Nudged: Do something to spiff up the living room

This week’s Nudge could be as simple as “Take down and put away the Christmas decorations.” Check!

But when I looked back at my notes for why I included this as Nudge, there’s a deeper meaning for me. Our living room is where we–Thor, the dogs, and I–spend most of our time together. It’s the heart of our home. I want this special place to feel loved and appreciated, so I’ll be thinking about how I might make that happen.

Have fun with this. And thanks for joining me in another year of Nudges!

What Happened: Twice while out running errands early in the week, I looked for something I might buy: candles, flowers, a cute throw pillow, one of those boards with a pithy quote. Nothing appealed to me, and I didn’t want to just buy new stuff to complete the Nudge.

Back at home, I took a close look at the room. Really looked around at what we had, what we needed. We need new reading lamps, but that kind of purchase was well beyond the $20 limit I impose for Nudges. Candles, sure. We can always use candles. I still wasn’t feeling it.

Finally I landed on a stack of DVDs I’ve been meaning to rewatch before giving them away. Classics. Beloved favorites from childhood. Great films. But…that stack has sat on a shelf for over two years. TWO YEARS.

With Thor’s okay, I popped them into the box for donations.

The Ah-Hahs: This was a great reminder for a bigger life lesson, that we don’t always have to be adding things to improve our lives (careers, relationships, etc.). Sometimes the best thing we can do is let go.