Do More By Doing Less

I’m finding myself in need of some inspiration for the summer.

Don’t get me wrong – even though the next fews weeks are going to be a lot less huffing and puffing in the work-work-chug-along, I’ve still got a To-Do list that’s a mile long. But don’t we all – and in this day and age, don’t we always?

My goal this summer is actually to do LESS.

This ought to sound like an amazing list, but to be honest, it’s one of the toughest ones I’ve created in a long time. So far, I only have 5 things on it:

Worry less.

Dude, just don’t watch the news. Just. Don’t.

Sit less.

It’s so tempting to find that cozy little nook and let one of the most gorgeous times of year pass you by, but your body needs you to show it a little more TLC. Besides, you’ll get more Vitamin D in the process, so it’s a win-win.

Eat less.

Okay, so summer is a wonderful time to eat whatever you want and eat as much of it as you can. (As an unashamed Foodie, I also call this the Foodie International Anthem.) Actually, this point alone could be misleading; Personally, I have a tendency to under-eat. Here, I simply mean “eat less” of what you know you shouldn’t.

Buy less.

Hey, if I could, I know I would buy more, but to be honest, it’s still a little hard for me to be specific about exactly what I’d buy with a huge sum of money. Probably, true Millennial style, I’d still lean towards experiences, but I’m starting to get to the point where I want to develop some roots. To do that, it takes this thing called “substantial savings”. I know, I know – in today’s economy, especially in suburban California, that’s like saying “Find a unicorn, make it your pet, and then teach it how to speak five languages fluently.” Still, we hope. (Unicorns exist somewhere, right?)

Try less.

This last one is a doozy for me. I am probably the hardest tryer I’ve ever met. Sure, often I succeed. Yet, most of the time, I’m far too busy trying to learn something new, and at the same time, I’m trying to find the perfect way to reinvent the wheel when all I really need is a paddle. In the end, I’m more exhausted than anything. My ultimate goal is to simply be a doer – skip the middleman of trying and just get right to the doing already.

Who knows how successful I’ll be with this summer list. Ultimately, each day that I follow through, crossing one thing off of my list, I’ll already be doing a fantastic job of being a success.

What does your summer look like? Do you still have new goals for this year, or are you still on course for accomplishing the ones you (may or may not have) established six months ago? Feel free to share in the comments below.

Sending Love and Light to all of you.

Luck of the Irish, Holiday Heartbeats #3, is now available for preorder. Remember to join my mailing list for a chance to win a free copy of Meant To Be Broken, A Carolina Clay novelby Brandy Woods Snow! The winner will be announced on July 2nd.

©Atina Atwood 2019 Exploring Love and Life, One Word At A Time.™

– Atina Atwood is a southern girl who moved from Europe to the West Coast. A former university professor in Germany and California, Atina stepped away from Academia to focus on her miracle child, life, love, food, quilting, and of course, Romance. She is the author of the Holiday Heartbeats series. Follow her on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook for more, and sign up for Atina’s newsletter here.