Building Tiny Habits: A Tidy Apartment

I'm really digging doing a resolution a month. I spent more time in nature in February than the last six months combined, and even though I'm no longer making it a goal to hike every week, I still went on a short morning hike on Saturday. This is awesome. Focusing on one thing at a time means I actually make progress.

This month, I've challenged myself to clean for 20 minutes each day.

I didn't arbitrarily choose 20 minutes, I got the idea from UFYH (a blog for messy people trying to be clean, not clean people trying to be cleaner.) They are proponents of 20/10 challenges, where you break down large, daunting tasks into 20/10s: 20 minutes of work time followed by a 10-minute break. 

I know what you're thinking--is 20 minutes really enough to clean every day?

Not at first. But I'll tell you more about that when I do the end-of-month recap. 

Today I want to talk about that pile of clutter you've tucked away in the corner. Mine happened to be on a shelf hidden behind a chair. And after 20 minutes of cleaning, here's what happened:

It doesn't look like much.

Sometimes, before-and-afters can look like those "Spot the Difference" puzzles in Sunday comics, and that's okay. Because when you walk past what used to be a cluttered mess and is no longer a second, outside junk drawer, it feels so damn good.

It takes a long time to find a place for those odds and ends you've been neglecting. 20 minutes, actually.

3-Ingredient Vegan Sorbet (for breakfast, obviously)

This one's super simple, guys. And it takes all of 30 seconds to prepare, 20 of which are you getting things out of the freezer and putting them back.

• a handful of frozen strawberries
• a handful of frozen cherries
• coconut milk (I use this one from Trader Joes)

Blend blend blend, and enjoy!

Revolutionary Road, by Richard Yates

If I had read this book at any other time in my life, I wouldn't have understood it.

This book is about the existential crisis many 20-somethings experience when they try to figure out how to be happy.

Frank and April are the coffee-house dwelling hipsters who don't want to live a life "beneath" them. The ones who think having a desk job would be wasting their intellectual and creative abilities. The ones who want to live in hip, urban cities. They don't, so they're unhappy.

But the reason Frank and April are unhappy has nothing to do with where they live or what they do.

They're unhappy because they're not authentic. They're scared that their authentic selves are mediocre, so they pretend to be cosmopolitan. And they're unhappy because of it.

Frank doesn't actually want to be an intellectual, well-traveled man. He just wants attention. Here's what I mean:

• April buys Frank an advanced French guide intended for those who just need a refresher. But he never told her that he exaggerated his experience in France. He doesn't know French. He spent most of his week there romanticizing the awful weather. But even when he replaces the advanced French book with a beginner's book, he doesn't actually study. It's too hard. He doesn't want to learn French, he wants the attention he would get if others know he knows French.

• April is willing to move to another country so that Frank could live an intellectual life and "pursue his passions." She unintentionally calls Frank's bluff because Frank doesn't know what his passions are, because he doesn't really care about the things he talks about, he just likes attention. 

Because they're too scared to confront their authentic self, they procrastinate the process. They wait for it to get better.

And, well, it doesn't. Life doesn't work that way.

This book reminded me yet again that we cannot wait to make our lives what we want. We should act now. We won't get there overnight, sure, but it's a start.

It's important to ask yourself how you can enjoy the present moment. It's important to find joy in what you have while working towards something greater. And it's important to talk about your feelings honestly. You can't show someone how to love you if they can't even figure out who you are.

February Resolution Recap

This month, I challenged myself to hike once every week. One of my new years resolutions is to spend more time in nature, and because the weather in Arizona is fantastic right now, I figured I'd be least likely to make excuses.

I hiked every Saturday:

Week 1: Barks Canyon Loop in the Superstition Mountains
Week 2: Papago Park
Week 3: Lake Pleasant
Week 4: Papago Park (again)


What Made it Difficult
I picked February because I knew the words "it's too hot!" wouldn't leave my mouth. The urges I did have to fight were: this early?? uuugh or I could stay in bed.... my to-do list is too big! so much to do! no time for a hike!

But I made myself go. On days that I couldn't go off for a full day's hike, I took a couple of hours to go to Papago Park instead.


What I Learned
I don't like exercising for the sake of it, but I learned that it's important for me to exercise so that I can explore parts of the world I wouldn't get to otherwise. I didn't even bother making a resolution to exercise more this year because I've never enjoyed the process of it, but I have a clearer goal now--exercising allows me to do more of what I want.

Now What?
I love the feeling of being in a desolate, natural space. I love plants, I love the breeze, I love the silence. I love how friendly everyone is (no really... look at this email!)

Everyone is always so happy to be in nature. There's such positive vibes flowing around, and I want to immerse myself in them. I want to challenge myself and do tougher hikes. Taller peaks = better views. Who knows, maybe I'll make it to the top of Mt. Humphreys this year!