Cleaning out the Drawers

TEO Ka-tet* #32

It’s almost the end of January and it seems that every news show, podcast, and motivational speaker out there is broadcasting tips for the new you in the new year. Although usually well-intended, somehow the barrage can be intimidating and guilt-producing. Admittedly, the turn of the calendar is a good time to reflect back on the previous year and think about what went well, what was left undone, or what was not even attempted. Most would not dispute that. But what if we find ourselves scratching off “2024” from last year’s goals and writing “2025” over that and feel somewhat disheartened?

Part of the problem is that our goals are sometimes just too big. We all know intellectually that our elephant-size wishes for a new and improved self, home, etc. have to be broken down into small bite-sized pieces for us not to be overwhelmed. For example, how often have you stood before an open closet and said, “I must get those lesser used clothes to someone who can use them”, but then tell yourself as you close the closet doors, “Yes, I will do that next weekend” just like you said last week and the week before. Feeling overwhelmed is understandable.

Everyone has their own method for breaking down the big stuff into manageable steps. We offer, for your consideration, a method that has been helpful to us. In this approach, it doesn’t have to begin with the new year; any time is the right time and progress does not need to be measured in the usual way. In a sense, it’s just a means to do some things that have been on our lists in a less threatening and hopefully more motivating way. Here is the idea.

Grab a journal (no surprise there!) and begin to make a few lists based upon the following:

If I have fifteen minutes……

If I have thirty minutes…….

If I have sixty minutes……..

Then begin filling in the lists with activities. They don’t need to be far-reaching. In fact, the more reasonable and mundane they are, the higher the likelihood that sometime over the year, you will review your list and realize that you have done many of the items on the list. You just did them in a small and consistent way that you barely noticed yourself.

Both of us did this exercise over the past few weeks and we are seeing progress already. Below are excerpts from our lists built around our individual priorities; they are not meant to suggest what you should do but are presented to get your thoughts going.

Linda

If I have fifteen minutes:

• Clean out a drawer (any drawer)

• Foam roll sore muscles

• Stretch

• Weed a spot in the yard/garden

• Prune indoor plants

• Read a magazine article

• Practice the piano

• Do Duolingo

If I have thirty minutes:

• Organize a cabinet/drawer

• Take the dog for a leisurely walk around the block

• Write a card to a friend or loved one

• Clean the refrigerator

• Do virtual Pilates

• Read a chapter in my book

• Listen to a podcast

• Do a virtual muscle group workout

If I have sixty minutes:

• Write a draft for an upcoming TEO Ka-tet

• Write a letter to a friend/loved one

• Clean a room well

• Go for a walk in the woods

• Go to an exercise class or the gym

• Prepare for a healthy home-cooked meal

• Organize a closet

Jim

If I have fifteen minutes:

• Clean out a drawer anywhere in the house

• Re-organize a pantry and check those “use by” dates

• Go through a shelf or two and identify 2-3 books to donate to the library

• Find a new (or newish) recipe to change it up a bit

• Read a short article

• Listen to a “Poetry Unbound” podcast

If I have thirty minutes:

• Go through a storage cabinet and identify items to donate

• In good weather, take the dogs in the backyard with a book

• In any weather (just about) take the dogs down to the James River for a walk

• Write a brief note to a friend

• Do some interesting meal planning

• Make a vegetable soup stock

• Read something thoughtful and journal in response to it

• Read a chapter in a book

If I have sixty minutes:

• Continue reading on art and photography

• Write a meaningful letter to someone who will appreciate it

• Go alone for a walk by the river

• Edit a section of the book I am trying to finish writing

• Listen to one of those in-depth New Yorker podcasts

• Do some prep for the summer class I am teaching at UR

These are just some examples to help spur thoughts as you develop your list. Notice that none of these things have to do with work…except for Jim’s teaching gig at University of Richmond. The goal is to do less scrolling, be less idle, and use our precious time in ways that we want to use it and that makes us feel a sense of well-being or accomplishment. Also notice that these are not “goals” in the traditional sense. While we are in favor of appropriate goals sometimes, they can often get in our own way. For example, a new year’s resolution to “go to the gym 3-5 times a week” is a worthy goal, but after a few weeks one may fall off of that and feel like a failure. The lists above are generated in such a way that there is no failure, only a possibility of turning idle time into activities that you have determined you want to do, and are very easily achievable.

In a way, we are all “cleaning out the drawers” of our lives, bit by bit, day by day, as we continue to grow, to learn, and to be in cooperation with others in life.

We’d love to hear about your lists and the cleaning out of your drawers over the coming months!

As always, thank you for continuing to read our Ka-tets and your partnership in life.

Stay well, stay curious, be adventurous!

Linda and Jim

* Ka-tet - A group of people bound together by ka (destiny) for a sense of purpose. Credit: Stephen King from his novel, The Gunslinger.

TEO Ka-tet is the property of James Burke and Linda Pierce operating as TEOconsulting, LLC

https://teoconsulting.org/

Jim@teoconsulting.org

Linda@teoconsulting.org