By Leo Babauta
When I was younger, I had a hard time doing some basic things like:
- Paying bills
- Keeping the house clean
- Running errands
- Doing yard work
- Doing car and house maintenance
- Taking care of my health
- Stay on top of work tasks
I always knew that I “should” do these things, but they felt like too much back then. Avoiding taking care of things always left me feeling like my life was a mess.
These days … I’m not at all perfect at any of the above … but I’m so much better at it. And it leaves me feeling like my life is taken care of.
Which leaves me feeling like I’m worth taking care of.
So how did I transform this? I’ll share that journey in this article.
The Start of the Transformation
In the beginning, I just knew that I wanted my life to not be such a big mess. But it felt too overwhelming to take on everything, and I kept failing at my efforts.
The transformation really started when I decided that I was going to take really small steps. One at a time. In one or two areas at a time:
- Clean my sink (and slowly expand to the whole kitchen)
- Pick up my clothes and put them away immediately
- Pick up one bill from my pile and take care of it (or make a plan to do so)
- Put on my running shoes and get outside, even for just 5-10 minutes
- Floss one tooth
That last one really gets people. But I spent years struggling to get the flossing habit going, and feeling really bad that I couldn’t do it. Then I saw a talk where someone said this is how they formed the flossing habit, and it sounded so easy I couldn’t say no. So I started. Now I floss almost every night.
These tiny steps make a huge difference over time. They won’t change everything all at once, but they do change everything.
The Mindset Shift That Changed Everything
The real shifts were internal. I had a bunch of mindset shifts:
- It’s easier to do it now than to tackle a huge pile later
- It feels so good when things are getting taken care of
- A cleared surface is so much more beautiful than a piled up surface
- Things that are neglected fall to ruin
But there was a small mindset shift that actually was the biggest shift for me: it can be really lovely to take care of things.
I found that I can enjoy the simple act of cleaning up. I learned to love clearing clutter, or emptying out an inbox.
For me, clearing things out and making things orderly is deeply satisfying.
Once I realized that, it became easy. Joyful even!
The Joyful Way It Looks These Days
So how do I take care of my life these days? In so many ways. But with a sense of glee!
I start each week by clearing out my inboxes, and putting my tasks in order, and setting my intentions for the week. It makes me feel clear and happy.
I start and finish my day by making sure the kitchen is in order and things are put away. And by flossing and brushing my teeth. This helps me feel that there’s a bit of order to my life.
If I see an area that can use some tidying, I do it during my breaks, so I get a little movement in. I go back to work after the break feeling more satisfied.
If yard or house maintenance is too much to do during my breaks, I save it for the weekend. And then I enjoy the feeling of taking care of my family.
I do a workout almost every day, and feel like I’m honoring my wonderful body.
I make sure my bills are paid and my budget is up-to-date every morning. It makes me feel like my money is happy.
In each area, I’m taking care of my life, my family, my body, my business. I’m bringing a little bit of order to the chaos of the world. And I’m giving myself a lovely, satisfying experience.
May you find this joy as well.