Our first “Fabulous February” tip: Get rid of stuff that’s getting in the way of your goals.
From sunfrog.com
It can be hard to get healthy habits to stick. It seems like there’s always other stuff going on that gets in the way, right? We’re busy and we’re stressed out – constantly, and healthy habits can be one of the first things that get ditched.
One of the biggest things that gets in the way of my goals is … my stuff. I didn’t realize it until recently. After I watched Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things, I became curious about the idea of only keeping things that bring VALUE to me, and letting everything else go. I wanted to delve into the idea further, so I’ve been listening to podcasts by The Minimalists, and I’ve watched this YouTube video about Marie Kondo sharing her ‘KonMari’ method, and it really opened my eyes to how getting rid of stuff could potentially free up some time and money, and make me a happier person because the things that I kept would be things that brought me joy.
Upon first glance, it might not seem this concept of minimalism and tidying up has anything to do with healthy living. But in a way it has EVERYTHING to do with fitness. Running is supposedly a pretty pared down activity in terms of equipment. But all of the runners that I know have a lot of running-related STUFF. I have heaps of race shirts that are overflowing their drawers, several half-consumed canisters of protein powders, a gazillion water bottles, and a LOT of hats. Rather than hanging on to all of this stuff “just in case,” I’m letting it go, to friends who could make use of it, or by donating it to local charities and shelters. By getting this stuff out of the way, I’m less stressed by all the stuff that physically and mentally gets in the way. When I’m not digging through stuff to find the things I actually need or like, I feel like I’m able to accomplish my healthy living to-do’s a lot quicker and easier, whether it’s making myself a healthy meal, or trying to get out the door to go the gym.
Throughout February, Run Oregon is going to share a variety of take-em-or-leave-em tips. Some of these “Fabulous February” tips will be directly related to running and some will be about fitness, health, or happiness. Got a tip for us to share? Email it to us using the contact form on the website!
