I impulsively committed to a handful of projects this year. Living a year without buying clothes. Becoming a car-free family. Answering 30 Questions in 30 Days. Having these inspiring goals was a motivating force for good in my every day– even if I didn’t meet each of them perfectly. Each project taught me intriguing life lessons, and I’m grateful for their guiding ways.
The 30Stories 30Days project isn’t finished yet. (The 30 Days part was a bit ambitious.) So now as we wrap up 2010, I’m working on making good on my offer to answer 30 questions from my readers. Today’s question comes from Jenny Wells of Jewellspring. Jenny asks the following:
Q: How does Small is Beautiful and Do Less work in the online world for you?
New Year’s is a great time to think about our commitments – to put healthy limits around the things that drain your time and energy; and to celebrate the small, powerful ways that you live your unique life.
For those of you who are new to Magpie Girl, Small is Beautiful is an online manifesto to encourage the unknown, passionate bloggers who are bravely telling their stories. And Do Less is my personal theory about how to curb busyness and increase production in life.
Small is Beautiful is a guiding concept for me when it comes to my life on-line. As a writer and as a coach, I am a very small fish in a very big pond. Reading big bloggers I adore is inspiring, and I am grateful for their work. But it can also be very disheartening — especially when I compare their big comments blocks and successful classes with my own small attempts. My gremlins get very chatty when I submerge myself in that world for too long. Do you ever feel small when you play at the big kid’s houses?
I find it helps to notice when reading other people’s blogs begins to affect you negatively. At some points in the creative cycle being too involved in the work of others could cause your Gremlins to get chatty. “You’ll never be as successful.” “What impact are you really making?” “Their class/project/Etsy shop is doing so much better than yours.”
It may be true that others have more readership than you do. But this is not a judgment about your work or your worth. It’s just statistics. A sure-fire solution to this kind of gremlin chatter is to spend less time reading other’s work and more time doing yours. Sink into the tasks the Universe is asking you to do and watch your small efforts become beautiful again.
As far as Do Less goes, the online world is all about MORE. More social networking, more resources, more joint projects. Twitter, Facebook, and your RSS feed can start to take over your “one wild precious life.” Often times you must Do Less to accomplish more.
The key here is to go with what is functional. If online services are serving you well – if they make you more productive, grow your business, or help you keep in touch with important family and friends – then keep them. If they feel like some sort of vague obligation, let them go. Keep in mind too that different online activities will serve you at various points in your life. When I was living abroad, Twitter was a fantastic way for me to connect with like-minded folks. Now that I am back in a country where I can speak my native tongue, it’s become less essential to me. Where once I checked in several times a day, now I only visit Twitter a few times a week – on Monday’s for Monday #intentions and on Fridays for #honorurwork. Now, doing less on Twitter helps me do more for my readers.
How about you? What small things bring beauty into your life? What do you need to do less of so you can live more? We’d love to hear what things are coming to the forefront of your awareness today.
30 Stories : 30Days – The Collection
Story 1: What is the intersect between work and play and how can I find it?
Story 2: How has your spirituality shaped your sexuality?
Story 3: IRL and Online Friendships: same? different? balanced.
Story 4: How can I connect with my neighborhood?
Story 5: What do I do if my partner and I have different faiths?
Story 6: What are you doing to make a difference in this world?
7tory 7: What is your highest high and what can you learn from it?
Story 8: What role has massage played in your life?
Story 9: How can I make administrative tasks a creative/spiritual practice?
Story 10: What has it meant to you to have your birthday so near Halloween?
Story 11: How can I manage resistance around my art?
Story 12: I want to establish some kind of spiritual practice. Where do I start?
Story 13: What is your primary spiritual practice?
Story 14: Do you prefer living in Europe or in the U.S.?
Stroy 15: How does nature affect your spirituality, and why do you say you have a soft spot for Pagans?
Story 16: As your spirituality expands, does God stay personal?
Story 17: How can I pursue my dreams, do the have-to’s, and not burn out?
Story 18 How can I create a spiritual community?
Story 19: What has it been like returning to the U.S. after living abroad?
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Less time on the computer and more time at the sewing machine is going to be my New Year resolution. I have always blogged when I felt like it- that is not going to change (affirmation).
Peace!
I really enjoyed these reflections, especially about feeling down when reading too many “big” blogs. Reminds me of how yucky women can feel when they consistently read and look at all the stupid magazines that track the stars.
I thought of your concept of gremlins today while at work. There was so much chatter while I was working it was ridiculous. I was so grateful to you for giving me a name for this phenomena. It helped me acknowledge the gremlins and dismiss them.
Yes! “Sink into the tasks the Universe is asking you to do and watch your small efforts become beautiful again.”
Great verb choice, sink.
Thanks.