Too Many Things To Do In One Lifetime

It seems like what I want to do with my life changes more and more often recently. One day I'm thinking of living in a large home designed after Korean style homes. The next, I'm considering the crazy idea of living in 120 square feet of tiny house (thankfully Mom talked me out of that one.) One day I'm dreaming up all the details for opening and running a bookstore, then I'm thinking about everything I have to do to become a homemaker. First, 'City!' Then, 'Country!' Cats! No, dogs! Teaching English! Writing novels! Riding horses! Cooking for a living!

The list can go on. I guess I haven't changed much from when I was a child. Every week I had a new middle name (I have none, and I was always jealous of everyone else in my family. Even my mom has one but I don't.) Every time someone asked me, I had a different job I wanted to do when I grew up. Journalist, Marine Biologist, Veterinarian, etc. etc. ad nauseam.

I really need to just sit down with myself (I can be a bit stubborn about these things) and remind myself that I really have very little control over what will happen in the future. I will just have to do what I can today and wait to see what will happen tomorrow.

I mean, look at where I am right now. If you asked me at any point in my life before that fateful moment when Dad suggested the Air Force, 'where do you think you will be at 25?' I never would have said military. I'm sure my 15 year old self would have had many a heart attack if she heard I joined the military, lived in an Asian country, and still wasn't married. That just wasn't in the plan. I didn't really have a plan at the time, but that just wasn't in it.

And look at me now. I'm in the military and actually like it. Okay, it's not really 'like', it's more like 'pride' and 'gratitude', but those can equal 'like', right?

Hold on. I got sidetracked here.

The point of all this, is there are too many things I want to do in life, that I just can't make a 'Life Plan.' If I tried to do everything, it wouldn't work. I can't work full time while still being a full time mom, and I can't live both in the city and the country. I can't worry about what kind of home I'm going to live in. The future is a mystery to all but one person, and that person I am not. So I need to just sit back, relax, and enjoy the now. Otherwise I'll regret it in the future.

What are some things that you wanted to do as a child or young adult that you haven't had a chance to do yet? Do you think you'll ever get the chance? Tell me in the comments!

Thanks for reading!

Minimalism and Dejunking

For the last couple of years or so, I've had this idea in my head of becoming minimalist. I guess just the idea seems kind of romantic to me; only owning the things I need or that have real value, the ability to pack everything up and move at the drop of a hat, never having to worry about an excess of stuff, etc. It kind of goes along with my rather unrealistic dream of living a nomadic life, roaming around the world with only a suitcase and a backpack. See, totally unrealistic, though nice to daydream about.

Unfortunately, as much as I have wanted this, I'm a collector. I collect books, mugs, maps, posters, stuffed animals, clothes, kitchen supplies, even food. Everything seems to collect in my room, no matter what I try. It's like my brain can't stand empty or unfilled space so I unconsciously buy things to fill those spaces.

This is a big problem, because my dorm room, which was small to begin with, has now become cramped and so full of things I don't use it's almost suffocating. And on top of that, this tends to cost a bundle of money because I'm buying things willy nilly.

Something has to be done.

So this coming week, which is a short work week and a long off week, I'm going to focus my attention on getting rid of as many things as I can. I'm going to do it one drawer at a time, one shelf at a time. If I haven't used it, don't need it, don't like it, or can make due without it, it's going into a bag and being taken to the local thrift shop before I can change my mind.

My ultimate goal is to be able to pack and carry most of my things in two suitcases and a backpack. Except for my books, of course, because I'm making that exception, and my desktop computer, because it will never fit anyway.

In order to keep myself motivated and on track, I will be taking before and after pictures of everything and at the end of the week I'll have a nice big blog post to document how I did. So. Here's to a week of casting off the unneeded load and to becoming that much closer to being minimalist!

Tell me, have you had any experiences with minimalism or dejunking? Tell me one method you used to let go of your things.

Thanks for reading!