... to be a good steward.