If you've been following me for a while, you know I like to take on challenges... small and big.
Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't.
Sometimes I write about it, sometimes I don't.
Sometimes I succeed, sometimes I fail.
Sometimes I follow up, sometimes I just let go.
But EVERY TIME I learn something about myself...
It can be pretty or not.
It can be amazing or scary.
But I am learning...
And to me, learning is growing.
And growing is our only real purpose in life.
Everything else is just filling space.
All those challenges have made me do the following positive, permanent changes in my life:
I am now ovo-vegetarian (plant-based that eat eggs as the only animal by-product.).
I live debt free.
I have a regular meditation and yoga practice.
I walk every day.
I have lost those extra pounds that have been bothering me.
I wrote and published a book.
I have moved to another province.
I have discover a love for camping and being in the wild that I never thought I had.
and there will be more... as long as I live, I will keep on changing.
As I saw somewhere lately (sorry but I can't remember who it was - if you do, please let me know), life on a monitor is an up and down line... whereas death is a still line. Life is movement, change. Death is still.
As a result of seeing that, I have recently challenged myself to a few things...
1) not wasting food
2) a year shopping ban on clothes
3) working with capsule wardrobes for the upcoming year
4) no spend November
I hope, or should I say I know, these will bring me a notch further.
I have identified the common threads to all of my actions being my health and the environment.
Clearly, those won't have no direct impact on my health... but on the environment? Of course!
We waste way too much food. In general. I have noticed that I was throwing out even more food than I wanted to admit... just by the number of times I take out the garbage bags compare to before. It is pushing me to eat in more, shop more intelligently, plan my meals, and helps me save money on groceries - because by throwing out less food, I end up having to buy less food and hence save money.
My shopping ban on clothes is all about refining and decreasing the amount of clothes in my wardrobe. Over the years, my style changed quite a lot as I discovered who I was, I have changed my activities and lifestyle therefore my wardrobe had to change. Also, by being at peace with who I am, I am now confident to dress how I love and not how I should, which incidently had an impact on my wardrobe. I noticed recently that my wardrobe is pretty much all over the place! Many items I like, and most fit well with each other but some are of poor quality, some no longer fit and some, well, they just reflect another version of me. It is time to completely assume myself. In order to do this, I figured that if I do not buy clothes for a year, and use the monthly capsule wardrobe system for that same year, it will allow me to see what I wear, what I do not wear, what I wear because I feel an obligation towards it, what I would rather do without... I will eliminate pieces as we go along and from there, a year from now, I will have the perfect basic wardrobe that I can build on. I know I want to aim towards better quality and more sustainable and ethical clothing brands, so this will give me time to look into that. I should also have decreased significantly the amount of clothes I own : if I am willing to be completely honest with myself!
I can already tell you this: 1) my wardrobe reflects the weather I love more than the weather I have to live in! This will need to be address to incorporate more late fall and winter clothes. I love velvet and corduroy... that would do! I should own more of these! 2) It seems to me like no matter what, I am more of a jeans or shorts person than about dresses! I like to wear those with a boho top or a t-shirt and a cardigan with my ankle boots or Birkenstock! However, in winter I find skirts with a warm legging amazing!
Last but not least, my no spend November is all about stretching every dollar I have. My husband and I have one huge short term project and another, quite huge too, mid term project. In both cases, they will require that we live with less stuff ( especially less clothes for me) and that we save money on our actual income. We can do this, but we need to figure out where we can cut and where is stretching it too far that we become unhappy!
So, basically, this is why I do those challenges. I like to do it. I like to push myself outside of my comfort zone. I don't believe I have ever achieve anything special by staying within it. No one did. Ever.
If you want to make your life special, meaningful, exiting... challenge yourself.
Try. You will fall. But you will get up again. Learn. Start over.
You will see what works for you. And what doesn't.
Because we are all unique.
There are no reason why you should do like everyone else.
Unless you are afraid...
Don't be.
You are amazing.
Be yourself.
Completely.
Your messy, scared, compassionate, eager to learn beautiful self...
The world needs it.
OK, now it's your turn. What will you challenge yourself to do?
Chloe 💜&✌
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