{Chloe} on simplify your life – week 3

After focusing on listing our priorities last week, this week’s lesson is all about finding and getting rid of non-priorities. To me, there are 3 different types of those that take way too much of my time and, worst, of my energy:

• activities that don’t bring “value” to my life, that don’t make me happy (mindless TV or internet browsing, gossiping and negative talking, fantasies about “what I’d do if I’d win the lottery”, which makes me unsatisfied with what I have right now, etc.)
• mental clutter, which weighs a lot even if it’s immaterial (worries about things I can’t control, like what other think, unsaid things, unspoken resentment that “eat” me from inside, non-constructive comments or criticism, which is something I’m unfortunately very good at, etc.)
• physical clutter (mostly things that comes from “shoulds” or “woulds” or “might’s”)

Those various types of clutter all have the same effect, no matter if they are “real” or immaterial: they are blocks on my road to the life I want to live.

They don’t let me grow and develop my potential, they drain me out, they make me stumble and fall down (metaphorically or really), they make me waste my energy and lose focus… Well, they are not good and they can create much much suffering and pain.

This weekend, a sad event put things back in perspective: a friend of mine had a severe accident. He fell off his roof and/or had a bad stroke, we don’t know yet which one came first. Anyway, this terrible event helped me remember that things we take for granted might not last, that we have to live RIGHT NOW and not wait until X or Y happens.

I’ve taken the resolution to not delay the important things I have to do: tell my family and friends that I love them, show them that I care about them, support them when they are going through a rough time. If that means that I will have a pile of dirty dishes in the sink because I spent my evening with my friend’s wife, supporting her while she’s waiting to hear from the hospital where her husband is fighting for his life, so be it. Once my time is over on this earth, I won’t be remembered for a sparkly clean house or a perfectly organised desk, I want to be remembered for being a good person, a caring and loving friend, daughter, girlfriend, sister, and hopefully soon a mother.

This doesn’t mean I have given up on the idea of organisation but it put it in perspective: people I love are my #1 priority and I won’t let anything, any stupid attitude issue, any bad character trait come against it.

Now, please, do me a favor, go see your husband/wife/partner, kids, parents, friends and hug them, tell them you love them, show them your support with thoughtful little gestures and keep my friend in your thoughts and prayers.

Take care ! (and I’ve never meant it more than today!)

Marcia here

Chloe, I absolutely agree – that’s why I like to tell people to be organised just enough to live life like you want to. There is certainly more to life than perfectly organised folders and matching pens 🙂

PS Sam has not been well and will be back with her guest post as soon as she’s better.