Over the years, I have used my calendar to put down things so that I “don’t forget”. 

As a result, I have been quite good with remembering birthdays of the people that matter, work meetings, family/social commitments, paying bills, kids doctors’ appointments, any changes in kids’ schedules, birthday parties and such other “important stuff” that I don’t want to forget.

One morning when the kids were at school, and I managed to free up a few minutes to sit down with a cup of coffee, I reflected over the meaning of the word “important”. What were the things in my life that were of “great significance or value”?

Of course, my kids and everything that revolves around them, my partner and my home, my work, my friends, my parents, my needs – the ones of personal growth, fitness and wellness, my need to be with nature and be influenced by art and culture.

As I sat on my patio over that silent cup of coffee, I couldn’t help but think of how few of these things that were “important to me” were actually filling my days. I was getting through almost everything in the kids, home and work departments. But partner, friends, parents, and my personal needs were certainly taking a back seat.

 

 

Just a few days ago my kids’ and I had cleared out their closet. It had become such a mess that no one could find what they were looking for. We first pulled everything out and segregated them into the things that fit and those that no longer did. As we started putting the clothes back, we realised that there were still some things that no one really wanted, despite the fact that they fit, so we put those away as well. There were others that didn’t fit yet, so those went to the back of the closet, for another day. Now we were left with what was “really important”. We ended up with a cupboard that was a pleasure to open…till the next big mess.

The morning we sat cleaning the cupboard had been such a satisfying one, and today while I sipped my coffee, I couldn’t help but draw a parallel to that overstuffed cupboard and what I was currently feeling like. My life was filled with things to do, sometimes even to the point of being overwhelming, but was I consciously filling it with things that were “truly important to me”, at this point in my life?

I did have a house full of chores and a blog to complete, but I decided to do something different. I had de-cluttered the kids’ closet and now I decided to de-clutter my mind. I decided to write down “everything” that I felt was currently filling my days and my mind. I also wrote down the things that I would like to bring into my life.

Quite like the floor full of everything that was once in the cupboard, I had a paper full of all the things in my head – there were ones that were important, those that were no longer relevant, and some that could be put away for another day. Once I had a chance to organise my thoughts I used my calendar to put down the things that were “important”, giving me a clearer picture of what I really wanted my days and weeks ahead to look like. I’m sure some things will still slip between the cracks, but like most things on my calendar that I “don’t forget”, I am hopeful they will eventually get done.

When I looked at the time, I had only technically “wasted” a half hour that morning, but I got up feeling a lot lighter and went about doing the things that “needed to get done”. My calendar held the promise of bringing in little bits of what was important to me every day.

Till such time the things that are important to me change – I’m feeling quite sorted.