I came across a writing prompt that is right up my current alley!
The prompt asked… “Where can you reduce clutter in your life?”
Several Months Ago…
I concluded that I need to re-simplify my life and reduce or eliminate the clutter I’ve accumulated.
The clutter I refer to is not in the form of belongings or stuff laying around the van.
Clutter comes in many forms – both internal and external.
Peter Walsh summed it up nicely when he said “Clutter is not just the stuff on your floor – it’s anything that stands between you and the life you want to be living.”
In my last post, I talked about needing to make a change.
Part of making a change is decluttering what is no longer needed – whether it’s internal clutter or external clutter.
When It Comes To Simplicity…
Reducing or eliminating clutter is a vital step.
But simplicity isn’t something you accomplish once and forget about. It’s something you need to work on… day after day.
If you let it slide too often, it creates an avalanche.
As My Own Avalanche Grew…
Life got more and more complicated.
I knew I was letting things slide too often but I failed to do anything about it.
My wheels were spinning in my personal life, work/business life, nomad life and everywhere else life!
What affects one area of life usually spills over into another. Eventually, it becomes widespread and will reach a point of being unmanageable.
It was a struggle to stay ahead of the avalanche nipping at my heels.
I tried desperately not to get pulled under by the growing avalanche of life’s internal clutter.
My Internal Clutter Is Difficult To Explain…
This internal clutter is something I’ve always had to deal with.
As an introvert, I internalize rather than externalize. Always have, always will.
It’s easy for onlookers to think I don’t struggle because my biggest struggles come from within – and they usually stay within.
My struggles usually stem from overthinking and taking on too many projects at once.
Starting The Re-Simplification Process…
It’s best to start small.
A person can’t simplify their life in one fell swoop. Small steps are where the biggest rewards are found.
I started making an effort to get out of the van at least once a day.
Let me clarify…
Most days I do get out of the van but it’s to take the trash out, run errands, dump/fill my tanks or something to do with daily life and necessity.
What I wasn’t doing was stopping to smell the roses.
After a while, not stopping to smell the roses became a habit.
The Struggle Is Real…
Figuring out how to stop and smell the roses again isn’t easy! But it’s my path to simplicity so onward I go.
I started with just a few minutes each day… looking for ways to spend time in nature, watch and appreciate the sunrise or focus on anything other than daily tasks, unnecessary overthinking and all those unfounded worries racing through my head.
Spending just a few minutes here and there to stop and smell the roses has proven to be a productive outlet.
About Overthinking
I don’t believe overthinking can be cured nor do I think it’s a bad trait. It’s just how we’re wired.
We overthinker’s simply need to learn how to productively coexist with our overthinking tendencies.
Taking time to smell the roses, enjoy the journey and appreciate the little things helps keep my overthinking-ness to a more manageable level.
Speaking Of The Sunrise…
At my campsite, the back of my van faces southeast. I can’t see the Atlantic ocean but it’s not far away.
This time of year, the sun rises more-so in the southeast. I’ve seen some pretty amazing sunrises before I even get my rump out of bed.
I don’t set an alarm. I wake up when I wake up.
My bed is in the back of the van so, upon waking up, I have 2 options:
- Get up and start getting all the things done that my overthinking mind thinks it needs to do. Or,
- Roll over, pull the curtain and watch a brief but spectacular show.
I’ve started doing option 2!
The sunrise never seems to last long, though. If I spent the time to get out of bed, get dressed and go outside… I might miss the best part of the show.
So I watch from my cozy little bed.
Parting Thoughts…
Simplifying our lives is an ongoing adventure. Sometimes, we find ourselves in need of a revamp.
Whether we like it or not, life is always evolving. We need to evolve with it or risk drowning in the self-imposed clutter of life.
I can say with confidence that revamps in life are a necessity. Never ever put yourself down for taking time to revamp your life!
I’ll continue revamping and re-simplifying my life… even if/when I mess up and have to start again!
Now it’s your turn… what area of life do you need or want to revamp?
About The Top Image
This photo was taken a couple weeks ago when Nikki and I were at Anne’s Beach located at the southern end of Upper Matecumbe Key in Islamorada FL in the Florida Keys.
Simply Connie 
I’m happy you are figuring out how to re vamp! I’m working on but not getting to far in the challenge, but I will keep plugging away at.
Note : have changed my e-mail. Yahoo has gone mad!
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I think it’s a never-ending thing. Sometimes, the best we can do is to keep plugging away at it!
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