Although I am avid planner I’ve found that packing a suitcase is one of my least favorite activities. One suitcase needs to encompass items for all your activities, special events and changing weather. So many decisions, such little space!
After much research I discovered that just having a basic color theme such as black or navy as in a “capsule wardrobe” could reduce the amount of clothes I bring. Yeah! Traveling lighter is always desirable, yet does not always happen. Are you like me that brings a few more items…”just in case”?
Packing a suitcase is similar to packing activities and items into our life (“Life Suitcase”). This concept holds so much more interest for me then a mere suitcase. It seems to mirror a similarity to making choices on quality and quantity of what we put into our lives.
I find that using my core values of Integrity, Kindness, Service, Personal Growth, Spirituality and Fun as a life guide allows more comfortable decisions and much like that capsule wardrobe, makes packing my “Life Suitcase” easier.
Sometimes I find I just packed too much into the suitcase and it looks warped after zipping it up and I then must remove some items. The same thing occurs in my own life where I packed activities which sounded fun and engaging or at least interesting at the time — only to discover my life balance seemed warped and I needed to recalibrate my own balance and trim some activities down to what matters most. One suitcase, so many decisions. One life, so many decisions.
What are your thoughts? What works for you in packing the suitcase for your trips and … your other “Life Suitcase”?
Great analogy! Congrats on your new blog.
Thank you! 🙂
I like the analogy of packing a suitcase to filling one’s life with activities. I have one suitcase and I use it for all my trips; I only take what can fit into this suitcase. So too with the 24 hours of each day, I only fit in/schedule what I can comfortably accommodate in the hours remaining after I have subtracted sleeping and self-maintenance and time with my husband and my dog. My main priorities are walking every day, having 2 weekly gym sessions with my trainer, studying Spanish, writing, and talking and meeting with friends. I also enjoy doing random acts of kindness for persons I don’t know. And every day I offer thanks for all the ups and downs of my life and how they have helped me appreciate the adventure of my life.
Choosing your priorities are key to fitting everything in your suitcase as well as your life. Ann, you have clear priorities as to what is important to you. Conflicting or competing priorities or not just not limiting the priorities can provide challenges to packing on a number of levels. Thanks for sharing. You are inspiration. 🙂
Loved this analogy Eileen. Congrats on your new blog. i just visited your site and I’m totally wowed at all the workshops and offerings you have. All inspiring. May it be an abundant year for you in 2018…..
Thank you Nancy for visiting my blog. I am delighted and would love to have you join in the workshops or offerings or be a guest presenter or blogger in 2018. Wishing you health and happiness and a delightful new year 2018 as well.
Another great blog Eileen. It has me thinking and maybe I’ll made a visual of my core values as a capsule wardrobe.
A visual of your core values as a capsule wardrobe is a creative & fascinating idea! I would love to see how you might draw that. 🙂 Thanks Mary for sharing your ideas and visiting my blog.