Living Simple to Me Means.....Mental Clarity

I was going to write about something else today, but there has been something pressing on my mind. Yesterday as I was getting ready for church, I thought to myself, "now what am I going to take with me to church to keep me occupied?" Right after that thought came, "I shouldn't be taking anything with me to keep me occupied. If anything paper and a pen to take to write down any impressions I have, that is it!"

That got me thinking about how I have been wanting to live a more simple lifestyle but that it goes much deeper than just the stuff that I own. What about the stuff that preoccupies my thoughts? Call it ADD that I am always doing multiple things at the same time if you'd like, but I think to an extent as a society we have made ourselves this way. For myself, what is the one thing that distracts me more than anything else? Answer: the internet! Since we don't own a TV, this is where all my distractions come from, since you can watch anything online anyways. When I wake up in the morning, I check the time on my phone, and then on my phone, I go on Facebook. If I need to get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom or eat (remember I'm in my last month of pregnancy), I watch something on Youtube before going back to sleep. When I take my afternoon siesta I watch something on the internet. I check my e-mail, Facebook, blog page views in a day more than I can count. And that doesn't even include the amount of time I surf the internet, go on Pinterest, or even look up something productive, like the definition of propriety! I find myself online longer than I planned, and while I am still looking random things up, I am thinking in my head, "ok you really need to get started on...X, Y, Z," but I'm not doing it.

There have been somethings that I really wanted to do but still haven't gotten to them because I've been "too busy." Somethings that have to do with personal growth, that are personal enough I won't share on my blog. So, starting last night, I have made some rules for myself this week, from now until next Monday, as well as some goals.

Rules:
Will only go online this week for the following...

1. Check my Facebook, e-mail, and blog only once a day (this includes when I write a blog post)
2. Will go online to plan my meals for the week (which is a one time thing)
3. Balance our 'checkbook'
4. Since my husband doesn't have texting, I will be on chat, in case I need/want to communicate with him while he's working.

Instead of being online, here are some goals I want to make:

1. Keep my house in order, as well as the other essentials
2. Go on a walk
3. Take the time to ponder, meditate, etc.
4. Draw one thing everyday
5. Start and finish a book, this week I've decided on reading Blink. This will be great for me since I always have at least 4 books I'm reading at once and it takes me forever to finish any of them.
6. Finish my 'to do' list before baby comes
7. Spend quality time with those around me

So far I have almost gone online for other than what I have written, 3 times! But I hope to find more fulfillment and meaning in my life this next week, as well as a chance to clear my thoughts and be more in the presence. Wish me luck!