Meditations for Mortals: Day 2

It's easy to fall into the trap of preparing to do something or developing systems to do something. However, neither preparing or developing will actually complete the task. If you want to write, then sit down and write for 15 minutes instead of spending the time getting nice paper and pens or reading a book about effective writing skills. If you want to meditate, then sit down and meditate for 15 minutes instead of buying a cushion or watching lectures on how to meditate. Action is paramount.

This is a good lesson from Burkeman. Systems are not the way we accomplish our goals. Doing is.

I've recently thrown myself into action, the action of simplifying my physical posessions until they fit into my car. There are many reasons for this: from wanting to move apartments to possibly being in some kind of quarter life crisis (I prefer to think of it as a quarter life revolution). I could have spent months reading about minimalism or agonized about creating a priority system for what I should keep and what I should get rid of. Instead, it was much more effective for me to start selling things on Craigslist. I started with things I hadn't used in a while, the easy things to get rid of, but I've advanced now to things I thought were essential, for example a bed. (Some other time I'll write about the joys of furniture free living.) I don't know if it's the simplification or just the act of doing something to align with my values, but it's exhilirating. I'm enjoying this journey.

Take action.