Prepare for New Century by Tidying Things Up
This is the fourth article in the series of four giving you a specific step you can take each month of the year to get you easily on track for living a simpler life.
* October. Clean up your relationships. As we go through life, we form hundreds of relationships--in our jobs, our neighborhoods, our schools, our houses of worship, our community involvement and other activities. Some of these relationships become important bonds. But although we use the word “friend” to mean everyone from a casual acquaintance to a soul mate, most of the people we know are not friends in the truest sense.
In fact, we often find ourselves spending time with people out of social obligation or because they’ve asked us to. You know who I mean. The person you have lunch with every couple of weeks. The annual dinner with the couple down the street. You may have enjoyed it the first couple of times, but now your interests have changed and there’s no real point to the get-together other than habit.
Other people may be like thorns in your side, always subtly able to make you feel less than the wonderful person you know yourself to be. Take some time this month to weed out of your schedule those people who don’t add something positive to your life. This will give you more time to spend with the people who matter to you the most.
* November. Turn off the TV. November is the perfect time to break the television spell. The holiday consumer frenzy is at its peak, and the tube is one long commercial, squawking at you and your kids about all the new toys, gizmos, gadgets and baubles you supposedly can’t live without.
Instead of participating in the hype, plan quiet evenings of reading, writing letters or just talking. Schedule weekend activities with the kids that will get them out of the house. Take walks, become bird or tree or plant enthusiasts. Frolic in the leaves. Appreciate this wonderful season of the year in all its simple beauty.
* December: Plan a simpler Christmas. If my audience feedback and mail are any indication, nearly everyone longs to simplify the holidays. Make this the year you decide to really do it. Draw names for your family gift exchange and set a dollar limit on the amount you each spend: $10, $15, $25 max. If you find the holiday meal overwhelming, make it a potluck this year that all the family members can contribute to, or cater the turkey and more time-consuming items. Cut back on the number of parties you feel you have to attend, and spend the time in quiet celebration with the people you love the most.
Perhaps in the waning days of this millennium, which has brought so much comfort and prosperity to so many, a good place to start is to make this year’s Christmas about improving the circumstances of someone who is less fortunate than you are. Change the focus this year for you and your kids from “What are we going to get?” to “What wonderful thing can we do for someone else?” The most meaningful gift you can give someone in need is a bit of hope, love and cheer to take into the new century.
If you save these four columns, don’t forget to toss them out at the end of the year! I’ll be outlining many other steps you can take in the year 2000 to keep life simple.
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Elaine St. James is the author of “Simplify Your Life” and “Simplify Your Life With Kids.” For questions or comments, write to her in care of Universal Press Syndicate, 4520 Main St., Kansas City, MO 64111 or e-mail her at estjames@silcom.com.