Have you been on the Busyness Bandwagon for so long that you don’t know how to get off?  In this episode we discuss how to start down the path of Simplicity, even if you’re crazy busy.

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On Today’s Episode

Rhythm of Life – Overdoing It
Tune-up Tip – Surprise Benefits of Exercise
Random Riffs – Is There Anything Good About Mosquitos?
Feature Segment – Jumping Off the Busyness Bandwagon

Rhythm of Life – Overdoing It

I recently decided to step up my exercise routine from my typical inside routine to an outdoor 2-mile walk around my neighborhood.  Although it started well, it proved a bit challenging.  And, surprisingly, it wasn’t my aerobic capacity that was challenged, but my muscular.

Just as in Episode 016 with my broken toe, I learned more about my body’s capacity and my ability to adapt.  Every experience, no matter how painful, can teach us something if we let it.

Lesson learned!

For more information on our body’s capacity and adaptability, go to Paul Potter’s website.

Tune-up Tip – Surprise Benefits of Exercise

We’ve all heard about the typical benefits of exercise – burn calories and build muscle.
But did you know that exercise can also improve your mind?

How often have you gone for a walk to think something thru?  Exercise boosts creativity, delays dementia, and helps maintain cognitive function.  All great news!

Now all we have to do is go out and get walking.  Or running.  Or dancing.  Or jumping rope.  Just moving.  Your brain will thank you.

Random Riffs – Is There Anything Good About Mosquitos?

Now that warm weather here, mosquitos aren’t far behind.

Is there anything good about mosquitos?  Why are they here, except to torment humans and our favorite pets?  Or worse, they carry all kinds of deadly diseases.   There are actually several good reasons for mosquitos existence.  One of the biggest is they are the primary pollinator of certain plants.

Next time you swat at those pesky mosquitos, remember that everything seems to have some redeeming qualities.  Even mosquitos.

Feature Segment – Jumping Off the Busyness Bandwagon

Episode 018 introduced the dangers of busyness.  Pushing yourself to go faster, longer, do more.  As Greg MeKeown calls it, the undisciplined pursuit of more.  We saw that a constant state of busyness makes us feel important and needed.  It also makes us less happy, less energetic, and less productive.
Greg provides an entire framework of how to practice the disciplined pursuit of less.   ZenHabits reminds us to stay true to what is truly important to us, and lead a simpler life.

You may still feel that a life of Simplicity is not realistic in this current world.  Although it’s easy to see the benefits of Simplicity, it’s not so easy to live it out.  Start with small steps:

1. Clarify – Make sure your definition of simplicity is clear; what is important to you.
2. Summarize – Segment your tasks in order to better evaluate their importance.
3. Evaluate – Compare calendar (actions) against stated values
4. Commit – Once Clarify, Summarize, and Evaluate are complete, now is the time for you to commit; to do something about it. Perhaps just start with one. Make it small so you will do it.

With everything we do, we are making a choice.  Even not choosing is in fact choosing; it is letting someone else choose for us.  So choose purposefully.  Choose wisely.  Choose well.  Choose to get off the Busyness Bandwagon and on the Path of Simplicity.

If you have made a commitment to get off the Busyness Bandwagon, please share in the comments section.  I would love to encourage you.  We are more likely to keep our commitments when we share them with someone who will encourage us.

Please share this post with someone you know who is busy.  They may decide to get off the busyness bandwagon too!