on life lists
I use Goodreads to track the books I want to read. Right now, I have 265 on my list. This list grows substantially faster than I am able to read. The good news is that I will never run out of reading material. The bad news: I am never going to read everything on my perpetually growing list.
We often think of clutter and minimalism in terms of the things we own – animate objects (like books). But I am beginning to realize that our time and experiences can also become oppressive and overwhelming. There is simply too much to do, and not enough time to do it. And I’m not just talking about work.
In addition to books, I have a list of places to travel, hobbies to try, food to eat, experiences to be had. Like my reading, it is more than I will be able to do in my lifetime. Sometimes this is discouraging to me. I think about all I will miss out on – the places I won’t visit, the things I won’t do, the books I won’t read.
It would be easy to wallow in self-pity and allow it to lead to action paralysis (something that happens to me often). Equally as destructive is the notion that one should make an effort to do it all. Read every book. Go as many places as possible. Take up yet another hobby.
Instead, resolve to enjoy each moment you are able to experience one of the items on your list. You won’t be able to do it all. Accept it. Filling each minute of every day with this unachievable effort would, in fact, make these enjoyable activities into chores. The point is to enjoy life as much as possible, not complete a checklist.
Pursue the good in life with all of your being. But, don’t clutter your pursuit with so much noise that you fail to appreciate the moment.