declared 2017 my ‘midlife gap year’—a year off to focus on living life rather than earning a living. A year to pause and ponder before moving onto the second half of my life. I embraced all the ‘r’ words: retreat, reflection, reevaluation, rejuvenation, and restoration. I found the whole experience so worthwhile, my midlife gap year extended to two years. It took that long for my pause to pay off, for me to reemerge—restored, renewed and ready.
Almost a year ago I wrote here that I was going to step away from this space for a month – to focus on home and start the new year with a calm mind and a clear vision.
It seems one month wasn’t enough. This space became one of the many casualties of me ruthlessly clearing the clutter from my schedule. A move that was necessary for me to move even closer to living the life that I aspire to.
We can’t have and do everything – we have to choose. And I chose to focus on home for a while.
The countdown to Christmas has become a festival of chaos and consumption. If you prefer to roll into the festive season feeling calm and connected – rather than overwhelmed and broke – now is a good time to prepare your plan of attack. Here are my three favourite tips for avoiding the chaos and consumerism of Christmas.
White space is a wonderful thing to have in your life. But it isn’t easy to find. You have to create it. And work hard to keep it. Here are some of the tools I use to craft white space into my days.
Butterflies are worth encouraging into your garden. There’s a range of plants you can grow to attract beneficial butterflies.
One of the benefits of simplifying is that my life now has white space. Pockets of time where nothing is scheduled. In graphic design, fail to leave sufficient white space and a worthwhile message can be lost among the clutter. Empty space is equally important in our day-to-day lives.
Little Eco woke up tired and cold yesterday and didn’t want to get out of bed. She begged to say home from preschool.
After ruling out there being any other reason for her not wanting to go to preschool I let her stay home – on the condition that she stay in bed until morning tea. She excitedly agreed.
She kept her side of the bargain and relaxed in bed reading and talking to herself. She left the bedroom a couple of hours later relaxed, bubbly and happy.
I usually feel guilty when doing nothing. I know I shouldn’t. I know I rush around way too much and relax way too little. I need to learn the art of doing nothing.