Simplify Time Management

My goal to simplify my life has, thus far, focused on material stuff. Today I've become aware of the need to simplify what I am doing.

First, I've had a few baking disasters in the last couple of weeks--raw cookies, burned to a crisp brownies. Normally I am a competent cook. Then when I washed a beret I knit for a friend and it unravelled in the spin cycle, I began to question how present I am to all of the "stuff" I do. If I were more mindful as I bake or knit, would I have fewer failures. Probably.

And what compels me to begin these small projects in the first place?

Then a friend at church shared a devotional he read on fasting. It didn't cover the usual spiritual blessings of going without food. Instead the author shared how saying no to something--whether it is television for a week or diet soda for a month--helps him become more mindful about so much more.

So my challenge on this 3-day weekend is to identify 50 things I can stop doing. This resolve is reinforced by reading in Patrick Ryan's book "Awakened Wisdom" about the energy that gets tied up when we make commitments we don't really intend to keep. So I'm looking at committees that I volunteered for or the other commitments I thoughtlessly made. I'll be responsible in how I end my involvement, and I hope that in cutting the ties and expectations that I'll get the same boost I experience when I donate bags of stuff to Goodwill.

I'm also going to explore fasting from activities, such as watching Netflix on demand or HGTV for a week or more. I'll share what I learn on this blog.