“Make room for things that matter by removing everything that doesn’t”. -Brian Gardner
As I have mentioned previously, my word for 2017 is Well. Wellness applies not only to the physical and emotional but also to the mental. So in addition to eating right, working out, and my introduction to meditation, I am also working on sorting out what I need and want in my life and what I don’t.
This fantastic quote from Brian Gardner really resonated with me because I feel that minimizing or getting rid of completely what has no business being a part of my life, has been in a word… refreshing.
Doing things or being a part of things that are not good for my soul are just not going to cut it anymore. Lighter and freer are two beautiful adjectives that I feel are working their way into my heart. Although I continue to work on what makes me happy, that work… it’s a good thing.
Make room for things that matter by removing everything that doesn’t.
Here is how I am applying this to my life:
♦ I make time to work out in the mornings. This is important not only for my physical health but my mental health as well. Studies point to exercise helping with forms of depression and anxiety.
♦ I eat what makes me feel good. I have a gluten intolerance and when I inadvertently eat it, I pay for it big time. I drink my green juices, try to eat as many vegetables as I can, and I recently started drinking kombucha which has probiotics which is good for my gut.
♦ I have started meditating. You can read more about that here.
♦ I have minimized my wardrobe. I have found that there are only a few colors that I really enjoy wearing and it is much easier to get dressed and mix and match items. My daily attire usually consists of a t-shirt and jeans or pants, and a cardigan. Some days, I am wearing Converse. Other days it’s boots. When it warms up, shorts and flip-flops will be added back in. This is what I wear literally every day. There is truly something to be said for not owning a ton of clothing that needs to be sorted through every morning. Whew! 🙂
♦ I watch less television. I do enjoy my favorite shows like Sherlock, Elementary, old episodes of Murder She Wrote, Victoria on PBS, and sports games like football and hockey. Luckily they don’t all come on at the same time! However, the endless scrolling through a zillion channels trying to find something to watch? No, I do not do that anymore. If I am watching television, it is for a specific show like Jeopardy. My daughter and I watch this every night without fail 🙂 I read more books now (if that is indeed possible) or read blogs about health, wellness, and/or minimalism. So the television is still here. It is just not a supreme focus.
♦ I have cut out the negativity. Whether that is in the form of people (energy vampires), certain people online, certain blogs, or certain time-wasting endeavors, I have let it go. I want more of the good and less of the bad. If I feel like something is not adding value to how I live my life, I eliminate it from my every day.
♦ I am continuing to de-clutter. I live in a very small apartment and if one is not careful, it can feel like the walls are closing in. I make an effort to really examine items and ask if they truly have a purpose in our modest abode.
♦ I am making the present moment more important. We all get caught up in the day-to-day minutiae and it is easy to keep our face focused on what lies ahead. But I am working on being more mindful of my surroundings and noticing all the little things that may have escaped my vision before. The deep green on the leaves of a tree. The beauty of a 72 degree day in February. The first sip of coffee on a really cold morning. You get the picture. The present is important and it is up to us to be intentional with it.
Are you making room for what truly matters in your life? Let me know in the comments! 🙂
Great list – I started meditation in the last few months. I was skeptical going in but honestly, it’s been brilliant. The key for me has been to do it regularly and (most importantly) not beat myself up if one session is harder than the others. Keep up the good work!
Yes, I am enjoying doing meditation as well and I agree; some sessions are a bit more difficult than others 🙂
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Great post Mackenzie! The beauty of living in Socal is we don’t need a lot of change in wardrobe. Well, I guess we added raincoat this year. 🙂 But it sure makes it easier and saves space. I’m working on many of the things you are. I miss being able to work out at my prime time each day though. The only downside of a full time job. 🙁
Yeah, living in SoCal definitely has its benefits, especially when it comes to wardrobe choices! Although with today’s storm…
I know exercise is super important to you and I remember you used to do most of your workouts in the morning 🙂
Great post !!
Thank you!
A great post, Mackenzie. One of things I’ve come to realize is that I sort of suck at making time for the important. I get distracted or what not. Or worse – I become unwilling to make changes, even changes that I profess to want and need, like getting healthy. Because I most certainly know the things I need to do but I have been so slow to do them. And that is 110% on me. This has given me lots of food for thought and I need to get quiet and be very honest with myself about what’s important and what I’m doing to service the things that matter most. Seeing the impact it is having on your life is also very powerful motivation.
Thank you Tanya 🙂
I read somewhere, an interesting quote about change. I am paraphrasing here but it said something along the lines of “Only when it becomes painful NOT to change, can we THEN make change”. I found it so apropos and I think that for so many of us, we get stuck with something because it is what we’ve always done. But knowing that there is something better waiting for us out there, staying in our current habitat can therefore become “painful”.
I am cheering for you my friend! XO
Good advice here. Love the term “energy vampires” too.
Thank you so much Andrea!