Simplicity

[vaneramos]

fivecats suggests adopting a word of the year rather than New Year's resolutions. My word for 2011 is simplicity. I've already committed to following Leo Babuta's 6 Changes method again. He takes pains to distinguish and identify The problems with New Year's resolutions.

I've narrowed the list to six. I want to start them all right now, but that would sabotage the whole process. Here is a tentative schedule:

1. Jan/Feb: read books before bed every night
2. Mar/Apr: declutter
3. May/Jun: hike every weekend
4. Jul/Aug: complete thought records to address anxiety
5. Sep/Oct: prepare one new, healthy recipe each week
6. Nov/Dec: every week mail out writing for publication

The last appears as a fail-safe measure. I may seek publication anytime, particularly during the writing career work I do on weeknights. If I'm satisfied with my progress on that front, I may choose a different change in November, otherwise I'll take the time to routinize.

Comments

[fivecats.livejournal.com]

i had forgotten the part where your 6 Changes are divided, one change for each of two consecutive months in the year. is the idea that your Change for Jan/Feb carry over through the rest of the year?

by breaking them out this way, does your order imply an internalized set of priorities?

...

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

The purpose is to form life-long habits. Good habits are not developed instantaneously; they require planning and focus. Babauta suggests working on one at a time for a period of two months, breaking each one down into easier sub-goals.

For example, I won't start right away January 1 trying to read before bed every night. I'll pick one or two convenient week nights, see how it goes, take time to address any unforeseen obstacles or resistance, and work up from there.

I've experienced jumping into big changes all at once, only to stop just as impulsively after a while, or to have the habits peter out over weeks or months. Often this happens because my initial choice was poorly considered. With 6 Changes the habit becomes a process rather than an event. I must resist the temptation of instant gratification. I have time to look forward to the change, address problems that arise, and make the mental adjustments that must accompany new behaviour. The sequence of habits also provides fuel. The habits interact with one another and remind me of progress already made. Once a new habit is established, I'm not finished; it's time to consider the next step. I learn from mistakes and can apply the experience to different undertakings. I never forget that I'm in the midst of an ongoing journey of self-improvement.

It took some time to work out the sequence of my changes for 2011, and I'm still ambivalent about it. Since you asked, here is my rationale.

Reading might not be the most important goal, but it got bumped from last year's list, so I've been wanting to do it for a long time. Sure, I could have tried at any time, but that would have distracted me from more important things at hand. It will be foundational for my progress as a writer. I didn't explain that reading before bed is also intended to address my bad habit of staying up too late and not getting enough sleep. Reading helps me wind down. Quitting a bad habit doesn't work very well without something to replace it.

Likewise, for months I've wanted to include decluttering in this year's list, so it appears near the beginning of the year.

I placed hiking next (an evolution of the exercise goal I skipped this year) to allow lots of time to get established before the weather turns nasty.

I've tried keeping thought records before, but the habit has always petered out. This is an important habit for my mental health, and I'm uncomfortable deferring it. However, household clutter and lack of exercise also contribute to anxiety.

Improving my diet is also essential. They're all essential, but I can't do everything at once. Fall is a good time to work on diet because I'm naturally inclined to bake, preserve and utilize the healthy harvest produce available then.

As for getting published, I see that as an opportunity to tweak another established habit if necessary. I am newly committed to freelance writing web content, so I'll concentrate on that and see whether it leads to further opportunities. If I haven't moved closer toward my publication goals by November, I will need that time to evaluate and refocus.