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/
Funny you should mention cleaning out drawers...we've been cleaning out an entire house and 2025 will involve cleaning out my parents' house!! This year will be a year of settling into a whole new world and set of circumstances so it's hard to get my head wrapped around any small or large goals. One small goal for 15-30 minutes will be to just sit and enjoy the new house. It's been a project for so long, it's been hard to grasp what it will be like once it's done.
"In between times" are difficult to navigate. There is such a combination of memories of the past and future aspirations. Here's to living in the present for awhile and just sitting still.