How a Montana woodpile taught me that “In this season, a little bit is plenty enough.”
7 steps to doing less and making margin for what matters most.
Big Sky winters are peculiar. Locals call rain, Montana Snow.
Windy and dry, the snow comes thick. But it is light and can go quickly.
Firewood goes quickly out here too.
Poof!
(That was a hearth full of pine.)
No hardwood in these parts.
Poof!
(There goes another.)
Then again, our vintage cabin has thick, (insulating) log walls. A fireplace brimming with logs is too much. Turns out, a little bit of pine is plenty enough to heat the place.
Same goes for life out here, in a way.
Just as we’ve learned to keep the logs few, so too we’ve begun to keep ambitions in 2020 small. As in the case of that fireplace, a little bit of anything these days is plenty.
A Zoom class can quickly turn to Zoom fog. A “small” opportunity of a work project can unexpectedly suck up an entire day (or week).
We bounce between cabin chores (wood bins, sink-washed dishes) and pandemic norms (grocery wipe-downs, virtual karate lessons), finding that everything is more.
Recently, we all joined Grandpa in loading the woodpile (4th delivery of the year). My 9-y/o daughter helped stack the criss-cross mix of round and split logs. (That’s the photo above.)
Poof!
(The shed wall is stacked.)
Lilly Grace’s celebratory hug is short, but enough.
Poof!
(We’re on to the next pile.)
Soon this season as Covid-refugees will pass.
Poof!
(We’re back “home.”)
Yet I’m hopeful that these Montana life lessons make their way back East. After all, a little bit, is plenty enough.
TAKE ACTION: 7 steps to doing less and making margin for what matters most.
In this pandemic season, it is OK to accept that doing less can actually mean more. More room for self-care. More room for family. More room for more of the unexpected. Even more room for margin.
(1) EXPECT LESS THIS YEAR. In 2020 I discovered that accomplishing anything took 2/3rds more time than normal. From home-school interruptions to blank-staring moments, and more… What it meant to be “productive” changed. Now I plan on a week (and year) of less. I’m looking at a goal list that’s 1/3 of the normal size. And you know what? That’s proving more than enough.
(2) SAY NO GRACIOUSLY. I’ve long been a fan of Joshua Becker and his Becoming Minimalist blog and books. His focus is generally on the material stuff we fill our lives (and garages) with. But occasionally he touches on the topic of managing to do less. A few years ago, he shared some ways of saying no. A great response to someone? “Let me check my calendar and get back to you.”
(3) PUT EMAIL ON HOLIDAY. Lighten the load of your email flow by switching ON the vacation auto-reply function. Sounds crazy, but if you phrase the reply authentically and ask for grace in replying immediately (or at all), folks understand. In fact, they will envy you. Just offer an alternative way to reach you if it is urgent.
(4) NOTHING NEW FOR NOW. There’s enough going on in 2021, for you, for me, for… everyone. So just make that phrase, Nothing New For Now, your mantra. Stick it on your bathroom mirror. Set a weekly auto-reminder on your smartphone. Read this TEDster blog post about the same.
(5) ONE BOOK IS ENOUGH. Our free time really isn’t. And these days that’s especially true. So in the rare moments of down time you might have, don’t “fill the book stack” with too much. In fact, toss that stack into a closet and call one book enough. For now.
(6) FORGIVE MORE. Everyone around us carries a burden (in normal times) that we hardly can imagine. It is especially so now. So make forgiveness and grace your default in dealing with others. Missed deadlines may be tied to a recently-deceased friend. Distraction may be tied to our nation’s precarious political affairs. A curt retort… You get the idea. Breath out frustration; breath in grace.
(7) NOW BREATHE. Take a deep, long breath. Many times a day. Navy SEALS use a centering, breathing regimen before an operation, called Box Breathing. My TED talk speakers know the power of calming their nerves. They do this before their center stage moment. Make this technique part of your routine. Share it with those around you.
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