State of the Union—Minimalist Style

Every year in the U.S. we have a “state of the union” address which looks back on the accomplishments of the previous year and looks forward to the hopes and plans for the new year. I imagine that many other countries have a similar practice. Many individuals do something similar. I certainly do, but I don’t always do it in a systematic way. I evaluate my “union” of mind, body, and soul.

This year I’ve used Your Best Year Yet, a book I’m reading with a group, as a more structured guide. (The author takes the reader through a more detailed process than I’m using here, so if you’re interested, take a look at the book.) Regardless of how or when we do it, a time to reflect on the past, to consider the present, and to wish for the future is a good practice.

Biggest Disappointments: I don’t dwell on this list, but it keeps me honest. It helps to look back and reflect as long as it doesn’t lead to guilt (at least not too much) or surrender (giving up isn’t the answer). I’m keeping this list deliberately short. My “disappointment list”: no full-time job, no significant reduction of sweets, no progress on converting a blog into an e-book. Ok, not too terrible.

Biggest Accomplishments: For this list, I’m focused on what I did right. The items may not seem significant to everyone, but that’s not the point. Think about the changes you made or goals you completed. Ideally, this list would be a bit longer than the last list. My accomplishments this year: walking and biking regularly, writing a first draft of a novel, increasing blog readership, starting to freelance, volunteering in my religious community. So far, so good.

Lessons Learned: Looking over the lists, what could I have done differently? How can the disappointment list shrink and the accomplishment list grow? You know yourself the best, so come up with some specific ideas to. My lessons learned: I do better when I plan ahead, structure my day, and do more challenging tasks as early as possible.

Goals for the New Year: This is usually quite enjoyable for me. My inner optimist breaks out and yells, “This year will be different!” Some people write long lists of resolutions or goals, some skip it altogether. I go back and forth. Last year I made a list, 18 in 2018, which was discussed on the podcasts, Happier with Gretchen Rubin and Happier in Hollywood. It was fun looking at the lists other people created, and I enjoyed creating my own. I tried to review it regularly and did manage to check off a good number of items. In the end, though, long lists of goals can become a burden, at least to me. I decided to be super minimalist this year with resolutions and skip them. If you love making resolutions, then go for it!

Guidelines: Instead of making a list of specific goals, I looked at my lessons learned list and decided to focus on three general guidelines instead: plan ahead (organization and structure play a big role), prioritize self-care (physical and mental health), and expand horizons (new experiences, new people). You can have both general guidelines and specific goals, whatever suits you best.

My ultimate goal is to live an intentional life with more meaning and with less consumption of goods or the limited resources we have on this planet. I continue to declutter my household (just once a season now—that’s progress!) and consider better uses of my time and energy. As an advocate for minimalism/simple living, I’ve got the “why” down, but the “how” is a constant work in progress.

I take ideas from blogs, books, and podcasts. I discuss issues and strategies on social media and with friends and family. Recently, my son and I talked about our daily and weekly routines. I’ve used a planner for several years, but he wanted something easier. He purchased a white board and markers to list his routines along with some reminders. I liked the idea. Too often I get bogged down writing everything out in a planner, so this year, I’m following my son’s practice. I enjoy using the different colored markers, and it’s hanging right next to my desk to remind me. And now that I’ve finished writing this post, I get to erase “finish blog”!