What's your '09 motto? Mine is simple as can be.

Between facebook, twitter, and various blogs, I can't help but see resolution after resolution for 2009. I do have a few of my own, and much like everyone else, it's hit or miss whether I will still remember those vows come December 31.

But, this year, I am trying something different. I'm creating a motto for myself -- a theme, a niche, a style, so to speak.

My motto for 2009 is SIMPLICITY.

Those who followed the GAL blog last year know that I recently fell head first into a rut. It was partially my own fault, but it was such an eye opener. For once, I felt like someone turned the stage lights on, and all the "stuff" I plowed through and busied myself with suddenly seemed insignificant.

I pledged to turn down the volume (and pace)... to peel away all unnecessary things in life that drained me... and to reclaim my time and my sanity.

So far, I:

• Figured out the life I want (in all aspects, not just work) and decided to only do things that get me there.
• Saying "no" or "absolutely not" to anything that doesn't meet the criteria in the first bullet.
• Realized the person I have to say "no" to most often is myself.
  
• Reassessed what I wanted out of work, and where work falls on my list of priorities.
  
• Got over the fear of addressing my work desires.
• Got over the fear of leaving work if staying meant putting work above family and my life.
• Simplified many of my relationships across the board, and ignited those that actually uplift, humor, educate, inspire, or encourage.
• Scratched many, many things off the to do list and said to h&!! with those things.
• Became physically active again, ultimately dropping 12 pounds over 2 months.
• Stopped moving at lightening speed and learned to enjoy the feeling of sitting still for longer than 0.5 seconds (which meant, at times, not blogging).
  

For once in a long time I feel at peace. I feel more at peace than when I first wrote, "The Get A Life Campaign." I had allowed the book promotion to eat up all the free time I'd created. Then, I went back to work in medicine. And so goes the story. But, enough about me...

What is YOUR motto for 2009?

No more items added to your to do list, more rules you know you'll break, more crap to stress over. Where's your head this year? What's your theme (or theme music) for the Oh-nine? I want to know...

While you think, enjoy this song, entitled "A Song of Simplicity" by piano artist, Elijah Bossenbroek:






Dr. Ty
From the GAL Blog
www.getalifecampaign.com
Follow me on Twitter: @doctorty
Add our facebook fan page

Living for today?

I woke up from my rut-induced coma today to realize I haven't blogged since August 28th.

As each day passed, I knew I wasn't blogging, but I didn't notice how fast the days were moving. I've missed writing, and felt guilty about it, but I've just been so exhausted.

Between my work schedule, home stress, financial stress and life stress, I have felt not just tired -- but pretty claustrophobic... The point you reach when you want to walk away from it all, just to have a second to breathe and exist... to be. Be you.

I'm the worst at living for the future. Medicine does that to you. Put your time in now, for a reward at the end of the rainbow, some 7... 8... 9 years down the line. Just remember that salary... the car you can buy... the loans you can pay off... oh the places we will go!

You're tired today? Oh, don't worry, it'll be over in a few years. You miss your family? That's okay, you can buy them loads of stuff later.

The thought occurred to me... as I watched all of my interpersonal relationships suffer at the hand of working 80 hours a week, plus all the outside work...

What if none of these people are here at the end of the journey? Then, is all of this really worth it?

What will be left of me, constantly ignoring my daily needs for some promise that could conceivably never happen? We see tragedy every day -- the kid who doesn't make it to graduation because of some freak accident. The father who dies right before his kid is born. It happens. Being unhappy today is not worth some random point in the future that I can't smell, taste or touch right now. Or is it??

Out of complete emotional exhaustion, I've found myself peeling away anything unnecessary. Unnecessary conversation (no drama, please!), unnecessary battles (oh, she said that about me? oh well), unnecessary responsibility (another pet project? no thank you). My theme this month is conservation of energy. It's the only way I've made it to write to you guys right now. Leaving the unnecessary behind.

The rut spares no one. As I've written before, there is no cure, and you always have to be ready to fight it off. The truth is, that sometimes the small nuggets of time you get after working 13-hour shifts for 15 straight days just isn't enough. It isn't enough to feel whole. Isn't enough time to sleep and do something to pamper yourself. Sometimes, it's barely enough to survive.

And at that point, you need to take your life back.

Right now -- I'm doing my best.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was looking for the perfect, sentimental quote about living for today, but I couldn't resist sharing this:

If you have one eye on yesterday, and one eye on tomorrow, you're going to be cockeyed today. ~Author Unknown

Just perfect.

Dr. Ty
From the GAL Blog
www.getalifecampaign.com