Setting Limits

Yesterday, Leo Babauta (Zen Habits) wrote an excellent article, “In Praise of Limits”.

He suggests some very practical examples:

• Limiting the number of hours you work and increasing your efficiency during those working hours...
• Limiting your shopping and only buying items other than consumables like groceries on the first of the month...
• Limiting your eating to pre-defined times...

I found this article inspiring, not because of the examples, but because his conclusion really spoke to me!

“...limits can be powerful,

because they force us to choose,

to focus, to go from excess to healthy moderation.”

So true!

I have my own list of four limits that I started about a year ago. It's more a list of policies rather than a list of specific objectives like Leo's, but they do force me “...to choose, to focus, to go from excess to healthy moderation.”

1. Limit entry. In my home, items I purchase are now limited almost entirely to consumables (groceries, cleaning products, toiletries) and replacements (when a new item comes in, the old one goes out). This “rule” also applies to commitments – no new responsibilities, tasks, volunteer work, etc., added to my plate unless a commitment is removed. I'm learning to firmly say, “No.”

2. Limit time. As I move through each portion of my day, I'm trying to consciously decide first how much time will I spend on an activity. By sticking to time limits, I'm consciously reducing the time spent on the more mundane, necessary tasks in life and allowing bigger blocks of time for my “Five Important Things”.

3. Limit assigned space. This is a more specific limitation that I'm applying to my home. As I (slowly, but surely!) declutter, I decide on categories, assign a specific space to that category and limit the number of items based on the space allowed. Three examples,

• My dresser has a number of small drawers. Each drawer is a category (nightwear, cleaning/gardening clothes, travel items, underwear). The drawer can only contain what reasonably and neatly fits!
• Storage of Christmas items was limited this year to one shelf in our storage room.
• Condiments are limited to three shelves in my fridge. Nothing new until an existing bottle is used up!

Limiting the assigned space forces some thinking on my part – how many items should I reasonably own and which ones should stay or go. By forbidding items that don't belong to jump into those assigned spaces, it actually becomes fairly easy to keep those spots tidy.

4. Limit access. Again, this limitation applies almost entirely to my home. It's also perhaps the hardest to explain! First, no space is under lock and key! However, by storing things only one person is likely to use separate from things multiple people will want access to, life is considerably simplified. Some examples in the kitchen?

• When our kids still lived at home, we had a breakfast cart. In the morning, the cart (bowls, spoons, cereal, toaster, bread, etc.) was wheeled over and milk put on the table. There was no need to “access” any countertops, cupboards, pantry... Clean-up was minimal.
• Today, with just two of us, we have a Breakfast Station beside the fridge – a short row of countertop containers (one type of dry cereal, oatmeal, almonds, raisins) and a toaster stored below. Again, clean-up is limited to a quick wipe of that countertop.
• As the main baker, all baking supplies, tools and pans are isolated and kept on shelves and in cupboards no one else feels a need to access.