The Life List That Changed My Life

posted 15th September 2011    Written by: Dusti    CATEGORY: Dusti, Molly, Quarterlife Crisis, Season 5, What I've Learned

I love lists. Like religiously. Lists for shopping, lists for goals, lists to keep track of everything. I’m not OCD, but I do like to track progress. Checking off each little box makes me warm and fuzzy inside.

Last year, on January 3rd, 2010, I started a list that would change my life. It was called 101 in 1001. The idea is you choose 101 things of varying difficulty and complete them in 1001 days. That’s not so long it’s impossible to see the end of, but it also gives you more leeway than New Year’s Resolutions. Count me in.

One of my more outlandish tasks on the list was “Use a productivity system for 30 days.” (So much for not appearing OCD.) A productivity system would help me get my crap in order, and hopefully, my life would follow suit.

Enter GTD (Getting Things Done). I bought files and a box and got to work. But soon, I realized it wasn’t a good fit for me. (Too many files and far too many rules.) I began to look again for a new system to try. That’s when I found ZTD (Zen to Done).

 

That’s when Leo Babauta and Zen Habits entered my life. I started diving through the archives. He wasn’t just talking productivity. He was bringing simplicity into every aspect of life. That’s when I entered the blogosphere, first as a reader, then soon as a fellow contributor.

One of the movements Leo was advocating was minimalism. I started reading about other people trying similar life experiments, and I was shocked. I couldn’t believe there were other people like me so dissatisfied with the the consumer culture that appeared the only option. But they were doing something about it. Many of them were living with 100 things or less!

That was insane to me. It reminded me of a few years back when I had moved to Texas with what would fit in a suitcase. And I had loved it! So I made the decision to do it. I started going through my things, making Goodwill trips, and downsizing.

Then, it was my daughter’s turn. Everyone thought (read: still thinks) I was crazy for doing it, but what do babies really need? Clothes and toys. Who needs more than 100? (She seems to be just fine, thank you.)

While I was doing this downsizing, I had also started blogging about it. The fact was nobody was writing about what radical minimalism looked like with kids, and I felt like I had something really worthwhile to talk about. It turned out other people felt that way, too. Within two weeks of starting my blog, I’d guest posted on my favorite blogger’s site (when she wasn’t taking guest posts) and taken my niche by storm.

I was in love. After feeling so isolated since I had my daughter, here were all of these people who understood what I was going through. Here was this wonderful community willing to share and discuss and be vulnerable. Out of the blue, I found friends, mentors, and more than a few adventures. And how could I forget the passion I felt for writing? The words flowed like water. It was beautiful. My calling stumbled into my life when I was just looking for new things to keep me from remembering my QLC.

Since then, it’s been a wild ride. I’ve released several ebooks, turned my blog into a business platform, and now I’m here pouring my heart out at Stratejoy. I found Stratejoy in an unconventional way these days – I met Molly in person! We found each other at a karaoke bar during the World Domination Summit this summer, and after hearing Molly’s story, it wasn’t long before I was diving in and out of her archives.

When I saw apps were being taken for new Stratejoy writers, it was fate. With my blog being so business-like, there’s a lot a I want to share that no longer fits that audience. I am so ready to share the stories that make us who we are. It’s an honor to have the opportunity to connect with such an amazing group of women. Here’s to another year of beautiful words, broken stories, and creating incredibly rich lives.

 

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Comments (20)

20 Responses to “The Life List That Changed My Life”

  • suki Says:
    September 15th, 2011 at 8:26 am

    i have my 101 in 1001 list, but it needs updating. :) funny how something that seems like a small project at first can turn into something so much bigger.

  • KristenCF Says:
    September 15th, 2011 at 8:32 am

    Please let me know the secrets to downsizing! Every time I start, I either get nostalgic, overwhelmed, or put something aside to decide later. Come to my house and school me in the art of simplicity!

  • superawesomeashley Says:
    September 15th, 2011 at 8:47 am

    I've recently become interested in minimalism (though I don't think I want to try having only 100 things) and it's such a great feeling to take a box or two to Goodwill! I'm moving in two months and I'm really excited to clean out my closet and see what else I can get rid of. Thanks for sharing!

  • Dusti Arab Says:
    September 15th, 2011 at 8:55 am

    Haha, I actually wrote a book on it. Emailing it now!

  • Jenn Says:
    September 15th, 2011 at 9:32 am

    I love the idea of paring things down, though more on a "do I really need this" level and not very extreme… I'd love to read more – do you still write the blog?

  • Ag Says:
    September 15th, 2011 at 9:41 am

    Great (GREAT!) topic, Dusti. I found myself "organizing" today, but not really getting rid of anything. The worst culprit for me is…..clothes. Some hang there for years without me even saying "hello"!! Some still have tags (urgh). When I look at my bedroom floor, desk, couch, etc. and there is clutter…I think – "This is how my mind feels right now. This is a reflection of what is going on in my mind." …all this STUFF is clogging up my mind. That usually helps me to get motivated to minimize (one area at a time!). Thanks for the boost today. Much <3, Ag

  • Clare Says:
    September 15th, 2011 at 9:43 am

    Yes, yes, yes! I love reading Leo's blog, and yours sounds intriguing too – the thought of mountains of baby stuff in my future is incredibly overwhelming, and I'd love to go a minimalist route as far as babies are concerned. Good for you! (p.s. what's your website?)

  • dan Says:
    September 15th, 2011 at 10:52 pm

    For implementing GTD you can use this this application:
    http://www.Gtdagenda.com

    You can use it to manage your goals, projects and tasks, set next actions and contexts, use checklists, schedules and a calendar.
    Syncs with Evernote and Google Calendar, and also comes with mobile version, and Android and iPhone apps.

  • Elyse Says:
    September 16th, 2011 at 4:11 am

    How funny to read this; my goals blog post includes learning more about minimalism! I hope you write more about this topic in the future because it is something I've just started out with and have a long way to go! And Leo is. amazing.

  • Angela C. Says:
    September 16th, 2011 at 5:03 am

    I love it. Very bold in this society to decrease your stuff instead of increase. Yet, how freeing! Just because everyone seems to be doing things one way, certainly doesn't mean it's the wise thing to do!

    The blogging world is an incredible place of relationships, catharsis and interesting ideas to try. So glad you're here!

    Angela :) http://www.habitformingsuccess.com

  • Dusti Arab Says:
    September 18th, 2011 at 4:02 pm

    Glad it resonated! http://www.minimalistadventures.com – It'll be back up in two days. It's down for maintenance. :)

  • Dusti Arab Says:
    September 18th, 2011 at 4:03 pm

    He's also one of the nicest, most down to earth people I've ever met. The community around it is fantastic. Let me know what you'd like to know about, and I'll do my best to help you out.

  • Dusti Arab Says:
    September 18th, 2011 at 4:04 pm

    Agreed. Consumerism is laaaaaame!

  • Dusti Arab Says:
    September 18th, 2011 at 4:05 pm

    Absolutely! Yeah, be heartless. Cut off the emotional attachment, and kick the crap to the curb. It's immediately freeing. :)

  • Dusti Arab Says:
    September 18th, 2011 at 4:05 pm

    Nope, but it is still live at http://www.minimalistadventures.com!

  • Dusti Arab Says:
    September 18th, 2011 at 4:06 pm

    Thanks Ashley. Yep, getting rid of the crap is liberating. Yaya!

  • Najela Says:
    September 19th, 2011 at 1:22 am

    I could probably live with 100 things. I only need my computer, my phone, clothes, and notebooks and pens.

    I did the 101 in 1001 and I have about 10 days to complete the project from 2009. I accomplished some amazing things during that time and look forward to continuing the progress. (many of the things I didn't get to do were do to financial and time constraints, but not anymore. ^_^)

  • erinmakesitwork Says:
    September 21st, 2011 at 4:06 pm

    I love love love love love love love this. I am all about trying to create a simple, beautiful life full of handmade goods and homecooked meals.

  • Dusti Arab Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 4:18 pm

    Love it! Especially being pregnant and nesting, totally feeling you here!

  • Dusti Arab Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 4:19 pm

    Yay! Congratulations! So glad to see someone finish it. Yeah, I tossed mine to the wind, although sometimes I wish I still had it. But so many of them just didn't apply after awhile…

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