Posts Tagged: how to eat an elephant

“PUTTING YOUR HOUSE ON A DIET”  

On June 16, 2017 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

 

“Getting rid of household stuff and clothes is like putting your house on a diet.” (Suzanne Phillips)

“Question: How do you eat an elephant?

Answer:  One bite at a time.”  (Source unknown.)

 

I am in love with simplicity.  However, I worship from afar.  Simplicity and I do not have a personal, intimate relationship.

I guess you could say that I am in love with the idea of simplicity.  The practice of simplicity is another matter.

My friend Suzanne’s comment about “putting your house on a diet” reminds me of how cluttered my work and sleeping area really is.  I would blame the clutter on someone else, except for the fact that I am the only one who is ever up here.  (That’s not entirely true.  My wife comes up occasionally and scares the liver out of me.  Whenever she does, she assures me that she was not trying to scare me—after she pries me off the ceiling.)

But it’s more than clutter in my work and sleeping space.  My whole life needs to go on a diet.

Take my use of time for example: How could I cut some fat of my use of time?  I’m not talking about taking the enjoyment out of my life.  I’m talking about using time more wisely, so that I can enjoy life even more.

Then, there is putting my words on a diet.  I talk too much.  I have known this for a long time.  I’ve wanted to change, but I haven’t.  (That is all I’ve got to say about that.)

They say that confession is good for the soul.  However, I can only stand so much goodness at a time.

So, how can I go on an effective diet?  Wonderful plans and crash diets don’t work for me.  I won’t stay on them.

What does work (when I work it) is making small changes.  My resolve is small, so small changes are what I can manage.

So, right now, I am trying to make small changes in my work/sleeping area.  I moved the recycling container into a nearby storage area.  I am v  e  r  y    s  l  o  w  l   y  thinning out my clothes, taking them to Good Will.

I am banking on the fact that, when I challenge myself to make small, incremental changes, I am much more likely to actually change.

A few years ago, when I had been walking fairly regularly, I decided to run a short way.  The first time, I ran a tenth of a mile—if that.  Then, I resumed walking.  The next day, I decided to run one driveway further than I had the day before.  Each day, I tried to run just a little further.

Eventually, I decided to run a marathon.  In fact, I ran two years in a row.  I didn’t run fast, but I ran (at least part of the time).

It may well be that all important changes, all transformations, boil down to making small changes.

 

 

 

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