Shiira.Shiira

Starting July 1, and every day for a year, I will get rid of something. I will donate, discard, re-gift or recycle some bit of debris accumulating in my house. Anything non-perishable considered, exempting books and music.  –Randy Redding, ydnar.com

     Several days ago I came across a blog post titled “Less 365″.  Scripted over on ydnar.com, it made short work of reminding me how cluttered and encumbered my life has become.  By getting rid of at least 1 item every day for a year [as the post suggests], I doubt I’ll reach Nirvana but maybe a little more peace of mind is obtainable.  Committment phobic as I am, I definitely can’t say that I will discard an object from my life every day for the next 365 days but I can make a better effort at cleansing and ridding myself of the unecessaries I seem to have accummulated over the past (uhmmm) some-odd years.  I give myself 30 days, people.  It’s all the committment I can muster right now.

 

     So, there we have it … 30 days.

 

     “So how, praytell does 30 days equate with the 131 mentioned in today’s title” you ask?  Well, for some reason committing myself to this small task called into question my committment to learning the Japanese language.  There has been no dedication whatsoever in my Japanese studies.  Now, I know as well as the next guy/gal, that a sabbatical of sorts from studying isn’t necessarily a bad thing.  However …

 

     I know myself and I know when I have wavered versus when I’ve just plain stopped.  And stop, I have.  While I’ve spent much time watching Japanese dramas and anime, listening to Japanese songs and pretty much retaining my love of Japanese speech and culture, I haven’t done much of anything in the vein of preparing myself for the JLPT 3 this December.  Nothing. 

 

     Having realized that and having given myself the requisite flogging, I’ve decided to spend the next 131 days studying Japanese for at least 20 minutes a day.  Nope, 20 minutes isn’t a lot and nope, I don’t suppose that trivial bit of time will be suitable for a student hoping to pass the next level of the proficiency test.  Then again, I believe that since life circumstances have changed, so too have my goals.  It’s not a bad thing.  This is what I keep telling myself and this is what I must believe for now.  One day my passion will return, my efforts will regain strength and I’ll be in a better frame of mind to move forward faster.  Until then…

 

     …today I gave away a 6 quart glass jar originally purchased to hold change.  There’s nothing wrong, however, with my purple or pink ceramic piggy banks and this jar was just an impulse buy.  In addition to that, I studied Japanese grammar for 30 minutes this morning.  Day 1 is complete and both committments seem to be intact.  29 and 130 days to go respectively.  Wish me luck.

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