Blogpost by Elizabeth Ribons
Overpacking? I have definitely been guilty of it in the past. Especially when I am going to a different climate, or traveling abroad...The struggle has been real.
In fact, I recall a time when we took a family adventure like we never had before. I wanted us all to be properly outfitted so as not to "stick out" on various occasions and I ended up weighing us down with two large - ridiculously huge - duffle-type suitcases stuffed with enough clothes to last us a month. And, as you can imagine...it made us stick out in a whole other way.
The bellhops and porters were making jokes under their breath and I couldn't blame them. It was ridiculous!! So I joked along with them..."I am hiding two more children in those bags - you know, to save on the room rates".
We all had a good laugh, but honestly? Those bags were like a ball and chain around our necks and really bogged us down as we went from destination to destination. It was so unnecessary!
If we were traveling like that now, we would have to pay large fees for 'overweight' bags - Which is a good deterrent(would've been for me) for the "bring it all" type of packer.
Yes, I had traveled before this particular family adventure. I did know about packing well, but for some reason? I became overwhelmed and just brought far too much.
My packing reflected my mental state - the overwhelm I was feeling. I was running a business, household, sitting on committees, and raising children so I do have to let myself "off the hook" a bit. I think it was a lot to think about so I just brought IT ALL.
I had skipped "The Edit" which I speak about so much in my work, write about it, and encourage my clients to do. That step was stepped over.
And my husband was so busy with his work that he didn't encourage me to reassess nor did he attempt to tackle all of it. We both were complacent and didn't think it through. We just went forward with these massive bags that really weighed us down.
And to top it off?? We only used a handful of the same items again and again - amounting to only twenty percent of the whole mass of belongings I somehow believed we would need.
Does this sound familiar? You have the good sense to streamline and make it simple but jump to choosing A, B, C, D, and "All of the Above"
We think we are providing ourselves with options - Which in theory is a good thing, right?- but in reality, we are weighing ourselves down with so much that we aren't even using. And, making it far too difficult to move easily and respond quickly.
Recently, I did a Spring cleaning in my business and found I had become complacent about certain services and subscriptions that were bogging down my bottom line. I did some research and canceled them and replaced them with more streamlined choices.
I didn't feel great about carrying around those extra fees for as long as I did. My bad. But I do try my best to ask myself how I can simplify with optimum results...not add more.
How can I live and work simply and effectively- Because for me? The two are linked. I do not work as another person and live as a different person. Work and life are integrated and I need to remain fluid so I can fully experience my best life.
I encourage my community to continue to take the time to assess and ask this question:
How much do I really need?
Are you overpacking in life and roles? Maybe you are overwhelmed as I was and decide to keep adding? More options, more services, more subscriptions, more .....?
Here are some steps that can help you reassess:
1) Keep your ' life-work view' in mind. The very first thing we must ask ourselves is 'What do I want?' 'How will this affect the life I envision for myself going forward and my life now?' Yes, it is shiny and fun and cool but...Will it take more time, money (which equals time) away from how I see myself living and working? Will I own it? Or will it own me? How can I design a better way....?
2) Edit.Set a limit for yourself. It is very typical to "brain dump" and want a variety of things, solutions, stuff, and ideas - it creates dopamine in our brains and energizes us. And when that happens it's a good feeling and we tend to hang onto those first ideas as if no other idea could be better. When, in fact, it is important to hold ideas loosely and let them evolve, as reflected in this article from the Harvard Business Review It is very important to step back and be willing to "edit" and stay nimble, open to new growth and say 'next'. (This sometimes is where many get stuck because some will question everything and there is no perfect solution - just the one that works best with your criteria...Your life, now and what you want to see for your life and work)
3) The 20%. The less "baggage" you have the more nimble you can be. Ex: If you keep it lean in life and work, focus on what is important and expand on just that valuable 20%, you will not 'overpack your bags' and weigh yourself down. You can stay flexible enough to evolve as life evolves and changes. But this takes intention and editing. It is easy to become complacent, get more ideas, think we need more, or take on more and more, and then...You can't even think of what you need to eliminate - you are too overwhelmed - it all seems necessary.
4) Perspective. When we are no longer overloaded (and we all have to keep checking in on this - myself included). It is a good idea to have a few people you trust, who know you well enough to keep your 'end result' in mind to weigh in on decisions. We can get feedback, find creative solutions and eventually get to the sum of an equation we may have gotten wrong on our own. Take a beat, and do not accept the "only options"as a finite situation. There are solutions and sometimes they don't come right away. They evolve.
Remaining nimble in life, work and business is key to managing change and allows space for growth, opportunity, and clarity.
With so much available to us and coming at us... It is not easy to choose less. But if a pinch of salt tastes good in the soup...a cup will not. More is not the answer.
Currently, we most definitely are experiencing a 'culture change' as we have seen that more is not better.
What is better? Being intentional.
Too much baggage?? You'd better check it.
How am I packing these days for a trip? I enjoy the challenge of "less is more" and distilling what I really need down to just that.. Choosing the essentials that will go the distance. And then, moving nimbly through the experiences and open to it evolving.
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