A Message Worth Sharing

I’m definitely not trying to make a habit of coming and going, of writing consistently then becoming silent for weeks and months on end. That’s how things have worked out though. And I can’t complain.

3 months ago I promised to share the experiences I had during that 6 week hiatus during July and August. This turned into an amazing episode of life lasting 4 ½ months.

It’s time to share!

August was a very eventful and memorable month for me. We brought Caleb VerDon into the world and into our home. My amazingly stubborn wife insisted on doing all the hard work herself. She would only let me hold her hand! It is incredible how strong women are. Caleb is an amazing little person. Ali and I have both felt his magic calming and healing powers. His laugh! It’s the greatest.

The week after Caleb was born I was given the opportunity to speak at a Christ centered minimalist retreat.

The story behind receiving this invitation is in itself an answer to countless prayers. It is a testament to me that our Father listens. He feels our pains and sorrows. He supports us when we are weak. He gives us trials to overcome and triumph. He rejoices when we do.

I was asked to share the story of my family’s journey toward a life of intention and purpose.

It was a humbling experience to be able to meet several people after my presentation and hear how the principles I shared had truly resonated with them and inspired them to action. For me these conversations were powerful confirmation that I had been given a message worth sharing.

After all, it’s not my message to begin with. It’s a part of something so much bigger.

I felt a powerful desire to step way outside my comfort zone and share this message and our story with whoever would listen.

So, I put myself out there and asked for help to organize events and bring people together.

The call was answered and it all came together. Since August I have been able meet up with several small groups to share my experiences and a few simple principles that have transformed my life. Each opportunity has been an amazing experience of learning and personal growth for me.  Along the way I have been able to meet and get to know some seriously amazing people. Hearing their stories, insights, and perspective has allowed the message I’m sharing to take on deeper meaning.

I’ve been able to spend huge amounts of time pondering and preparing for these events. It has required me to look inward and do some serious soul searching and self-evaluation. The things I have had the privilege of sharing with others have truly benefited me in my own life. They have inspired internal forgiveness, release, and healing.

Last month as one of these discussions was coming to a close I had a very strong feeling that I should share the message 1 more time then put it away for a while to focus on other things. I felt specifically inspired to share this with my own community. I was able to do this last Thursday.

A few people that I’ve been able to get to know since we moved to Heber were able to join us that evening. This made it a very powerful and emotional experience for me and I was barely able to make it through the night.

So now I’m excited, humbled, nervous, confident, and ready to share this message with you.

I was able to record video of a couple of the actual classes but the quality is not good.

So, I did what anybody would do and set up a makeshift recording studio in my attic to record the message. The downside is it will be lacking the amazing spirit that so many people brought with them each night. The good thing is you will be able to hear and understand the audio. The principles teach themselves.

I'll be posting the video very soon.  

I’m looking forward to closing that chapter of my life for a while and am excited for whatever comes my way next.

If These Shoes Could Talk.

I’m on about round 6 of deep physical purging. It has been a difficult mental and emotional process for me. Especially when it comes to things like the big box labeled “Mision de España Madrid”. It’s filled with everything imaginable from the time I spent as a missionary in Spain. Photos, area maps, bus passes, letters, trinkets, and memories of a time that by and large shaped who I am today.

I’m guessing some of you have similar boxes. Maybe from school or travels or another significant period.

One of the items in this box that I haven’t been able to part with is a nasty old pair of shoes.

First of all, Dr. Martens are quite possibly the worst shoes on the planet. Especially if you will be pounding the pavement for several miles a day. They are super heavy and stiff, they don’t breath at all, and they are expensive.

I was suckered into buying 2 pair!

The first pair never seemed to fit right. They were a strange burgundy color that didn't really look good with anything and they were by far the heavier of the 2 pair. I decided to ditch them when I left the second area I served in.

The second pair I ended up wearing 90% of the time. In Spain we rode busses and trains here and there and occasionally were given rides in cars but we mostly walked. I soon got used to the weight and feel of the shoes. Almost like they had become a part of me.

My quick guestimate calculation tells me that over the course of 2 years I easily put 2,500 miles on these clunkers.

About halfway through my service the shoes started to break down. The leather began to crack and I would replace a layer of duct tape on the inner heel every month or so. The soles wore down to the point that the heel was almost completely gone so I had them re-soled with old tire tread which lasted a lot longer than the glue used to hold them on.

A couple weeks ago I came across these shoes once more. Just holding them in my hands was enough to stir up powerful emotions and memories. This time I decided to put them on.

I finished up my time wearing a white shirt, tie and name tag over 11 years ago. I have been through this box countless times and seen my old shoes but had never thought of lacing them up.

This was the most uncomfortable pair of shoes I had ever worn!

The insides were falling apart and scraped my feet. There was a huge cavity where my toes had completely worn away the insole. When I stood up my feet hurt. I wasn’t even walking and it felt like I was wearing a matching pair of medieval torture devices!

How did I ever wear these things? Why do I still have them?

As a missionary I had recognized the deteriorating physical state of my shoes but don’t remember them ever being uncomfortable. They never bothered me and they took me where I needed to go.

So what was the difference? Nothing had changed so why were they so uncomfortable now?

Was it because my mind was focused on other things? I was dedicated to a cause I believed in and putting all my waking hours and every ounce of physical energy I had into serving others and sharing a message. I guess I didn’t have time in my life to worry or even think about how my shoes felt.

It didn’t bother me that I was living out of 2 suitcases and wore essentially the same thing every single day. It didn’t bother me that I was away from my family and friends for 2 years. It didn’t bother me that I was without so many of the conveniences and comforts I had been brought up with and had become accustomed to.

It's interesting how when we are in the monotonous, hum-drum pattern of day to day life we tend to focus on the trivial details. Things that are getting old and worn are in urgent need of replacement. We shop because we are bored, lonely, or sad and need a new _____ to keep us company. We over endulge in food because it gives us a temporary feeling of fullness and well being. We are constantly connected to and immediately respond to alerts for social media because we don't want to "miss out" on anything going on.....

In contrast, when we are passionately engaged in our lives we are more likely to focus on the essential. Things become just things and no longer have power over us. We spend more time building relationships people in our lives. We dedicate more of our time and resources to serving and lifting others. We seek to obtain knowledge and a better understanding of the world around us and where we fit in and can make a difference. We take better care of ourselves physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and all the other -allies.

The imperfections, hardships, and struggles are there and always will be but they are accepted and appreciated as our lives become more meaningful and abundant.

I think I've learned what I needed to from these shoes and can now let them go.

Thanks Shoes!

Training Wheels

First, an apology.

I told you I would be sharing the incredible experiences I had during my 6 week hiatus.

Well... I've gone back and forth on this, started writing the post, stopped to write other posts, come back to write some more... and I've decided it's not time to share this story yet.

For a couple reasons.

New insight and perspective are bringing those experiences into better focus and giving them more dimension and deeper meaning. I'm letting it all soak in.

And

I feel like I need to share this story in a different way before I blog it. It's really more of an in person message so I'm working a few people to make that happen.

Interested? Let me know and we'll make it happen.

One thing I will share is this,

It's high time I took off my training wheels and learned to ride!

My kids love riding their bikes.

We have a huge asphalt playground, otherwise known as the church parking lot, across the street from our house. It is filled with cars on Sunday and for a just few hours a couple nights each week. Other than that its vacant, cleared out, open, and safe. Perfect for kids on bikes.

Earlier this summer I was feeling like a bad dad because I hadn't made the time to teach my 7 year old Valerie and 5 year old Graham how to ride without training wheels. I never really thought much about when was the best time to ditch the rolling crutches until I saw our neighbor girls flying around the parking lot without them. These twin girls are 6 and they have it mastered.

Huh?!?!?!

Wanting to redeem myself I went straight for the tools. 5 minutes later the wheels were off and it was time for our first lesson.

Valerie was really excited and couldn't get to the blacktop fast enough.

Graham went all HULK SMASH on me. He thought I had broken his bike for good. He even called me a "meanie". That's harsh!

Somehow I convinced him it was a good idea and Bicycle 101 was in session.

Taking turns with each kid we cruised around the parking lot. I held the handle bars and just had them keep their feet stationary on the pedals. I wanted them to experience the feeling of not always riding straight up at a ridged 90 degrees from the pavement.

They loved it and couldn't resist the urge to pedal as we rolled forward. I decided this was a sign they were comfortable and ready for the next step.

I held onto the back of their seats to help them get started and to hold them steady as they pedaled around. After a few laps they were both doing great so I loosened my grip and only tightened it when they were had to make sharp turns or were losing balance. Soon I was able to let go completely and just follow close behind.

Valerie picked it up quick. She easily rode for 50 feet at a time and used the brakes to slow to a stop on her own. Impressive!

Graham was struggling to find his balance. He would make it 15 feet at a time before getting the wobbles, toppling over, and getting frustrated.

At this point I gave them both the same advice for different reasons.

Pedal a little faster.

For Valerie it was because I knew she could do it.

For Graham it was because a little more speed would help his his balance.

My logic was foolproof.....

Graham took off like a rocket and never slowed down. He flew around the pavement with a grin on his face somewhere between the Cheshire Cat and Heath Ledger's Joker and screaming like a banshee.

On top of all that he is quickly out growing his bike and looked like a circus clown. he wrecked hard a few times but the adrenaline put him right back on the seat.

Watching this kid made me laugh so hard my face hurt.

Valerie pedaled a little faster, then a little faster, She's got it! I slowed down and let her pull ahead.

My logic was foolish.....

When she realized I was no longer right by her side she panicked. She did not use her brakes, She did not slow to a stop. She turned her wheel a bit too sharp and WHAM!

Game over...

She had rolled out of it surprisingly well and managed to only have small scrapes on her knee and arm. She would be alright. 

But my amazingly intelligent and creative little girl was blessed with powerful emotions that run deep and surface quick. All at once she missed Mom and wanted to go home, She wanted to have some alone time and wanted to sell her bike.

In her mind riding bikes was no longer fun and never would be. She was convinced it was a very dangerous game and that she was "just not made for this".

It has taken a few months but I've finally persuaded her that it is worth trying again. She is making progress but slowly. I've learned to let her take the rains and just be there top provide support and assurance. She'll get it.

My training wheels require a different set of tools and more than a mere 5 minutes to take off.

When it comes to minimalism, simplicity, intentionality, mindfulness, essentialism and so many other related topics I've read just about all there is to read, listened to more than my fare share of podcasts, and watched a hoard of youtube videos. I've gotten to the point where I think I've heard it all.

Sure, I come across new websites and hear about new books but it's all repeat. 

Our family has been on this bike for 5 years now. The first couple we was just cruising along but for the last 3 I have been pedaling like a madman. Frantically trying to cover as much ground as I possibly could not realizing I have been in the lowest gear possible. 

Always learning and dabbling. Never really getting down to business.
 

Don't get me wrong. Our family has made dramatic change. We have gone from living in 4,000 square feet with 5 people to 1,200 square feet with 6 people. We have eliminated mountains of physical excess, debt, and resentment from our lives. We spend more meaningful time together as a family. We eat more healthfully and are more active physically. I work from home and love it. I bring in $1,000 dollars less each month yet we are saving $1,000 dollars more for our future.

Amazing progress! No doubt about it.

We've been riding in the low gear of reading and listening and analyzing and planning and wanting everything to go smoothly and not wanting to fall and.... and.... and... all without realizing that the road has changed. The training wheels that held us steady and helped us to gain speed as we began this journey are now holding us back. Not allowing us to lean into the turns and keep our momentum.

Get to the point Brandon!!! What does all this mean???

My toolkit is simple. It's called Unsubscribe.

I've clicked the Unsubscribe button on all my favorite blogs, podcasts, and youtube channels and I'm deleting all the unread or un listened to alerts in my email inbox.

As much as I have loved all this instructional reading and listening it was surprisingly easy clicking. I owe a lot to the people do the writing and recording. It is amazing content and I've soaked it up.

The problem is my sponge is full and can't take anymore. I need to let it out and do. I need to BE!
 

"Be the change you wish to see in the world" - Mahatma Gandhi

I'm beyond convinced that simplicity is what I need. It is what our family needs. It is what our not so small anymore town needs. And our nation, and the world.

I have been given experiences and insight that need to be shared. Am I going to change the world? Doubtfull. But If I change MY world and change the world for my family it starts a fire. People notice. They see the smoke and flames and come running.

They may think something is wrong. Why are you doing this? You had it made! And now, you have nothing! Do you need help? Do you need money? Do you need furniture?....

No. Thank you, but no. We are doing great.

The fire starts small but it spreads quickly. Every time we say no to the expected in order to say yes to something greater. Every time we share, every time we explain, every time we listen.

I'm sure we will experience aspects what each of my kids felt as they have learned to ride their bikes. It will be unsteady and a bit scary. We will fall and get roadrash and IT WILL HURT! But we will get back up again and ride.

Personally I have felt so much support and guidance the past little while. From God above and from the incredible people in my life. They are holding the seat for us!

It's time to ditch the training wheels, throw caution to the wind and pedal a little faster.

 

The Little Red Hen - or - Super Glue and God's Grace

LONG POST TODAY

I have been super excited to share my experiences of the past 6 or so weeks. What a ride!

I had planned to begin telling the story today but this morning I really felt I needed to write about something different yet somehow in my mind related.


Lately I have felt a very strong connection with the incredible world around me. I have been thinking about how much I love living in a place with such a variety of natural environments. I can get in a car and within a few hours enjoy everything from red sandstone arches and nordic mountain glaciers.

I've been able to see so many of gods creatures in their natural environment. Fish, snakes, frogs, rabbits, deer, moose, mountain goats... truly amazing creatures.

I have been thinking a lot about the stewardship we have been given to care for this creation. To conserve and preserve. Are we doing a good job? I'm not going to open that can of worms. Not today.

I have been able to see the convergence of our world with theirs. It is not uncommon to see some of these wild characters in and around my community. We live in an agricultural community so there are also plenty of cattle, sheep, horses, pigs, and chickens.



I've already introduced you to our chickens. My very first post was about chickens. They inspired me write the first words. It is interesting how much you can learn from these creatures. It is amazing how like us they really are.

We are responsible for the care of these funny birds. We do provide a warm and safe place to stay, and feed and water to supplement their foraging efforts but for the most part they are self sufficient.

This scrappy pack of 12 sisters owns the back yard. During the day they chase each other around, eat bugs and plants, dust bathe, and poop all over the place. They are essentially free to do as they will. They are able to fly over the 5' perimeter fence and sometimes do. but they always come back.

When the day is done and the sun goes down the ladies make their way back to the coop and put themselves to bed. After our kids are in bed (for some reason they don't put themselves to bed like the chickens do) Ali or I will go out to the coop to do a headcount, collect eggs, and secure their home.

I converted one of the garden sheds in our back yard into a coop by adding a chicken door with a gravity closer mechanism (I'm pretty proud of my ingenuity on this one) and a chicken ladder to the ground outside. I also built a raised wire mesh floor to keep them up out of the dirt and toilet. The original shed man door does not stay open without being propped so we always let them out through theirs. They can come and go as they please to lay eggs or get out of the heat.

One day about 3 weeks ago the chicken door was closed at some point. No big deal, It's happened before and the girls just line up outside waiting patiently for us to come out for the headcount.

Well, that night I forgot to go out. We had watched a movie and ended up getting to bed pretty late. My head had barely hit the pillow when I heard all kinds of commotion coming from outside. I realized I had not closed up the coop so I somewhat resentfully rolled out of bed and started to get dressed again. I heard the noise again, this time accompanied by a screams of terror. Something was attacking our chickens! So I ran/dressed to the back yard trying to get the stupid flashlight app on my phone to work.

I burst out the door into the silent night. Nothing. I scanned around a few times. Nothing.

As I started walking back to check the coop my eye caught the tiny reflection of a chicken's eye about halfway back in the yard. I approached the little red hen and she wasn't moving. I got closer and could see that she was alert and sitting calmly. Oh good, she's fine.

I went back to check on the others.

1,2,3,4,5...!

5+1=6!

12-6=6!

6 chickens were missing!

I herded those 5 frazzled chickens into the coop and searched the yard hoping the others had found somewhere safe to bed down and hide. Nothing. I searched everywhere without any sign of them. They had probably gone over the fence. and would make their way back when they felt safe.

I went back to the chicken I had found in the yard and she hadn't moved at all. Strange! I picked her up to take her back to the coop and she was wet. Not cold, water type wet. Warm wet. Oh no!  I carried her into the house and doing my best to stay calm I found my very tired and still very pregnant wife to help me. It wasn't until we got her into the kitchen and started to clean her up that I realized the severity of her condition.

This is graphic but i don't know how else to tell the story.

Something, probably a skunk or a raccoon, had slit her throat. The laceration was about 4 inches long and all the way through the skin.  Starting at the base of the front of her neck and going around clockwise and rising up to the left side of her head and her little chicken ear. My first thought. Put this poor creature out of its misery. But I had a very strong and calming feeling that this chicken would live. I said one of those very simple and direct 2 second prayers.

What do I do?

Super glue!

My grandpa had once told me super glue was invented for the military. When a soldier was wounded in battle and there wasn't time or equipment to close up a wound in a more traditional way.

It should work, right?

I felt horrible for doing this but I saw no other option. I sent my 9 month pregnant wife to the store at 11:00 at night to find some super glue.

I do a lot better than she does with blood and guts and I was going to have to do the prep work while she was gone. Using scissors I cut back the feathers near the wound, cleaned it up, and planned how I was going to put her back together. The cut was an L shape so I figured I would start at the corner and work my way back to the edges.

Ali got back and we went to work. She held the chicken and I started to glue.

I have used super glue to close a few of my own self inflicted injuries over the years and it is not the most pleasant sensation. This chicken was relatively calm and cooperative throughout the process. She was probably in shock but I think she also knew that we were trying to help her.

After the wound was all closed up and we had put some antibiotic ointment on her neck I was prompted that I was supposed to do something that I had never before considered.

I was supposed to give this chicken a priesthood blessing.

This was my internal monologue, no joke.

Seriously? Can I do that? Oh man, I'm going to lose my priesthood over this!

I anointed the birds head with consecrated oil and did everything I would do if ministering to a human. It was one of the most humbling and spiritual experiences I can remember.

I know that God's loving grace fully applies to all of his creation.

For the next several days this little lady seriously struggled. She would hardly move. She wouldn't eat or drink and we resorted to force feeding her with a medicine syringe. She stopped laying eggs which for me was a sign she was pretty messed up. It wasn't looking good for her.

Then as we began to consider the options and talk about the humane and responsible course of action she started to improve. Within a few days she was moving around more, eating on her own, making noise and being just about as annoying as ever.

This morning she laid her first egg in weeks and we are testing the waters of letting her go back to living with her sisters.



Sometimes we are called upon or feel inspired to do things that just don't make sense. Things that we have never done before or even considered. We may be required to step out of our comfort zone and our realm of knowledge . We may not do a great job or even fail miserably.

And that's ok.

The important thing is that we are willing to act. That we are willing to throw all logic to the wind and exercise faith.

This simple principle is at the core of what I define as "Burning the Script". Going against the grain of what we are comfortable with. Questioning for ourselves societal norms and expectations. Taking a huge leap of faith and relying on grace to guide us in creating a life worth living.

Greater Than Us All

I'm ready to write again.

I need to write again!

After a month and a half roller-coaster ride of beautiful highs and desparing lows I have finally come to a point where I'm not digging my fingernails into the lap bar.

And, the truth is I am still feeling the adrenaline and am way to emotional to get anything else done.

I've wanted to write. I really really have. I've struggled with feeling focused, engaged and stable enough to write something of substance and value.

I want to provide something of worth and I keep asking myself

Do people really want to read/hear what I have to share?

This past week I've had a few experiences that have reminded me that this is really not MY question to answer. It's really not MY place to even worry about it.

The message I am sharing is not MY own. It is a part of something so much bigger!

Sure, I'm sharing mostly stories and insights from my own life but the message goes way beyond ME. I hope it's not too difficult to see that through my ramblings.

I'll continue writing through MY lens because it's what I know. In the next few posts I'll share these recent experiences because they were a solid confirmation that this is a message that needs to be heard.

I'm going to write again.

Lifestyle Experiment - June - Report Card

This month I set out to run 5 vertical miles. I had originally planned on doing a bit less but decided to make it a stretch and push myself.

The results...

27,108 vertical feet / 5280 feet per mile = 5.13 miles

\

 

 

I did it!

During the middle of the month I was lagging behind because of vacation, feeling blah, and having to shuffle around my run days to accomodate other things. I ended up swapping out a few of my pavement days to hit more elevation on the trails ( no complaints there )

 

I learned a lot more than I imagined I would during this experience.

 

It was a whole different kind of running and it required a completely different mindset. While speed and distance were still important to my overall training program, these goals took a backseat to the up and down. I learned to focus on conserving energy by keeping a consistant cadence. I learned to listen more to my body and recognize when to hike the hills instead of run them to not kill myself off with 10 miles to go. And, I learned that when you are the only one on the trail at 6:22 in the morning you will inevitably very narrowly avoid a head on collision with a fellow runner who shows up in your face out of nowhere. Screaming like a banshee is allowed in this scenario.

 

The most important lesson I learned while climbing to  26,400 feet is this

 

God is my Dad.

 

My entire life I've been taught this and I've really felt it here and there but it hasn't been a consistant thing. I think a huge part of this was the fact that I've always been taught to address God using the words Thee and Thou. Extreemly formal and uncomfortable and overly formal in my opinion. These words convey the requirement to be solemn in my conversation with the almighty. I understand and respect the idea of reverence and respect but I find it very difficult to feel those things when I'm feeling uncomfortable and awkward. Imagine asking someone for advice. Maybe a trusted friend, sibling, or, your Dad. "How art thou this morning? I have a question for thee." I imagine you would both feel pretty out of place.

 

When I'm running and I see something I like I stop, take pictures, and sometimes end up taking a break for 30 minutes. One morning as I sat on a big rock overlooking the beautiful Heber Valley

 

 

I was trying to have one of these awkward moments and I wasn't feeling any connection at all. It was strange. Then I just started talking. Out loud, almost shouting if you can picture it. I ditched the haughty Thee and Thou and kicked back and had a conversation with my Dad.

 

Conversation

/ˌkänvərˈsāSH(ə)n/

The informal exchange of ideas by spoken words.

 

The interesting thing about a conversation is it takes 2. As soon as I tore down the facade of reverence things became real. I had one of the most engaging and powerful experiences of my life.

 

I set out to run 5 miles. I made it so much further.

 

Too often in life we hide behind masks of insecurity, complacency, and social expectations. We take ourselves out of our element and things become awkward. Certain conversations scare us so we resort to phone calls, emails, text messaging, or not avoiding the interaction all together. We allow distance and convenience to become excuses for the degredation of our relationships, experiences, and life.

 

It's time to Burn that Script.

 

This is my goal for July.

 

Stay tuned....

 



Lifestyle Experiment - June - Run 5 miles

This months lifestye experiment is a physical challenge.

I'm going to run 5 miles in June!

I ran a little over 5 miles yesterday so I'm done. See ya lata!

.......(silence).......







I'm going to run 5 vertical miles in June!


I love to climb! It's hard, It burns, It is an incredible workout.

On my 5 mile trail run I climbed 1720 feet. Roughly 1/3 of a mile. Since I run solo most of the time literally every one of my runs is either an out and back course or a loop. I'm starting and ending at the same elevation every time. Which means my uphill = my downhill. Yesterdays run was 3440 feet of vertical change.

I am training for 2 marathons this year. I'll be running the Mid Mountain Marathon (trail race) again this year and helping my father in law celebrate his 30th running of the St. George Marathon (road race).

It's been a few years since I have run more than 7-8 miles on pavement so I need to get used to the more solid and less forgiving surface. Except for a handful of miles legendarily brutal Veyo Climb the St. George course is all downhill. Murder on the legs!

I came really close to tapping out of the Mid Mountain race last year. After 16 miles there is a climb for 5 miles. From bottom to top their is 500 feet of elevation gain but with the sawtooth up and down of the trail the actual climb is 1600 feet. I enjoyed myself through the pain and it was honestly one of the most spiritual experiences of my life.

I want to enjoy my races to the fullest this year. I want to minimize the pain and recovery time. I want to be kinder to my body. So I'm going to run hills.

2.5 miles up + 2.5 miles down

I'm basing this off the average vertical change of my trail and road runs this spring. I had originally planned on 4 vertical miles but that didn't seem to be pushing myself like I wanted to.

I stick mostly to the roads for my weekday shorter runs and our town is pretty flat so I am relying more on my longer weekend trail runs to meed this challenge.

My training schedule has me running 109 miles so doing the math I need an average of 242 feet of vertical change per mile.

In order to strengthen my core and make my runs easier I am going to be doing body weight exercises on my non run days and swimming when I can fit it in.


We all have different mountains to climb in life. Many are physical like the one I'm challenging myself to this month. But let's not forget the inner struggles we all face each day. The obstacles that stand between us and our dreams are their to make us stronger. They are their to help us to appreciate more what it is we are fighting for.

Enjoy the CLIMB.


Don't forget, I'm continuing my April challenge to be a Ruthless Life Editor.

Lifestyle Experiment - May - Report Card

Full Disclosure

This month's lifestyle experiment was pretty close to a total bust.

My motivation and desire to make it happen were there and chomping at the bit. I did make some good progress clearing out our garage and getting my office back in order. But I wasn't able to get into "editing" like I wanted to.

- I started late in the month with no true goal or vision in mind. I was also playing catch up from being away for our amazing 11 day vacation.

- I was able to spend a day on a field trip with my daughter.

- We got our vegetable garden in the ground.

The month of May was definitely not a loss. But, I'm taking a mulligan on being "ruthless".

For June I'll be doubling up on the challenges. I'll check back in with that on Monday.


In other news.

I noticed the other day that almost everything I have written about over the past several months has had to do with these lifestyle experiments and I'm getting pretty bored with it. I love challenging myself and pushing myself to do cool things but I have so many other things I would rather be sharing with you.

I'm not going to quit doing the challenges and I'm not done sharing them with you. Just expect to see more and better content that's all.

So... What Do You Do?

We've all asked and been asked this question a million times. It's part of our default protocol when meeting someone new or catching up with an old friend or relative.

This often contrived and impersonal interaction has bothered me for a really long time. A couple years ago, I got an idea for a social experiment. I decided to take this question out of it's pre-programmed social context and tell people what I'm really doing with my life. I don't do it every time the question comes up, but when I do the reactions are interesting.

So Brandon, what do you do?

... Last month we were able to go on an amazing Scandinavian adventure.
... I'm really excited to be running trails again. I was going through major withdrawals this winter.
... I'm enjoying simplifying my life and getting rid of most of what I own.

Great... but really, what do you DO?

Well....

... We became debt free last year and have been loving the financial freedom.
... I started lap swimming recently.  Not just flailing my arms and legs to stay afloat takes practice.
... I created this blog called Burning the Script and I'm writing about.....

NO!

What do you... Grrr... What do you do for $$$???

Oh....

In what line of work I am gainfully employed in order provide for myself and others?
(Sounds pretty boring when it's phrased that way doesn't it?)

Why is it that when this question gets thrown around people aren't looking to hear about what is really going on in our LIVES? How has our profession/vocation/job become the main way we identify ourselves in this culture. Why is the barometer of a person's perceived success pre-set based on what they do "for a living" and not HOW they are LIVING?

Is this the best we can do?

I have met so many amazing people who are in what might be considered the less glamorous lines of work yet they were happy to be providing a service and genuinely engaged in what they were doing. I've met even more people who have the "dream jobs", are making the big $$$, and show all signs of a "successful" life, yet below this facade they are completely miserable.

Sadly, so many people are caught up in the rat race and doing a balancing act of making ends meet and still finding a way to afford the next big thing. Work becomes the central focus of their

With that in mind I guess it makes sense that people would automatically associate this so called livelyhood as what they "do" and even who they "are".


As part of this experiment I've also made it a point to ask different questions when I meet new people.

Hey "new cool person I just met", what's going on in your life?

... I'm in sales.
... I'm a pediatric dentist.
... I'm a software engineer

That's nice but tell me about yourself?

... I manage a team of 30.
... I clean tables after people are done eating.
... I deliver office supplies.

What do you REALLY do?

... I just told you
... I'm confused
... ?

Oh...

... After my shift at the Quickymart I'm headed accross town for band practice.
... I have 2 more haircut appointments then I'm volunteering at the local senior center.
... With my next paycheck I'll be registering for my first triathlon!



So tell me... what do YOU do?

Lifestyle Experiment - April - Disconnected and Fully Engaged.

Good morning!

My attic office window faces East and most mornings I watch the sunrise.

Pretty amazing!

It's hard not to wakeup and jump right into work. I have a lot to do. I've made commitments. Taking a few minutes each morning and throughout the day to pause, disconnect, and let life in helps to keep me energized throughout the day. I am more focused in my work and less irritable when I remember to do this.

I thought about doing an April Fools Day post and making up some crazy story but  I don't have anything to share that wouldn't be completely obvious.

Last night I deleted all social media and other timewasters from my phone. I didn't use them very much to begin with but I've found myself connecting more often lately. I've become part of a few pretty cool groups and started another. People have interesting things to say and I enjoy learning from them. I also enjoy contributing myself and it is really tempting to check in to see if anyone has commented on something I've shared.

I'm highly distractible. By now you know this. I was told by the psychologist who gave me the ADD under the table diagnosis that I have strong addictive tendencies and that I should be vigilant in life to keep them in check.

When I get an alert on my phone I've trained myself to not need to immediately see what's going on. But the notification takes up space in my mind. Knowing that I have something waiting for me takes up some of my focus bandwidth. I end up checking it a little while later just to get it out of my mind. By then there might be a handful of alerts all vying for my attention.

I don't like it.

I do like when I am able to learn from others and when people are interested in things I have to share. I love re-connecting with old friends and having a forum to bounce questions and ideas off of. What I can do without is the never ending connectivity. BING - BING - BING. Check it out, you don't want to miss anything!

EXACTLY!

I don't want to miss out on life because I was sucked up in the world of  anti-social media. I want to make genuine connections with real people.

I say this all while preparing a post to send out to facebook and the blogosphere. Hypocrisy? Maybe a little. The fact is I don't see these things as bad in moderation and when used to enhance opportunities in REAL LIFE. I use it for business. I use it to manage a community and I use it to connect.

Lately I've felt it's claws digging into me and I'd rather be free.

So for April, and probably indefinitely, I'm checking out of social media. It's gone from my phone and I won't connect from my computer except for 1 day a week for 30 minutes. Wednesday by default. During this small window I will do all  posts, status updates, replies, ... everything. Then I'm disconnected again for 7 days.

And not just social media. I'm going to look for ways to put the beat down on other time wasting garbage in life. I have so many important and meaningful things to do that I am just not getting around to doing. My TO DO list is hovering over my head like the anvil in a Wile E. Coyote cartoon.

I'm looking forward to catching more of the sunrises in life.

See you next week.

Lifestyle Experiment - March - Report Card

My last post pretty much summed up how I feel about this past mont. No more trying to force life and win the game on my own. I am going to allow my "teammates" to get into the game and play their part. If they are able to help me I am able to help them and together we establish Cadence in Life

Thanks trees! Why didn't you say so in the first place?

Cadence in Life - Lessons from the Black Locust Trees

In one of my first posts to this blog I told you all about our trip up to Heber City to check out this old house for sale. My first impression of the house was Big Old Piece of _____.

The yard was a completely different story.

I've said it before and I'll say it again 1000 times. I love trees. The front yard was awesome but after making our way through the ramshackle house I saw the backyard and I was sold.

 

This picture doesn't even begin to do the yard justice. The grass was hammered, the planting beds were overgrown, and their was strange garbage stashed here and there. It was a pretty big mess.

 

But the trees!

 

Huge, mature, beautiful green shade trees everywhere! A few of them I recognized as some type of maple (Box Elder complete with the nasty bugs but I did find out they produce great syrup) and other trees that resembled the Honey Locust trees we had in the yard of our first home.

 

A bit rough around the edges but in my mind it had all the ingredients for paradise.

 

We moved in that December after all the leaves had fallen and the green had gone. As the snow fell to the ground and clung to bushes and branches our yard was transformed into a different brand of paradise. A winter wonderland. It was awesome to watch our kids run around in their new world. Tracking up the snow and climbing trees.

 

Pretty soon the snow melted away and the color came back to our yard. It was amazing to watch everything spring to life. The grass started coming in. Buds where showing on the lilac bushes and Box Elder trees, and the songs of birds returned. It was incredible.

 

Then, I freaked out.

 

Our entire yard was coming to life except for one thing. Our beautiful grove of Black Locust trees.

 

Everything else was looking amazing. These trees were looking dead. To make it worse a few of the branches snapped off way to easily when I pulled on them. Yep, the trees were dead.

 

I won't lie, I was pretty distraught. Most of the trees in our yard were Black Locust and they were all dead! From what I hear a lot of people consider them weeds because they grow like crazy and do whatever they want but I think they are incredible trees and will gladly deal with their personality quirks. I love the diffuse shade they create and the sound their small leaves make in the wind.

 

So much for that.

 

After sulking it up for a few days I saw something that made me wonder. I started seeing Black Locusts all around town. They must have been the tree of choice at some point because they were everywhere. I noticed that they were all looking pretty dead. It wasn't just our backyard forest that was struggling.

 

Sure enough, within a couple weeks the Black Locust trees decided to come out of hibernation and quickly sprang to life. before long they were just as full and vibrant as the other trees and plants.

 

Last spring I didn't know that the Black Locust trees were late bloomers and it put me in panic mode. This year I know what to expect and I've been able to let nature do it's thing and enjoy the season.

 

...

 

I've given you fair warning, this blog gets spiritual NOW.

 

This month I've been thinking a lot about the whole Cadence in Life thing. I'm finally coming to terms with the fact that I can't force life. There are so many things that I want to make happen for myself, for my family and for others. I like to move fast and I like to get things done. When life (situations, my work, other people) doesn't move at my pace I've tended to get a bit frustrated.

 

At some point I got the idea that if I worked hard enough and applied enough leverage and pressure to life it would move in the direction I want it to go. Sometimes it works with great results. Other times I do all I can and nothing happens then suddenly SNAP! life breaks.

 

Patience is something that doesn't come easy for me. It's one of those things I really have to work at. Being patient with myself, with my wife and kids, with my responsibilities in my work and in my community.

 

Sometimes, not often enough, I remember this wise bit of advice and promise.

 

"And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness, I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then I will make weak things become strong unto them."    

Ether 12:27

 

I have definitely been feeling pretty weak lately. I've had several conversations with my wife about how I feel I am being torn into 2 people by opposing influences in my life. I've noticed there has been a fine line between feeling motivated, empowered, and guided and disillusioned, weak, and alone.

 

I've definitely felt like I was going it alone at times. Like I was without a team playing in the biggest game of my life against an extremely aggressive and talented opponent.

 

"At times we may be tempted to think the Savior is oblivious to our trials. In fact, the reverse is true: it is we who need to be awakened in our hearts to His teachings. Use your ingenuity, your strength, your might to resolve your challenges, Do all you can do and then leave the rest to the Lord."

Joseph B. Wirthlin, "Finding a Safe Harbor"

 

When I actually take time to pause and look up I realize that my team has been here the whole time. They have all wanted to play but I've been a superstar ball hog trying to push the game forward and win on my own. It might work that way in little league but not here, not on this stage.

 

I'm going to take what's left of this month and beyond to really focus on relying on my team. I'll do everything in my power to do my part in life and get things done but also allow life to move at it's own steady pace and fill in the gaps.

 

GO TEAM!

 

 

Lifestyle Experiment - March - Cadence in Life

Every year on a specific date my wife gets a call from her dad with a specific question/riddle.

"What is the only date that is also a call to action?"

It's a dead giveaway because the answer is that very same day.

March 4th = March Forth = Today

- Soldiers march, and run, in a synchronized rhythm or cadence. They do this to promote unity, maintain a constant speed and reduce fatigue.

- In music the rhythm is kept by the motion of a baton or beat of a drum.

- As I've started swimming (really swimming) for the first time this past month I have learned the importance of a consistent and rhythmic stroke and breathing pattern.

Rhythm and order in life is absolutely essential. For me personally it makes all the difference in the world. The routines I set for myself in January got me going in the morning and slowed my mind and body down at night so I could actually sleep. They helped establish and maintain cadence in life.

This month is going to be another busy one. I have so many things I want/need to accomplish and every day less time to do it. With out a plan to direct my march I will fail. No question about it.

- I will be pacing my friend for a portion of the Buffalo 100 (100 mile race on Antelope Island) and I haven't trained consistently since last fall. Time to hit the trail. Come rain, or snow, or mud.

- Our newly organized community minimalist group is having it's first meetup this month. This means planning a presentation, and designing posters to put up on bulletin boards around town.

-We don't want to miss the boat on early planting in our garden this year. Time to plan, cultivate, sprout, and plant so our crop is well established before the heat rolls in.

- There is some serious sorting and purging to be done in our garage so we can have a spring yard sale and once and for clear out the space for its intended use.


Since serving as an LDS missionary in Spain planning has been a weekly mainstay for me. Throwing everything down on a weekly calendar that schedules things down to each half hour. I'm a serious scatterbrain so once I made my weekly plan I would often lose track of it by Tuesday or Wednesday and scramble to try to remember what I had going on. I'm also constantly writing notes down on random piece of paper I can find. I try to keep them together and organized but that leads to clutter and spaghetti brain...

For Christmas each year the siblings on my side of our family each draw a name for gift exchange. This year my brother Matt got lucky and drew my name. Then he hit a home run with his gift.

I opened a small box that contained an iPad fixed to the back and instructions to put on the headphones, wake up the device and press play. All the tell tell signs something crazy was going to happen.

I followed the instructions and watched this video.

A lot of people wouldn't get very excited about getting a planner for Christmas. I was thrilled!

 

It wasn't a regular planner, it was my brain on paper! It was seriously the antidote to my insanity. One place for all my planning, goal setting notes, sketching... everything!

 

Thanks again Matt!

 

It didn't arrive until early February so I've only had a month to try it out. It took a couple weeks to understand everything that it was and it's full potential. I'm looking forward to more fully utilizing it.

 

So my Lifestyle Experiment this month...

 

March Forth

 

Leaving the past in the past I'm going to establish the Cadence of Getting Things Done. I'm going to make full use of this awesome new tool and give myself a fighting chance to stay on task and accomplish what I set out to do. I'm excited to get going!

 

I'm hoping that by next months challenge I will have sorted out a big chunk of the things that have been holding me back and that my "experiments" will become much more adventurous and entertaining.

 

Until then my invitation to you...

 

March Forth

 

 

 

Lifestyle Experiment - February - Report Card

Ugggg!

I was pretty wound up and hard on myself the past few days as February came to a close. Feeling like I've fallen short of my goals for the month.

Most of February was pretty slow for business which allowed me to focus on getting things done.

I got started early with the unpacking party and was able to make some great progress in a short while. I started with the low hanging fruit and shreded garbage bags full of old documents.

I got ahead of myself,  distractability took over, and I started pulling out boxes of office supplies, books, school assignments, and my personal favorite, a box labeled "Brandon's Sentimental Junk".

I went nuts, tore things apart, trashed, recycled, donated,...., paused, drug up memories good and bad, forced myself to keep going, found the old photos, more memories better and worse, and filled up another big bag of negative energy.

It was psychologically exhausting and I needed a break.

The weather was incredible and I wanted to be outside. I love getting dirty and making things happen. I sorted through the stockpile of strange junk left in my backyard compliments of the Rock Collector. I built things, moved things, and got dirty.

Then the tidal wave hit and I got busy with design work. Really busy!

I tried to carve out a little time each day to keep sorting and purging. It had to be done! I had become accustomed to the zen state of an uncluttered office and I was finding it extremely difficult to remain focused and on task in this war zone.

I also had a few unfinished projects out in the yard that I wanted to wrap up because I heard the snow was finally coming. but it was important to keep the work going for my clients and the $ coming in to support my family.

Enter my frustration.

I knew I would have to check in here and report on how the past month had gone but It hadn't gone according to plan and I didn't know what to write so I put it off.

Last night (the last night of the month) Was date night with my wifey. As we sat in the restaurant waiting for our food I mentioned my frustration with not completing this challenge. Her response?

"February is a short month so you really have a few more days to get things done"

My initial thought was "Yeah, you're missing the point, it doesn't work that way".

Our food arrived and I didn't think much more about it. We had a great time. We laughed and ate amazing food. I noticed how happy and content I felt in that moment. It was really, really, nice. I wanted to box it up with our leftovers and take it home to enjoy later.

Then it hit me,

What was that affirmation from January that inspired my experiment for this month?

I am MY best ME

Oh, right...

I had completely missed the boat and all my frustrations were unwarranted.

My real goal was not to completely finish up and clear out from my Packing Party. It wasn't to take care of all the clutter spots around the house and garage, and get the yard 100% ready for the warmer months. Those things were just action items. They were things that needed to be resolved and that would help me to "find" MYSELF.

I didn't finish up a few of the things I wanted to do, but I did...

...spend an entire weekend celebrating my son's 5th birthday.

...volunteer in the art program at my daughter's school and hang out with her for lunch to read books.

...give our chickens a cleaner place to sleep.

...start running again and start swimming laps.

...have some inspiring and important conversations with my wife.

And...

...I understood better that becoming MY Best ME is an ongoing process. As long as I become a Better ME each day I'm doing my job.

So, I'm going to follow my wife's wise counsel and make the month a little longer. I'll tack on a few extra days finish up my projects and tie up loose ends. Then I'll move forward and check in with my challenge for March.

My Best Me - Building a Community and Building My Voice

Earlier this month I was able to take part in something I've wanted to do since we arrived in this awesome town. I've been heasitant to do anything about it because I felt so strongly that this thing was something I was supposed to be a part of and I didn't want to see it crash and burn.

Then one day someone else opened the door.

We have a local facebook message board where people post everything from restaurant and auto mechanic recommendations to community event and lost pet announcements. It's a great resource.

I got on one day to ask a question of my own when another caught my attention...

"Are you a minimalist? I want to know more..."

This simple question got several responses and sparked great discussion. Then, I realized what was happening. I saw the serendipitous formation of a group.

This was as good an opportunity as I was ever going to get. So, ready or not, I had to go for it.

I made the suggestion that it would be great to meet up in person to talk more, share ideas, successes, and failures from each of our personal journeys to simplicity. Any takers? Please and thank you!

I created a facebook page to manage the group and coordinate in person meetups. Almost immediately we had 6 followers! Then I was clued in on the difference between facebook pages and groups and that people would probably be alot more likely to share and contribute in more private group.

The group was created a few weeks ago and last I checked we were at 44 members. It's awesome!

We've had more great discussion and I am getting things ready for our first meetup next month. I'm really looking forward to seeing this group grow and being able to share and learn from others. I will definitely keep you posted.

How does this tie into my February Lifestyle Challenge of becoming My Best Me?

I am a definite introvert. An INTJ on the Meyers-Briggs, by nature I like to observe, analyze, and most often internalize. Over the past few years as I have learned more and more about simplicity, mindfulness, intentionality, and other things I have had an overwhelming desire to share this knowledge with others (part of the reason I started Burning the Script). I have wanted to share but for me personally it's borderline terrifying.

If something, anything, is supposed to happen in life, it will find a way. With or without me.

In this case it took another like minded person to set the stage. While timing is often key and its important to not force things, when an opportunity presents itself you've gotta go all in and take it.

I have slowly been training/forcing myself to become more assertive in all areas of my life.

It's hard!

I'm not trying to change my I to an E in the Meyers-Briggs assesment. I value that perspective.

My goal is to more openly and confidently share what I have to say before it builds up and I become a ticking time bomb. I've had a few conversations recently with my wife and others about how I feel completely misunderstood by most people. I'm not projecting My Best Me so they aren't seeing it.

I'd love to change that.

.

My Best Me / Getting Things Done! - Lessons Learned from Rocks and Chickens

This unseasonably warm weather has been amazing! (please, let it snow though so we have water storage for the year) I've been able to get outside and get busy marking off several items from the To-Do List that has been haunting me for way too long.

I got a couple months head start on the "spring time" yard work. Things like raking up the final leaves that fell after the snow settled in, picking up tree branches that have fallen from big storms, cleaning up trash and moving wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow full of rocks.

I've been told by neighbors that the older gentleman who lived in our home before us had kept an amazing back yard with gravel pathways, planting beds, entertainment areas.... After he died nature knew it had about a year and a half before we would come along and it didn't waste any time reclaiming the land. I spent a lot of time last spring and summer trying to make sense of it all. Mr. Ol' Timer had a strange fascination with rocks and bricks. They are everywhere! They line all the pathways and there are big caches in the most random places.

We've decided we wanted OUR yard to be a bit different from how HIS yard was. So rather than try to clean up and salvage what he had done I decided this year I would try to limit the beating my mower recievs and collect as many of the ankle breakers as I could before the long grass started growing again. It's no small task!

Last year I converted one of the sheds in our back yard into a coop for our hens. By converted I mean put a door in the side and added a hen ladder. I have been meaning to add in a floor so they are not running around on the bare ground and kicking up a nasty storm cloud of dirt and pulverized chicken turds. I used 1/2" wire mesh so when it gets messy I can easily sweep everything through the mesh and collect it to throw on the compost pile.

I still have a few things to do like building real nesting boxes and adding a slanted panel below the mesh so the droppings can be collected easier. But the ladies are up off the ground and the coop is a whole lot less dusty.

It has been a noticeable adjustment for the chickens though. The first couple days they didn't want to walk on the mesh or adapt to using the side door again. We had been collecting 7-9 eggs a day consistantly for months. With the change egg production (or at least the eggs we could find) dropped to 3-4 each day. I brought in 7 eggs last night so it appears they are adjusting well.

When you are working in the dirt or creating something with your hands your mind is active and you are able to learn from whatever it is you are engaged in.

Lessons Learned From Rocks and Chickens

Sometimes in life we come accross things we don't expect or particularly want to find. They may have been there for a very long time or placed there recently by ourselves or others. These things have often been buried and dormant deep below layers of other commitments, preocupatoins, time wasters..... clutter! It can be very uncomfortable and even painful when these things surface.

Traits in our personallity that we were previously unaware of.

A relationship with a lifelong friend that has become toxic.

Secrets that have been kept (even with good intentions) by a family member or friend.

Other times we are cruising along in life and out of nowhere something changes and our life is turned upside down. We are caught off guard and don't know what to do with ourselves. We don't know where to lay our eggs.

 

Job responsabilities evolve to something we didn't sign on for.

Our personal information is compromised.

Someone we love leaves our life in any way.

In any situation we must make choices. How will we respond? Will we try to repair what we find or is it better remove it and move forward? Will we act as though nothing has happened or will be be proactive and assert ourselves to make things right? Will we move on with grace, taking with us the positive or will be plant our feet, becoming stubborn and stagnant in the present by only thinking of the past?

My Best Me / V-Day Yay! - Paper Clutter Nay!

Happy Valentines Day!

We're 2 weeks into the month and I thought it was the perfect day to do an accountability check for this month's lifestyle experiment. "My Best Me"

I've wrapped up several of my home design projects recently and have had a few pretty slow weeks. It's been nice. Really nice! I've learned to enjoy this time and not get stressed out about money coming in and staying busy. I know this next week it is going to pick right back up and I'll be cruising again with work for a while. For now I've decided to take full advantage of the extra time and get things done.

First up, the Unpacking Party.

There were a few things I knew I wanted to bring back into my office and life right away. I've been feeling the desire lately to start drawing more so my drawing table was a must. I also have a few vintage military storage drawers that I inherited with the house. Retro, edgy and a perfect home for my office supplies. It felt good to get some big items out of the way and open some space to make a mess.

Time to get down to business!

There she was, The Beast. A heavy, old, red, filing cabinet. As good a place to start as any.

I had been holding onto years and years of school papers, income tax forms dating back to 2002, real-estate contracts for our first home (now on #3) and other paper relics that just didn't need to be in my life. I hadn't been holding on to them for any particular reason, I just hadn't found the time to sort through them.

When I realized I didn't have a use for the now empty space hog of a filing cabinet anymore I quickly decided it would be very helpful as a temporarily solution to tame another paper monster we've had recently down by the family computer.

After going through 2 more moving size boxes filled with more of the same paper madness I put my shredder to good use on all the sensitive info and filled the recycling bin.

I would say I'm about halfway done with the project. Which is great because I'm halfway through the month. I still have the biggest mountain to climb. My books. I love books. Technology is amaing and it is great to have reading material litteraly at my fingertips with my computer and phone. Call me old fashion if you will, there is something maabout real books that makes reading more enjoyable. Alot of my books are architectural reference books that I love for all the pictures. But I guarantee I could find the same projects online. 5 minutes tops.

The past 3 months of working in a more simple space have given me new perspective on what I really require to run my business. Less distractions means better and faster work means happy clients.

Working through the unpacking process and other things I've been able to do this month has been great. I've noticed a big difference already in my ability to let go, be myself, and love life. I'm frustrated less often and I feel I've done better at demonstrating the amazing love I have for my family. You might have to ask Ali and the minions if I've really improved or if I'm just dilusional.

I'm really not big on V-Day but love them with all I have. It feels great to let it out.

Up next...

Getting Down and Dirty With Yardwork

My Best Me / Unpacking Party

A huge step towards achieving February's Lifestyle Experiment goal of being "my best me" is going to be rifling through all the junk I've had hidden behind the curtains for over 3 months.

I'm planning on getting started with that tomorrow morning. Before I do I wanted to do one final check in from the Packing Party I had on Halloween. I made a video of this but am once again having issues with youtube... I need to figure that out!

For now, you get pictures. This is everything I've used for business and all the clothing I worn.

 

I love my desk now! I've done a few things to free up space like adding a dual monitor stand and cable management. I've been able to keep things pretty simple. Just my keyboard and mouse, speakers, pencil sharpener, desk lamp and a small tray for pencils, pens and things like paper clips. 

 

It still gets pretty messy when I'm working but it's so much easier to maintain control. On the floor I have a couple boxes I am currently using as a filing system and my trash and recycling cans.

 

You may have noticed. I started painting the walls. The puke color I had before was a huge distraction for me and I'm able to focus so much better with the clean white.

 

Behind my desk I've added a small shelving unit for office supplies and tools. I'd like to create a surplus storage area somewhere so I only need to have one of each item on hand in the work zone.

 

My kids' office is looking about the same. Having less junk in the office overall has helped to coral their art supplies and projects.

 

I keep the space heater stowed in the corner when it's not in use.

 

I'm amazed at how little clothing I have really needed the past 3 months.

Starting with essential, I have my ReAL Salt Lake game day scarf. I've brought out 5 neck ties for dapper days. I only use about 12" of hang-rod space for pants, shirts, jackets, and belts. I have the dirty clothes basket below and have a small drawer unit for pajama pants, swim and soccer shorts, socks and underwear. I'm keeping my shoes and some athletic gear on top of the drawers.

I do have a coat, jacket, and pair of running shoes downstairs and some "dirty work" clothes out in the garage.


And that's it!

I know that as I begin going through everything I've kept hidden for the past few months I will bring more things into my space. This experience had given me the stubbornness and will power to make sure what I do bring back in will be limited to the things that are necessary for life and business. I don't imagine that being much more than I already have.