Ah, the week between Christmas and New Year's Day, where no one knows exactly what's going on, what day it is or where they are supposed to be.
It almost feels like limbo in a way — done with the year, but still have a few days left. At times, this seemingly unneeded week feels like more of a test of patience than anything else. All that holiday hype surrounds us for months on end, and when it finally gets here and is over in a day, we're all left reeling from the parties, the hosting, marshmallows for toasting and caroling out in the nonexistent snow. Can the year just be over yet?
In recent years, when I feel this certain kind of impatience rising up in me, I feel a bit of push-back in my own spirit. Yes, the Christmas hype is over, but I think I actually need this week — the week where everything slows down, things are put on hold until the new year, and my mind, body and spirit can just rest and regroup.
Hopefully, resting and regrouping looks a little different for me this year. See, 2019 has left me wanting less. I want simple. I want purposeful. I want slow. I want to want less. However, it's not enough to just want less. I need a plan, and this week, I'm finalizing it.
Maybe you're feeling this way, too. Here's a few ideas I've been tossing around to begin the journey to “simple living."
Less screen time
More time outdoors
Less stuff — purging what we don't need, making fewer purchases
More physical activity
Less concern for what I don't have
More concern for others
Less social media
More face-to-face socializing
If you're craving simple, too, grab a pen and paper — because, really, what's more satisfying than a simple handwritten list? — and jot down some ideas for yourself and your family. It all starts with ideas, but it can't end there. What will these changes actually look like for you and your family? What are some things you can do to make it happen and see results? For me, I'm even considering not having a smart phone for an entire year just to force me to make a change. If you see me on the side of the road somewhere flipping a map around over and over with a panicked look on my face because I can't use my GPS, you'll know I'm making headway.
Hopefully this will be a year where my heart meets my mind in truly believing that more will not satisfy, busy will not qualify, and good intentions will not modify. I'm believing less actually is more, and I'm riding that train all the way to 2021.
Want to hear about the journey? Listen weekday mornings to the Daily Grind on Christian 105.7 WCLN for updates, and give us your own tips for simple living.
It almost feels like limbo in a way — done with the year, but still have a few days left. At times, this seemingly unneeded week feels like more of a test of patience than anything else. All that holiday hype surrounds us for months on end, and when it finally gets here and is over in a day, we're all left reeling from the parties, the hosting, marshmallows for toasting and caroling out in the nonexistent snow. Can the year just be over yet?