I believe that a good secretary can do almost anything – at least in the organizational realm. That was my entry point into project management (aka chaos management) and those skills still stand me in good stead. They allow me to assimilate into almost any situation and be of service in some way. But the elusive question has always been – what is it that I really want to do?

Some time ago, I was at a retreat with spiritual teacher Adyashanti, who said something like ‘the most important thing is to discover the most important thing.’ That stuck with me.

Our ‘most important thing’ changes from time to time. Lately, mine has turned to Community to Live and Die In, and it’s this that birthed the blog/vlog project I’m now engaged in – with the inevitable learning curve.

I’ve taken it on like I would any new project. Seriously. And as the week starts to build towards Wednesday (‘post day’), my stress level rises. I feel tighter, less creative, more hemmed in. Once it’s complete I’m free again and life as I knew it resumes. My favourite days have become Thursday through Sunday. This rhythm is clearly not sustainable…

We all know the excitement and determination we feel when we take on something new. But how do we keep it alive? It’s the classic New Year’s Resolution dilemma.

I came across a video from Laura Devine yesterday, one of my teachers from Integral Coaching Canada, entitled “The Art of Sustaining a Practice.” I decided to take the 8:50 minutes to watch it and was really glad I did. It felt reassuring to be given this teaching from someone I had received so much fiercely loving instruction from previously, and the minimum/maximum practice she speaks about is, to my mind, brilliant.

Laura recommends determining the amount of time – from the minimum to maximum range – which we intend to dedicate to an important pursuit. On some days we may have the energy and enthusiasm to really go for it, but on others we may need to titrate it right down to the minimum. The key is to keep the thread alive, so that on days when we don’t engage in our practice fully, we still feel connected to it in some tangible way.

So that is my take-away this week. I’ve wanted to write for as long as I can remember but I never made it a priority. Now, if I want my somewhat ragged nervous system to stay healthy, establishing a daily writing practice will be essential. Even if it’s just 15 minutes of jotting down some thoughts for future blog posts, it will keep me present to my commitment and grounded in my mission to discover WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING in the vast area of aging, death and dying in community that I find so compelling.

Is there something in your life you’re committed to, that a more attentive minimum/maximum approach might help to foster/build/create? I’d love to hear!