Making Space
Do you find it hard to find the time for cello practice in your life?
So do I.
Let’s explore how we can make some more space for ourselves. What are the things that take up more time than we’d prefer? Can we reduce or remove any of those things?
Here are some ideas for how to make more space for cello playing -or for simply taking time to rest during the day.
Unsubscribing from e-mail newsletters. This one does wonders for me, and this is the reason why I’m not building my own e-mail list. E-mails drop down every single day and quickly accumulate into an unread monster. Now and then I confront myself with the accounts that I never actually have the time for, and although I support what they are doing I unsubscribe from their e-mails. If I really want to seek information about an organization, a product, an influencer, a train company, or a grocery store, I can go to their website.
Removing social media apps from the phone. Just an idea, take it or leave it! I do a compromise: I only have the instagram app on my phone these days. It’s fun to experiment and see how often I visit the various platforms simply because of how available they are to me.
Switching off the phone for a while. The easiest way to have instantly more space perhaps? As soon as my workday is over I switch off my phone.
Getting rid of neglected items, clothes, old papers, uninteresting books, dead plants, etc. To declutter physical spaces makes a difference for me personally. It’s like physical space inspires mental space…
Letting go of tv series. Or reducing the amount! We can also save some money by ending subscriptions to streaming services. And voilà! More space.
Saying ‘no’ when that’s the right thing to do. I know I say ‘yes’ too often, not realizing how much I’m actually signing up for. A simple ‘yes’ can lead to more time and effort than expected. And when saying ‘no’, there’s more time for the real ‘yes’s.
Viewing achievement across weeks rather than days. The thought “ah, another day went by” can quickly accumulate and become heavy to carry. It can be nice to zoom out and to see ourselves on this rock in space, turning and turning… 🌍
Having small goals rather than one big one. Making space for goals that can be achieved sooner than that Big Dream.
Asking oneself “do I really have to do this?” throughout a regular day. This exercise is frequently illuminating for me personally. There are things I have a strong feeling I should do, but when I investigate I find that those are tasks I’ve given myself. The consequences for doing those things less frequently are insignificant.
Physically making space: dedicating a space for our practice and making it ours.
Mentally making space: letting go of the thoughts we don’t need, again and again.
Making space in the calendar: writing down our intended cello practice for this week.
Energetically making space: being mindful of the amount of input that take up our mind space (discussions, podcasts, news sites, social media feeds, ads, unwanted e-mails, etc)
Do you have any additional suggestions yourself?
Made with inspiration by @amandasimplywell