One year ago I realized that having good intentions to change my life was not enough. I had to do something to bring about the change I wanted. In a desperate moment, alone on my bed and at the end of my rope, I realized that the one thing I wasn’t doing was something for…me.
There wasn’t going to be a knight in shining armor to sweep me away to a castle where I could do and be anything. There was only me. So I did the only thing I could do. I decided to save myself. My weapon of choice in this battle to save myself was something I had always loved to do but hadn’t done in years:
Painting
I made myself a promise to paint everyday for a year and I thought that maybe someone else out there might feel just like me, so I choose to share my journey online. The Dao of Doing was born.
And I did it!
I painted everyday for a year and loved it! I learned a lot of things about myself in year one. I learned my schedule was much too busy. I learned it’s almost impossible for me to say no to people and activities. It’s hard to do what you love most if you’re running around doing a million other things every day.
Having a complicated, much too busy life was the biggest block to painting as much as I wanted to. So I decided, for year 2, to make a commitment sheet. Something for me to look at and remind myself what was most important. In year 2 I am committing not just to painting every day but to simplifying my days and reducing my commitments so that I have the time to do my art.
This is what is important to me. Your list might look very different. This list is less a check list and much more a reminder. It is a place for me to go and remind myself what I really want and what I really am committed to. I may not be able to implement all of these ideas right away but I intend to take baby steps when and where I can. Choose the apple.
My Art Commitment
- I commit to starting my own nature journal, creating an entry on a weekly basis at least.
- I commit to learning some oil painting techniques.
- I commit to increasing my painting time above 7 hours/week. In year one I painted or drew for 1 hour a day which equaled 7 hours a week.
- I commit to spending time everyday to creative writing (besides blog writing.)
The Fabulous Five
The Fabulous Five are five areas of my life that are non-negotiable. By taking care of them, I take care of me. They are at the very core of a balanced and happy life for me.
Family
- I am committed to spending one on one time with Husband and my children. This includes vacations, reading, camping, hiking, and rescuing animals together.
- I am committed to spending time alone once a week. Time alone for me means I am centered and peaceful when being with my family. I cannot give what I don’t have.
- I am committed to simplifying my homeschooling to allow my children more time to pursue what they love to do.
- I am committed to keeping a clean, decluttered, comfortable home.
- I am committed to letting go of the past and forgiving more.
- I will take time to listen more and talk less.
- I will give less instruction and ask more questions.
Friends
- I am committed to spending time with my friends. Including visiting, writing letters, and giving small tokens of my affection towards them.
- I will look them in the eye, interrupt less, and laugh more.
Food
- I am committed to taking the time to buy and prepare whole, healthy food.
- I am committed to reducing my sugar and carbohydrates so as to lower my pre-diabetic blood sugar levels.
- I am committed to listening to my body
- I am committed to eating only if I am hungry and stopping when I am comfortably full.
- I am committed to sitting down while I eat. No more standing and eating.
- I commit to “choosing the apple.”
Physical Health
- I am committed to moving my body at least 5 days a week doing something I love to do like yoga, walking, or hiking.
- I commit to going to bed by 10:00 every night.
- I commit to taking Sundays off. I mean it. I’m doing NOTHING on Sundays. I need rest.
- I commit to doing something I love to do first thing in the morning when I wake up.
Finances
- I am committed to living within our family budget.
- I am committed to using cash only to pay for things.
- I am committed to reducing expenses and increasing income when I am able to.
Last but not least, I must add one more category: Simplifying.
I had lost track of my life by letting it include too many things that really aren’t important to me and making it much too complicated. My life includes too many things I don’t want and not enough of what I do want. It’s that old balance problem of mine. So I am committing to simplifying…everything.
Here are just a few things I want to simplify between September 2011 and September 2012. Will I be able to do it all? No, but I can make adjustments and see what it looks like in a year. 
- homeschooling
- daily schedule
- diet
- morning routine
- wardrobe
- hair style
- belongings. Do I love it enough to dust it? If no, I’ll let it go.
This year I am committed to creating a more balanced life by doing what I love to do and simplifying whenever and wherever I can. Less is more. End the debate: Just choose the apple.