I’ve read in David Allen’s, Getting Things Done, that having systems for many of life’s regular “stuff” is incredibly freeing. David Allen’s entire method is based upon having everything (projects, to do lists, meeting notes) written down/recorded, in a systematic way such that you rely on the *system* (& don’t try to keep it all organized in your brain!) and your mind can be free for “other stuff.” Based on experience, I believe he is right. And this “other stuff” you are making way for… (because you’re no longer worried about a bill not paid, or ingredients needed for dinner, or what remains to be completed for work project x) … is the fun/creative stuff of life. I have found by using systems that work for my life, I actually have more fun and have more capacity for creativity… I am more “present” in social settings and I am more engaged in my work… and even when doing something like shop, I am really enjoying it!! I am no longer pre-occupied and distracted (during the fun, creative, joyous moments of life) by the feeling that there is something I *should* be doing!! (Hallelujah)
So, in the last few weeks, as I have taken on many of the FY‘s “systems”** I am ending up with the effect that David Allen refers to.
{**Side Note 1 on New Habit Adoption: taking on any new system can be daunting in itself – but once it becomes rote, the positive effects can be numerous! The work of taking on the new system pays off immeasurably!}
Since my response to the Morning and Evening Routines is becoming more automatic, I am left with a freer mind, and am truly at a different level of contentment with many of the regular tasks AND have more energy (physical and mental) for the fun tasks (like making 150 cupcakes for a wedding this past weekend!).
My Morning Routine, which has felt hectic for many years (which I blamed on commuter trains that come only ONCE per hour – you leave the house 5 minutes late and it means you get to work an HOUR late!), has gotten more straight-forward in the last few weeks. And what’s interesting, is that the Morning Routine has gotten better because of the BEDTIME Routine!! I’ve known for a long time that one *should* do a series of things before going to bed (but I have been too lazy to follow suit – until now!):
- lay out clothes for next day
- get lunches prepped
- anything that needs to be readied for tomorrow’s dinner…??
- bags/purse/keys/coat all in one spot and easy to grab upon exit
- and the usual – wash face, brush teeth, read for a bit and crash
1. I’d often been resistant about laying out clothes, but man, I’m not sure why. Getting it done when I am not trying to tiptoe around a sleeping husband (in the dark!!), and when there is no time pressure, is a no-brainer.
2. It can be a pain to work on lunches when one has just worked on dinner prep, but overall, food prep is only getting easier. So not scrambling to put sammies together on AM-mis-firing-neurons has been awesome. <I must acknowledge though – after a long day of work, I am sometimes cranky when doing this. I am using the timer to fight the crankiness. I am saying, “Linda, get it done in ten minutes – GO!”>
3. Pulling frozen items out for tomorrow’s dinner is a good idea… I’ve also gotten the recipe out on some occasions…. oh, and I’m trying to do a slow cooker meal once per week
4. I followed the advice I found somewhere on this “space for the bags” thing… I bought a cute metal basket from TJX for the front entry way (it’s final, final resting spot remains to be seen) and now I am dumping my work bag and purse there when I get home. And get this – the husband is putting HIS there too!!! (I didn’t even ask him to.) YAY!! – this is an awesome solution to more than one problem: I know where to find my bags in the AM and neither of us has to look at each other’s ugly bags lying around!
{**Side Note 2 on New Habit Adoption (NHA): Pride and lack of guilt are two rewards that make the NHA worth it. Right now – yes, it can feel like a lot of effort, but just like rats in a maze, everytime Chester finds the chocolate, he’s actually using less brain fuel – less brain fuel spent on repeated tasks leaves more fuel for whatever else mice do… For me, more fuel means more engaged time on cool projects, socializing, and just a better quality of life all-around!!} Chester Study Source adopted from Charles Duhigg’s, The Power of Habit
Why didn’t I do these things before??
So far, as I institute the Morning and Evening Routines, the biggest impact has come from the 10 minute bursts of time I am allocating to each task – and the 10 minute rule is spilling to everything (well, not everything!!) as it’s becoming a “Keystone Habit” (more on this later). My awesome husband helped with a big portion of the final clean-up for my cupcake project, but after all was said and done, there were many remaining bits to wrap up, and a few other things that went neglected while I honed every effort towards the precious cupcakes (which are like my children until the final moments of set-up)…
Coming off the high from “over-testing” frosting, and that of the adrenaline rush associated with having a part in someone’s wedding, I pushed through the above mentioned neglected bits – and I did it in 10 minute chunks. It was uber satisfying to nail the downstairs in 10, then move upstairs for more like 15, and then hit the car for another 10. I kept to the time-table and everything that had to get done got done, and I still had time to enjoy my Labor Day (got a run in and some clothes shopping, and cooked some freshly caught fish for din-din).
We tend to take up as much *SPACE* as we’re given…
- When working on a creative project, I tend to take up every inch of Physical Space available (example – I made 150 cupcakes in a kitchen with 75% more counter space than I had previously and I still had trouble finding a place to set things!)…
- As we make more Money, there is more space in the budget, and there is more to buy.
- And with Time – if we don’t watch it, we could spend the entire weekend running errands and picking up the house.
I believe there is wisdom in managing one’s (physical) space, money, time – whatever – by developing systems (or habits) that work. These systems are unique to the user, and there are numerous bits to be learned through the experience of others. Through this management, YOU are successfully controlling the space for your spirit to relax a bit, your mind to bloom with creative abundance, and the time allow this in. Namaste.
In the coming months, LivingBluPrints will offer seminars for the support and adoption of new habit creation for beautiful living.
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