Welcome to all ye meanderers of the internet! To all you kind people that have taken a brief moment of your day to bring judgement down on this very amateur blog, having humored an email or Facebook invite that I have tossed your way. Hi Mom and Dad.
For a limited 6 week engagement, Ellen Walstad (me), will take on the Pinterest popularized, ad hoc attempt at life simplification with the 30-day minimalism challenge. This challenge will span the breadth of mental, physical, emotional, and technological consumption, and is meant to have me consider and resolve one of these forms of consumption with a manageable daily task.
ENTER: The Challenge
Now as a brief self criticism, some of these tasks will make a larger impact than others. For instance, if I were not comfortable being by myself already, a single day (day 8) probably would not suddenly change my ability to do so.
But this list is, like I said, an attempt to consider many different means of consumption and personal satisfaction (which goes hand in hand with consumption, more on this later!) in a way that offers many means of consideration, which I hope makes this blog a little more dynamic. I hope that the number of topics allows many avenues for discussion and opportunities to pepper in some information that I'm learning through the readings and discussions in class. And also more opportunities for me to groan (with the exception of day 4!) about how much STUFF I, you, and we all have!
Lets get crackin'!
My challenge will begin Monday, March 28, where I will spend a whole day offline. Then March 29th I will meditate for 15 minutes. Then on March 30th I will declutter my digital life..........
So You're Getting a Grade for This?
Yes. This is a component of my Polotics of Consumption class that I am taking through the Honors program at UND.
Okay, but What's the POINT?
I am scrambling. I'm so busy. I'm just doing, going, being, all day without stopping. And then when I'm not, I'm at a standstill. I'm watching TV. I'm on my phone.
How many of us act in this way? How many of us say "When my life finally slows down, I'm going to______?" Fill in your own cliche phrase into the blank. I'm going to exercise. I'm going to spend time with my family. I'm going to finally read that book. I'm going to make something. I'm going to finally get a GRIP on my life and get on top of things.
Studies show that most of us feel like this. That we are too busy to do anything, and then when we aren't, we are too tired to do anything but just finally relax and watch TV. This behavior leads many people to believe that modern humans currently live for the sole purpose of consuming. Humans work very very hard to acquire money that our TV tells us how to spend when we get home from said job. And then we do this over and over again, working and watching and spending.
So this challenge is a weak attempt at starting a conversation and sharing some of these ideas with others. This challenge is my way to do simple daily things (that I can practice alongside my
"busy" that we all complain of) that are meant to make the way we live easier and happier and healthier. To consider the impact that technology and television consumption affects my behavior. To think about how clutter and EXTRA slows us down. To deeply discover the meaning of our "busy", and whether or not it is harmful or hurtful.
BUT it's Going to be FUN!
Don't you roll your eyes at me. We're going to have great fun making fun of how much stuff I have (while you pretend you don't see all the stuff you're tripping over in your own home) and abstaining from the internet and makeup. I'll write each week during the challenge, and one following week as well. Be sure to check back!
Happy Minimalism!
