It all comes back to what matters.

NOTE added 7/16: it's July and I haven't been writing and apparently I haven't been paying as much attention to my thoughts as I believed. Just reviewed some earlier posts, and what do you know-- they're about this very same thing-- simplification. In fact my new year's resolution is about getting a handle on my life. Ah well. Begin again. Regroup. Restart.

So I've been doing a lot of reading and thinking and more reading and more thinking and I keep coming back to the idea of simplification. I'm not sure what's gotten me back on this kick, but I start feeling trapped by stuff, by culture, by expectations (societal more than anything else)and I just want something different. I want my life to feel more like me. To use a buzzword, to feel authentic.

The other day, I stuck a bright yellow Post-it note above my desk that says, "Build a life less ordinary." I don't need to cut ties and run off completely, but I do need more than the everyday wake up, go to work, go home routine. I want some adventure. I want more sparkle, more travel, more learning, more unexpected. I want a life that fits me better.

So where do I begin? For me, it starts with a list. If I want to change and travel and explore and wander, then I need a plan. (How ironic that to gain freedom I'll need structure.)

Back on July 7, I came up with this list of guidelines (in no particular order) that seem to form the backbone of my less-ordinary plan although it's clearly a work in progress.

1. Stop spending.
2. Start keeping track.
3. Develop a secondary source of income.
4. Eliminate debt (really only have the house and the car)
5. Clear the clutter.
6. Set clear goals.
7. Reach out.

Now to start implementing these guidelines. Okay, the first one should be easy (but it won't be). Stop spending. I've tried this before with limited success. It's easy to slip back into old habits. So maybe I'll clarify and then check back. My goal will be to limit personal spending for the next month. I'll keep track for the next thirty days and then self-evaluate. I can handle a month.

I'm reading a book entitled, Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott. Although it's about writing, it's really advice for how to tackle any big (and potentially overwhelming) project. Just take it one piece, or one bird, at a time. Step in front of step runs a marathon. Decision upon decision builds a life less ordinary.