Carol Moehrle
Review your rituals and responsibilities, keep those that are meaningful to you and let go of the rest.
Oh my! We find ourselves constantly overwhelmed because we don't have enough time or energy. Not enough time for our families, our hobbies, friends, or fun. If you have these feelings, it's time to simplify your life.
Let's focus on two areas to simplify:
1. Rituals: We become such creatures of habit, we sometimes don't even realize that we have rituals that we don't need. Start making a list of your rituals. What you do every morning to start your day, or the little things you do throughout the day that take time but are perhaps unnecessary. Once you recognize these little rituals, write them down. It's much easier to determine which rituals to eliminate if you can cross them off the list. Look at your list every day to remind yourself of the rituals you are removing. This will take purposeful practice or you may slide right back into your old habits. Once you have eliminated even a couple of your unnecessary rituals, you will be amazed at the extra time you have in your week.
2. Responsibilities: We all have great responsibilities and over time we seem to accumulate more. Take a look at what you are personally responsible for. Yes, write them down so you can see them for yourself. Now, determine which ones are your primary responsibilities and which you share with others. Many of these shared responsibilities can be given over to another person either temporarily or permanently. If this can be done, do it!
Remember, keep those rituals and responsibilities that are meaningful to you, and give yourself permission to let the rest go.