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Overstuffed Life?
Scale Back
by Kathy Gates
Have you ever read a novel or watched a movie that just seemed
to have too much stuff, and not enough plot? You probably got so off course in
all the side stories, useless characters, and oddities that you practically lost
the true story line.
Life can be the same way. You can lose interest in it, because
it gets crammed with bits and pieces that aren’t essential to you, to YOUR
story, and they actually take away from what you want the world to see, what
you’re trying to do, who you are.
Here are 3 ways to scale back an overstuffed lifestyle
1. State a purpose.
If you could write your life as a book, what would it be about?
What would be the purpose, the intention? Think about your highest goal in life
to tell you what your "story" is about, and where you want it to go. What do you
want to have happen and to whom, with what resolution?
2. Take Stock. Look for things, circumstances, situations,
problems, roles, responsibilities, even people that are not supporting what you
want the plot of your life to be about. Look for things that may be drawing you
away from your true values, your true needs, your true desires. Check through
your life and look for things that don’t relate to your ideas, your beliefs,
your needs and wants. Look at it with fresh eyes, a fresh perspective, or ask
someone that you trust to help you do that.
3. Edit it.
Like in the movies or in novel writing, a good edit is usually
as important as the story itself. This can be the hard part, but it's essential.
Start small, thoughtfully and carefully asking yourself about each part: Is my
time spent in a way I want to spend it? Is this responsibility something I
really care about? Does this role fit with what I see my life being? Does this
item/thing make me smile? Or is it a part of my life just because it "ended up
there".
Where are you overstuffed in your personal or professional life?
Like a good story, it’s the balance, the combination, the interlocking of the
pieces that make it work and make it worthwhile. Be true to your story, be true
to your plot, and you’ll see a life emerge that is clear, and interesting, and
all that you want it to be.
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Professional Life Coach Kathy Gates works with people who have created
too much in their life and feel a need to design a simple, sustainable,
flexible life. Visit
www.reallifecoach.com, or call 480.998.5843
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