Keeping The Lights On - Active Upkeep

Many times in life, you need to focus on smaller, seemingly inconsequential things that feel distracting from the larger goals you may have. Spiritual development takes focus for us, but this does not mean your outside life should fall into disarray. Like an unwatered plant roasting in the sun, you have to tend to different parts of your life, or you risk allowing the plants in those areas to wilt. This might seem daunting at first, and you might feel stretched thin while trying to juggle five different areas of your life at once. Just take it slowly and focus on one area.

One of the easiest things you can do right now is clean up and neatly order your immediate surroundings. This may seem small, but it also has a lasting impact. Take just a minute to grab any food wrappers, cups, paperwork, and writing utensils, and try to put them in order.

I used to have “organized chaos,” where things might appear messy to others, but I always knew exactly where something was, so this did not bother me. However, there are hidden issues that come from doing this. You appear disorganized, unprofessional, and uncaring to others. Sometimes, critical things can get lost even though you swore you knew where they were.

For some Zevists, it is possible that you are lacking in the area of physical fitness, but this is also fairly easy to get started in. In fact, in the time you have spent reading this, you could have quickly done some bodyweight squats, push-ups, or something else to get your heart rate up. For others, it might be the opposite, and you may need to quit a time-consuming habit altogether. Both of these can be done, and it is not so much a time management issue...

Why are you not doing something? Why is your desk messy anyway? When I ran into issues in the past, my answer was normally, “It is too hard to get started and will take forever...” This is only true if you let it be that way.

Once you have your answer, do your best to rectify the issue as well as you can every single day. Write it down. After some time, you begin to enjoy keeping your home and workspace clean because you recognize the effect that order has on your mind. You exercise because you value the strength and health of your body. You remove harmful habits because you understand what they cost you. You will truly understand the value of these actions and choose them without external pressure.

When you decide to apply effort in these areas, you will quickly realize that this was never a time management issue, but a willpower issue.

What is truly interesting is that once this concept is applied fully, it comes full circle, and you realize just how much can be accomplished in one day.