What are the most important things in life?

What are the most important things in life for you? I realised recently that I hadn’t done a mental audit of my own values for a long time. It turns out that these can change quite dramatically over time, so it is well worth revisiting your current values, to see if your current lifestyle is living up to the standards you are subconsciously looking for.

I have spent a lot of time recently on self-development exercises, to help uncover my priorities so I can make sensible decisions about my future. After a lot of soul-searching, I have managed to whittle down the areas that are most important to me into the following three main topics:

Minimalism

I have struggled for years with anxiety. I find it difficult to make decisions, and so I procrastinate. My home is full of things that I don’t need. I am a terrible hoarder, and I struggle to throw anything away. As a result, I am surrounded by clutter, both physically and mentally.

I realise now that the main reason for this is that my life is far too complex. The solution to this dilemma is quite simple. I need to simplify almost every area of my life.

I have far too much stuff. Too many clothes, books, photos, paperwork and household goods. I can’t even find my most treasured possessions, as they are buried in boxes somewhere after our most recent house move.

I have made a commitment to myself that this madness ends now. This year is the year that I will finally declutter everything, once and for all. The feeling of relief I expect to have at the end of this process is almost palpable. I have been paralysed by this problem for most of my life, and I don’t intend to let it have control for a moment longer.

Mindfulness

Stress and anxiety are not fun to live with. My mind can be quite a toxic place at times, with negative thoughts that I cannot shift. I am definitely an over-thinker, and it is very hard for me to quieten my mind. I have tried many times to master meditation, but find it very difficult. It will probably be an ongoing battle for me.

I have recently taken part in some amazing mindfulness classes run by Jayne Dunsbee, who I highly recommend. You can find Jayne at http://benaturally.co.uk/simply-meditation

I have come away from these classes feeling very relaxed and motivated. My commitment to myself this year is to maintain the positivity and focus that I have gained from these classes, and to continue to explore mindfulness, and how it can help me. I hope to study some aspects of psychology, as I am fascinated by how the brain works. If I find anything useful I will definitely share it with you!

Meaning

The third area of importance to me is very far reaching. I need to have more meaning in my life. To me, this means doing creative work, where I can express my thoughts and give something back to the world.

I love to help people, and so I have created this website to allow me to share my research on my very varied interests. This has required me to learn a huge amount, as I knew next to nothing about building and running a successful website. It has been a steep, but very interesting, learning curve.

In addition, I have been using gardening as a hobby to destress during lockdown, and I found it to be surprisingly relaxing. As a novice, I have found it an amazing journey, and I cannot wait for spring so I can restart my new hobby.

I also like learning to improve my diet, so I can improve my overall health. One of my main passions is science, and I love researching how genetics can affect people’s health. Hopefully I will be able to capture some of the excitement I feel for these areas in my daily blog posts, so I can share some of my love of learning with you.

So how do I pull these important areas together?

That is a good question, and one I have pondered myself. I think the three areas fit quite naturally together. If I can truly declutter my mind and living space, then it will free up space for new ideas. It will give me a beautiful, relaxing environment, as well as a calm, relaxed mind. This will allow me to practice mindfulness, free from my anxiety and stress. I cannot wait!

Mindfulness is all about living in the moment, rather than worrying about the past or future. This will allow me to focus on creating meaningful experiences in my life. Once I have removed all the complexity from my life this should be a doddle.

So that is my plan for 2021. To simplify my life. I hope I can inspire you to do the same! What are the most important things in life for you?

Project 365

Do you often wonder to yourself “How can I give up my job?”

I do, and I have put into action a project to do just that. Project 365 has begun. The countdown to freedom has started. 363 days to go!