Listen

This is my goal for the week. To consciously stop thinking about my next sentence and just listen to exactly what I’m being told. (Not that I will follow directions or agree, to be clear) It’s part of my 90 day sanity project. Maybe I should explain.

Everything happens in threes. First, my 25th birthday sucked. Beginning at midnight with a complete meltdown and anxiety attack, carrying over into a terrible day at work, culminating in an evening of scrambling to finish my last paper for the semester. Second, a boat ride in Central Park reminds me why I love this city and why I moved here. Thirdly, a dear friend was attacked and lost her memory –since recovered.

Thus, I realized from these three things that –I am not getting any younger, I love NYC when I explore it and life is fleeting. Many trips to the bookstore later and I’d picked up The Happiness Project. I read it and decided that I had all summer to change my life – before I missed out. So, my “90 Days to Sanity” experiment began.

June: De Clutter and De Stress

July: Try Something New

August: Be Ashley

June is almost over and I really didn’t decide until half way through that this was actually something I was going to do. I made a three page to do list that I am geeking out over, I completely cleaned out my room of the clutter and am trying to stick to keeping it that way and I’ve been reading books on how to rethink the day so I’m not stressed out or tired so much. I say No more often but Yes more enthusiastically. My daily to-do lists have 4-6 items on them- that I complete. I’ve identified what keeps me up late at night and do things during the day to prevent that.

June’s goals:

-de clutter my life (why do I keep certain things? Use everything now!)

-Plan for school (if I can do something now, why wait till I’m going to be stressed anyways?)

-leave work at work (I work to live, not the other way around)

-Listen, not wait to talk.

-Enjoy the moment – like going on the Wonder Wheel. I HATE ferris wheels, but would always have regretted not trying it. I did it! (with my eyes closed 80% of the time)



July begins next week. The overall theme is “Try Something New” Not just going back to my old “one new thing in NYC a week” goal (which I miss and feel guilty when I take the time during the school year), this is larger than that. Its things like, “shop at the farmers market” or “go to Yoga on the River”- Stuff I say I don’t have time for, when really its me getting more out of my comfort zone. Like homemade pickles or joining a book club. Most new things I try, I actually like. Funny how that is.