Simplify

I figured it was time for another blog post... since it's been, you know, 362 days since my last blog post.  What can I say?  2013 was busy.

Here are our 2013 highlights:

I got a new job.  Maya switched schools.  Chad continued to love his job and rocked it out for another  year.  Chad and I went to Vegas in March.  We traded in my jeep and bought a Pilot.  We went on a family vacation to Florida over the summer with Chad's family.  Maya was a flower girl in our friends' wedding.  We got to be front row for the Mumford and Sons concert.  All in all, it was a glorious year.

As I was reflecting on our very busy (borderline chaotic) 2013, I started thinking about what I wanted my 2014 to look like.  I found that while we were constantly busy doing things last year, I didn't get a lot done.  We spent the year collecting tons of memories, experiences and stuff, but I barely had time to collect myself.  The word "simplify" kept popping into my head.  I'm not really one for making resolutions (let's be honest - following through on things is not my strong suit), but the start of a new year is a great time to make some changes.  I don't have huge, lofty goals that I want to achieve.  Instead, I want to focus on simplifying our life in several ways, and also being intentional with how we spend our time, money, resources, etc.  I feel like we indulged in so many things last year... food, clothes, drinks, activities, friends, stuff...

Have you ever read the book "7" by Jen Hatmaker?  It's a perspective changer.  A life changer.  In my opinion, it's a must read for anyone who lives in our society.  It's a story of how Jen and her family fought back against over-indulgence in seven areas of their life over a period of seven months.  I've had this book on my mind a lot over the last month or so.  Time for a re-read.

I've found that there is profound value in putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) to document what I want to accomplish, so here goes...

Simplify... My stuff
I have had grand intentions of shifting some rooms around in our house... moving Maya to our guest room, moving the guest room to the "office" (ha... OFFICE?  Try paralyzing, terrifying junk room... with a desk), and moving the office to Maya's old room.  Jena and I took a trip to Ikea sometime in late spring to fill up my trunk with glorious items that would make this room-shifting adventure easier... better... more enjoyable(?).  Most of that stuff is still in boxes, unassembled.  Life just got in the way.  Work, running, vacation, Candy Crush (ha), sleeping, being lazy, prioritizing other less important things -- you know how it goes.  I heard someone say this recently: "Don't accumulate so much stuff that you wish your house would burn down."  Or something like that.  I looked around my house and I was completely overwhelmed by how much stuff we have.  You can do a lot of nesting/settling/(hoarding) over the course of eight years.  This is the year where we simplify our stuff.

Simplify... My time
Chad and I have a lot of friends.  That's not a brag, it's a truth.  We have collected a lot of friends along the journey of our 18 years together.  Job changes, living in the same city for more or less our whole lives, a husband that has gone to school for a zillion different things, and just possessing a natural love for connecting with people and connecting people to each other -- all have led to a large social circle.  My mom told me a while ago that it doesn't matter how many people you know, one person can really only maintain a certain number of meaningful relationships in their life.  And that certain number is not very large.  I need to do a better job of being intentional with my time, as it relates to the important relationships in my life.  That means planning things out farther in advance (hello, calendar!), letting the important people in my life know how much they mean to me, and spending time nurturing those specific relationships.  Sure, we will still sprinkle in dinners with other friends, throw some random last minute parties, and drop what chores we're doing on a Saturday afternoon to meet up with someone who calls at the last minute.  I love that part of our social life, but I want to make sure I've carved out time for the most important relationships first.

If I can simplify my stuff and my time, I feel like I can find some time to try the things I think I never have time for:

I (begrudgingly) want to try yoga (Kara gave me a monogrammed yoga mat for Christmas -- hint taken, sister).

I want to have time to read some more books (put down the iPhone, Molly.  You've already played 1,000 games of Candy Crush today).

I want to run three half-marathons this year.  I ran two last year and I loved it.  If I challenge myself to do three, it will force me to stay trained throughout the year.

I want to write more -- one blog post at the beginning of January is not gonna cut it.  My cousin and soul-sister Amanda has challenged herself to write more.  I like that challenge and am going to try to do that as well.  I love reading what's on her mind and what's going on in her life.  I also enjoy how it's crazy easy to start a blog and just write about life, and it's documented there for you, so you can look back and remember the moments that seemed worthy of that documentation.

I want Maya to be able to participate in the things she likes doing.  She LOVES dance class, yet she hasn't been enrolled in a dance class since the summer.  Why?  All that other garbage got in the way.  And that's not her fault -- it's ours.

I want to find a place where we can land, spiritually.  We have gone to the same church forever.  It's where Chad and I met.  It's where we got married.  It's where our parents go to church.  But we don't feel rooted there.  Whether that means making more connections where we are, or finding a place where we can really grow our roots, it's something that is worthy of our time this year.

The only way any of this is going to get done is by taking itty bitty baby steps.  One day at a time.  One hour at a time.  One truckload of stuff to Goodwill at a time... Wish me luck, friends.