Doing Without: An August Beginning

I’ve been thinking all month about what I would do without in my first month of doing without.  July, of course, was not the first month.  That will be August.

For my first month, I’ll do without coffee, which will not be hard for me.  I love coffee, but I am not addicted to it.  I enjoy waking up and immediately drinking a strong cup or two, but on occasion I will get busy and won’t do it; it rarely bothers me.  So the first month’s test of my discipline should not be terribly hard.

My alternative to coffee will be something I’ve neglected for quite some time: walking.  So, instead of getting up and having a cup of coffee, I will get up and take a  half-hour walk. I mentioned that in my July 3 post; I’ll stick with it.  Here’s how my monthly plan for the first six months looks at the moment:

August: No coffee; Replacement: walking
September: No alcohol; Replacement: iced tea
October: No meat; Replacement: more veggies
November: No social media; Replacement: silent meditation
December: No restaurant meals; Replacement: home-made meals focusing on regional cuisine of the U.S. and Canada
January: No leisure drives; Replacement: download and complete a one semester MIT course in Public Transportation Systems in one month.
February: No television; Replacement: download and complete an MIT course on Disease and Health: Culture, Society & Ethics

My plans may very well change.   But whether they do or not, I hope I can count on others to hold me accountable to my promises to myself.

 

About John Swinburn

"Love not what you are but what you may become."― Miguel de Cervantes
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