Life editing involves focusing on the relationships that matter, the people that matter.
In August 2019, I wrote the post: “Be an editor“, noting:
Editing creates space for what matters.
I am editing my life down also to focus on the relationships that matter, the people that matter. Stuff doesn’t matter, people do to me.
In 2020, though, I moved to the edge of London and bought a car (as transport is not as easy outside central London), and then in late 2020 I bought a house. Over the last two years, I have gradually acquired more “stuff”, primarily to furnish that house. However, now I find myself moving again and into a house that is not in need of much of the “stuff” I have acquired, so I find myself editing quite radically once again.
Being in the process of editing stuff seems also to create another opportunity to reflect on what I want to let go of and what I want to keep in life, including not only possessions but connections with people and with ideas, as well as activities, projects, networks etc.
During my (tough) health journey for five months from March to July, I absolutely anchored on knowing that what matters to me is connecting to people and ideas. If I allow myself to have too much “stuff”, or even too many things to do in the diary, too many things to focus on, that means I have less time and focus to bring to people and ideas, as well as less space for serendipities to occur.
By the end of the year, I will have physically edited out of life much of my “stuff”. I will also have refocussed on the people and ideas that matter to me and will enter 2023 with a heightened sense of freedom, energy and time to devote to the people and ideas I choose to focus on, as well as to see what naturally flows into that space.
What could you edit out of your life and work?