For some people having a long term plan helps keep them on their path. I am finding that while we have a long term goal of a tiny house, it's better if I don't think that far ahead. Why? It's scary for one. A tiny house is a very unconventional dwelling for anyone let alone a family of three plus dog. Sure, I talk about it here, but this platform is rather anonymous in its' way. I'm a woman who needs to talk to process what's going on in my mind. Writing this blog helps me process what it is we're doing by downsizing without the risk of scaring friends or family members by our unconventional dreams. Since when you scare someone who really cares about you they want to protect from what they perceive is a risky move. They try to talk you out of it. Show you all the pitfalls to your choice. And let's face it dreams can be fragile things. They need to be nurtured in order to thrive and grow. My husband always says to me to not share my dreams with people who will not help/support me to achieve them. While this may seem harsh, for someone like me who questions myself all too often in can mean the difference between moving towards my dreams or a frozen static existence.
My dreams have often in the past stayed just that, dreams, and not transformed into my reality as I had hoped. I'm trying very hard to shift that paradigm this time by focusing only on what is in front of me now. Asking myself "What movement can I make right this moment that will get me closer to our goal of living smaller?" It's about being mindful. Not letting yourself go down the rabbit hole of the "what if" or "how do I" routes of thought. Being present in the now is powerful. You can control what you do with the moment in front of you. You simply cannot change the past or know what lies ahead. It is hard letting go of all that we can't control. It's difficult to not map out the details of all you are wanting to do in the future. But, if you can avoid thinking too far ahead you can keep disappointments, which lead to inactivity, to a minimum.
For instance, I used to make proclamations like "Today, I will finish painting the bathroom." Sounds good huh? Positive thinking right? Wrong. For me it's a set up. If I don't finish painting the bathroom I feel like I failed, and get disappointed in myself which brings along future inactivity. See, I couldn't predict that the Spackle would take longer to dry than I planned, or that we didn't have the right paint brush for the trim and I had to go to the store making me run out of time. Instead of patting myself on back for working on the house all I can see is I didn't achieve my goal. It may sound like semantics to you, but it makes a world of difference if I say instead "I'm going to work on painting the bathroom today." Then if I do anything, any little thing, towards painting the bathroom I've succeeded from the get go. Because I only know what I can do in the present moment. If I keep my focus on the here and now I keep moving forward towards my dreams, which hopefully will bring them to fruition.
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