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I can’t stop thinking about the events that happened in Washington this week.  And while politics are not directly discussed in this space, sometimes those kinds of events permeate my brain and influence everything. This blog post included. You aren’t going to read any specifics about what happened or my own personal view. Instead, I think it’s important to talk about transformation.  And how our communities or ourselves won’t be able to transform into something greater unless we unlearn past behaviours.  So we learn, and then unlearn, and then we transform.  Sounds easy, right. It is not.  But it is doable.

I love how the design community has embraced this type of thinking. Community spaces are becoming much more accessible, inclusive, and diverse, and it’s wonderful to see.  This industry has really let go of the old ways of thinking, where once the belief of accessibility meant that ramps needed to be put into place, have now broadened their scope and focused on the needs of all differently-abled – and whether that means different types of signage or created areas for engagement and play in previously unusable spaces, or even redefining what space means.

So how does one get to the place of unlearning?

1. Be open to something different.  There is more than one way to do something. There is more than one right way to do something. Just throw away the idea of right.  Making mistakes is how we find the answer and what may be the best solution to our problem.
2. Take a left turn, turn, cross the street, or climb a tree. Take a different path. Repeating the same paths and ideas makes us stale, and we won’t create anything new.
3. Question everything. Ask why.  Be curious.
4. Have a conversation with someone, unlike yourself. Ask them what would make their life easier—brainstorm solutions with them. Ask questions, and actively listen to their answers.
5. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Ask yourself the hard questions.  If life is easy for you, put yourself in someone else’s position.  Think about what life is like for them.

We get so used to uniformed spaces that it’s a bit of a shock to the system when we walk into an office that doesn’t play by those rules. We feel like that space has become chaotic, but what has really happened is that space is responding to (and respecting) the needs of the individuals who make up a team.  I once walked into an office where none of the overhead lighting matched.  Instead, it was chosen by the person who was sitting underneath that fixture or track head.  So it was a mishmash of different colour temperatures and brightness.  From a distance, it looked strange.  It didn’t feel like a team was working there. But as I walked around the open-concept office, I noticed that no one was squinting, or wearing sunglasses, or complaining about the lighting giving them headaches. Or glare from their screens. It may have looked a little odd for a moment, but my eyes adjusted just fine, and it was kind of nice to see everyone in the glow of being happy in their own personal spotlight. No one says things have to be a certain way.  If different works, then it’s a win.

Companies can approach this in another way.  Allow the staff to think differently. You can do this in many different ways.  Encourage volunteerism, organize staff retreats/field trips.  Or give them a gift of appreciation, and see what comes of it.  What do you think would happen if your company president, who used the big corner office with a spectacular view, gave it up to the staff to use as their lunchroom/lounge.  Imagine the good it would do. That gesture might inspire different thoughts just because they are now able to look at the world from a different angle. And I would bet that the staff might be a bit happier.

There is a great book that I am reading called What Can a Body Do? How We Meet the Built World- by Sara Hendren and deals with the concept of learning and unlearning for designers and engineers.  It’s definitely worth a read if you are interested in this topic.  I am only a few chapters in, and it’s really gotten me to think about the challenges that others face and what we can do to make the world a more accessible place for everyone.

I have a lot of unlearning to do.  How about you?

It’s the first week of January, and like everyone else, I have decided that this is the week I am choosing to adopt a minimalist lifestyle. I dabble with minimalism all the time. And except for two areas, I have managed to merge my chaotic life into something serene and spacious.  This month, I am determined to conquer my life’s messy areas (one closet and my personal email) into minimal submission.

There are many references already available, and you certainly don’t need my input to add to the already cluttered world of pseudo minimalism.  I don’t even have a unique bent to the approach.  I am not a fairie princess-like Marie Kondo, and I could care less if what you have sparks joy or not. After all, soap dishes shouldn’t make you smile. They exist to keep your counter un-slimy. And as for rainbows, I prefer to see them in the sky or on flags; I don’t need my cupboards and shelves to resemble elemental phenomenons. Colours don’t help me locate things. Spreadsheets do.  So here is my take.  It’s straightforward.

If there isn’t a space for it, it doesn’t belong.

Here is how it works in practice. I have a wardrobe closet. It holds about 40 items plus shoes.  Nothing else fits in it. So I only bring in something new, when there is room to put it. This means when I want to go shopping, something or some things have to leave. Simple.

I keep this approach to everything in my living space – dishes, food, linens, books, media, work, and music.  Well, maybe not books.  I have a bit of a problem in that area.  But everything else has a place.  And is kept organized.  But as I said, two areas need a bit of help.

The Hall Closet

via GIPHY

Let me preface this by saying, I am not in the category of hidden hoarderism- yet. Though if I don’t do something about this soon, I will be.  So I am taking steps to make sure I don’t lose any loved ones into this pit of hidden and possibly unwanted items. Last week, I mentioned that I would be doing the minimalism game challenge.  In case you don’t know how to do this. The rules are simple. You gather your friends who want to do some decluttering together, and you challenge them to declutter for 30 days. On the first day, you are to remove (either by selling, donating, or tossing) one item. You remove two items on the second day. Abd on n the third day, you remove 3 items, and so on until you have removed items every day for the entire month. More than 500 items will be gone. Surely that is going to put a dent into anyone’s clutter pile.  For me, this means I will have an organized closet before the first week is done. And after the closet is done, I will be moving on to the…..

Inbox

This is where the real trouble lies. Once upon a time, I would celebrate every time I achieved inbox zero.  But it has been almost 3 years since I have seen nothing in my email account. It seems unlikely that I will ever get there again. It’s time to ramp up my system.  Right now, I am in the process of coming up with a system that works.  The current system I have works (sort of), but I have to really stay on top of it. It will get the designation of “works well” when my email can sort, write, and send itself -without me even having to look at it.

1. I use Sanebox and Unroll.me to keep the unwanted correspondence away from my eyes.
2. Unsubscribe unsubscribe unsubscribe unsubscribe. How did I get on so many mailing lists?
3. Filters. I think I have assigned filters to every piece of incoming mail that comes in. I’m grateful that I have a one in/one-out policy for items coming into my home – otherwise, I would be in big trouble every time I click on the shopping folder.
4. Remove email as your main source of communication.  For day to day communication, casual conversations, or communication with friends,  I will use an instant messaging service, text, or a phone call.  But with almost everything else, I use email. And this is where I get into trouble.  It’s too much. And I am struggling with change. But it has to happen, and so I will keep working on it. It’s just so easy to write an email – and yet, it comes with a lifetime of regret.*
5. Stop reading emails when I am out. Rarely do I get anything urgent that needs immediate attention.  There are appropriate times to multitask (like watching tv). I don’t need to be reading an email from someone when I should be paying attention to my life.

*LSW has completely changed how we communicate internally. All internal communications are to be managed through Microsoft Teams and not through email.  We are still in the learning process, and it’s a bit of an adjustment, but our inboxes sure are less busy.  Every day it gets a little easier, and we become less and less dependent on our email.  While this transition has not been the easiest for me, I do love the idea behind it – so I may try to convince someone to help me set up a similar system for my own purposes.

Or maybe

Now that I mention it, all email reading and answering could occur during the evening when I watch Netflix. I bet I could get this thing organized in practically no time at all. At the very least, I won’t be bored.

Got ideas on embracing minimalism (digital or otherwise)? Leave a comment.

A late edition edit

*LSW has completely changed how we communicate internally. All internal communications are to be managed through Microsoft Teams and not through email.  We are still in the learning process, and it’s a bit of an adjustment, but our inboxes sure are less congested.  Every day it gets a little easier, and we become less and less dependent on our email.  While this transition has not been the easiest for me, I do love the idea behind it – so I may try to convince someone to help me set up a similar system for my own purposes.

It’s 2021, and we have survived quite the year.  This new year is looking hopeful. There is a vaccine (more than one), and as long as we keep behaving as we should (distance ourselves and mask up), we should be able to see life change.  I think we are all ready for some change, a bit of a renaissance and breathe new life into well, life.

So let’s all take a moment to breathe.  Inhale.  Exhale.  Breathe in new energy, breathe out the powerlessness that we have all felt in 2020. I have been toying with the idea of not making resolutions this year, mostly because we have all been through it.  Even those of us who had a decent year are feeling exhausted, and a bit stressed. So do we really need to add the extra pressure of bettering ourselves when surviving is enough? The answer is yes.  We do.  Well, this girl does.

I have not always been a resolution maker and follower. For several years I subscribed to Chris Brogan’s 3 words project.  The idea behind this is to assign 3 (actionable) words for your year.  In his own words, this is what Chris has to say about what this project is about:

The My Three Words idea is simple. Choose 3 words (not 1, not 4) that will help guide your choices and actions day to day. Think of them as lighthouses. “Should I say yes to this project?” “Well, does this align with my three words?”

Last year, my three words were sparkle, practice, and untangle.  And while I haven’t been sparkly this year, I think I managed to do quite well with my other two words.  However, I have discovered that I feel better overall when I am working with more structure.  And while Chris’ program has helped me approach life in broader terms, I feel the need to go back to working on specific goals this year. So I am going back to resolutions.  But instead of the approach of past years, I am going to roll them out slowly.  Each quarter, I will add a new focus (while hopefully maintaining my older ones).

So here is the rollout.

Winter

I like to ease into the new year by continuing the good habits I have made the previous year. This means that I will be continuing my mindfulness/meditation practice, which includes daily journaling and yoga.  But there are some things that I need to find my way back to. The most important of these is to be compassionate. I am not sure when I stopped being the kind and compassionate person I used to be, but I will find her again. And after that, my winter resolutions will be thus:

1. Tweak the health regime to include hiking on days when the sun is still up after I have finished work.
2. Have a dedicated commitment to my savings goal. Also, get the money stuff organized for taxes, so I am not scrambling like always.
3. Embrace minimalism fully by doing the 30 Day Minimalism Game. If you want to do this with me -leave a comment, and we can do it together.
4. Put a dent into my DVR list. There are 300+ items on there, and I really should watch some of that stuff.  Or maybe deleting some of those movies will count towards some decluttering items.

Spring

Like most people, I like to concentrate on my home and space during spring. I live for spring cleaning and fresh air. Since I plan to have a completely decluttered place by the time Spring arrives, cleaning should be much easier than usual. This gives me time to focus on the following:

1. Learn to cook four new meals a month.  Most of these are going to be brunch dishes, as I am fully obsessed with brunch.
2. Make time for the activities that I love to do.
3. Examine the relationships I have, and let go of those that don’t serve me any longer.  Spend time cultivating healthier relationships.

Summer

Summer is the time of year when I revisit the goals I made at the beginning of the year and toss out what doesn’t work for me. I don’t ever let the guilt consume me. But if I decide that I enjoy sleeping in on Sundays more than cooking brunch, I will put that goal aside for next year.  Or maybe adjust my savings (and diet) goals to incorporate going out for weekly brunches.  However, I will be adding these to my year of resolutions:

1. Making use of the extended daylight hours and spending as much time as I can in outdoor spaces.
2. Read books that will help me grow and perhaps make me feel uncomfortable.
3. Have a no-buy month. Where I will only purchase essentials, and keep standing appointments, and avoid unnecessary purchases.

Fall

Autumn is when I start getting really busy, or I notice that I am swamped. I will often suffer from burnout during this year, and I start getting anxious about the holidays and the approach of the end of the year. So my final series of resolutions will be about taking care of myself.  If I managed to keep the mindfulness/yoga thing happening all year long, I have to find a way to incorporate this into my routine.

1. Incorporate 5 meatless meals a week into my diet.
2. Remember that happiness is a skill and that it requires practice.
3. Support small businesses in my neighbourhood

It seems like a lot, but I only need to make small adjustments to what I am already doing for most of these.  Making unrealistic resolutions will only hurt us. So rather than saying, “I will lose 25 pounds and become vegan by March 1st”, which is probably achievable – it’s going to be a hell of a lot easier on me (and not to mention my stomach) if I roll these things out slowly, with a great deal of mindfulness and intention.

Now that you know my plans – tell me yours (or your 3 words  – I love hearing about what people choose and why).

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

After a year like 2020, do we fall back and rely on our old traditions or superstitions at New Years’. Or do we forge ahead and make new ones? Are we going to welcome In 2021 by banging on pots and pans at midnight, when the same event was repeated at 7 pm nightly, to thank healthcare and front line workers every day for months? By the way, why have we stopped doing this?  For one, I enjoyed making noise to thank the people who put their lives at risk to help us every day.

I often wonder if these superstitions do us any good or if they do us harm. Lately, I have thought that if you start the year the same way – then you can’t hope for real change. So with that in mind,  there are traditions and superstitions that I will be repeating this year, and a few that I will be letting go, and a few that I will be adding.

Leading up to New Years’ Eve

The week between Christmas and New Years’, I focus on self-care. This week is usually a quiet time for me.  And since we are all in some form of isolation right now, it’s a good practice to take stock of what we have and what we need to do before life gets busy again. The home will be central to this theme, as the majority of us will be spending the holiday indoors with just our families or closest persons around us.

• Celebrate how far I have come during the year.  I spend time with my victories.  I reflect on what has gotten me to this place.  And write letters to the people who have helped me get here.
• Revisit my failures and weigh the options. Are they things that I need to change and keep working on, or do I let them go and move on to something else? Usually, the answer is to keep trying.
• Start working on resolutions. I come up with a game plan and break out the steps that I need to take. Or perhaps, I will look at doing some alternatives to resolutions.
• Spend time alone. The holiday season wears me out. I usually need a recharge.
• Clean. Declutter (including electronics). Reorganize. Redecorate. Buy plants.
• Prepare your home for the hygge season – candles, tea, blankets, all the things that make you happy and comfortable.

The Big Night

There are a few traditions that I will be keeping this year that happen on New Years’ Eve (and in the early morning of the New Year).

• Follow the Spanish tradition of eating 12 grapes at midnight—one grape for every chime. This means at the end of the 12th chime; you will have eaten 12 grapes. This ritual brings good luck for the 12 months of the year – if you can succeed in eating that many. I have never been able to complete this task.  But this year, I have a plan. I am going to eat the smallest grapes that I can find.
• 2 am breakfast. I don’t know why we do this. I suppose it’s because we are always awake long after midnight. So we may as well do something. Normally, there would be a crowd of people here.  Not this year, but I am not giving up on this tradition.  It’s worth it for the mimosas.
• Open all the doors and windows. This lets the old year out and ushers in a brand new year. Something we need stat.
• Create a wishes and worries jar. This is a jar that I decorate, and it contains all of my worries and wishes throughout the year that I have written on pieces of paper. I put them in a jar, so I don’t have to focus on them.  Once I write them down and put them in the jar – they are looked after by a higher power/spirit guide/god of choice.
• After I eat the grapes at midnight, I wish Happy New Year to the one person I want to have more in my life.

On the day

On Jan 1st, I try to enjoy the day.  All of the work has already been done. My house is clean, and the dishes are done. A sense of calm has been instilled. All I have to do is start the year off with healthy habits. I go outside, exercise, read, and fill my day with activities that I love.  At some point, I will meditate and set an intention for the entire year.

What I won’t be doing this year

Usually, we host a New Years’ Eve party. Sometimes it’s on the small side. Sometimes it is larger. This year, I won’t be hosting any party. And I am kind of excited to ring in a new year all by myself. No matter what kind of party we hosted, we would always show the movie The Women (from 1939). In case you are unfamiliar, this movie does not have any men in it. It’s basically just women being awful to each other – under the guise of being supportive. I have watched – or had this movie in the background, for every new year since I was 17. I will not start a new year (and decade) off with that kind of drama.

To usher in this new year, only magical elements and moments are welcome.

What are your plans for New Years’ this year? Will you be starting any new traditions?

Wishing you all a happy and healthy 2021.

Wishing you a wonderful holiday season.
We hope that 2021 brings you good health, happiness,  a sense of wonder, and a great deal of light.

LSW will be spending the next week resting and getting ready for what we hope will be an exciting year so that we won’t be around much.  But just in case you miss us, there will be a bit of new content popping up, so feel free to check-in.  Tell us how you made this season unusual and excellent.

Happy Christmas!