Your Renewable Lifestyle Part 1

Let’s get personal. You’ve been exposed in greater frequency to terms such as green, sustainable, and environmentally responsible in more places than ever – TV, newspapers, magazines, web sites, advertisements, your children, etc. I’m almost overwhelmed just trying to be inclusive. Some of you may already be green-shifting your lifestyles in beneficial ways. Others may feel guilty thinking that you should be doing more of this and less of that. Perhaps you don’t know where or how to begin. Well I’m here to say that it doesn’t much matter where as long as you begin. You may start simply by changing light bulbs from incandescent to compact fluorescent (CFL) in order to improve energy efficiency. Or you may delve into a lifestyle shift by challenging your identity on a daily basis, say from being one who disposes to one who recycles.

To me the most effective starting point and the focus of this article (Part 1) is assessing YOUR lifestyle as it is now, as well as how your situation is likely to shift during the next several years. You may ask yourself how long you would prefer to live in the same place, for instance. You may consider daily activities that work well and those that do not. I find it helpful to understand that assessing empowers us whereas guessing gives our power away.

The next step and the focus of the companion article (Part 2) is to identify and prioritize your goals in order to address issues in ways that are both meaningful and practical. For example, painting your interior with non-toxic zero VOC (volatile organic compounds) paint is a good idea after your remodel project reaches completion. Finally, I recommend that you assess and address your renewable lifestyle goals with a sense of enthusiasm coupled with openness, learning, and patience. Approaching your action steps mindfully affords you opportunities to enjoy the journey and avert the stress induced by fear or an expectation of instant gratification. The “fear and now” mentality can force awkward change upon you before are prepared to integrate it into your life. Generally speaking, the goal is to focus on what feeds you not what impedes you. My cousin used to say that reversing S-T-R-E-S-S-E-D gives you DESSERTS. Thanks Harriet.

Following up on my article entitled, Home Green HOME, your lifestyle comprises various considerations, many pleasant, such as creating a home office for exciting new projects, and some not so pleasant – even scary, such as recognizing potential health concerns. While this pair of articles is not intended to be all-inclusive, it covers several topics vital to renewable living.

Assessing is Vital

Questions about our homes are often averted until obvious emergencies, such as building or equipment failure, require immediate action. Similarly, issues around those living in the household, their changing needs and priorities, and their shifting lifestyles prompt unplanned re-purposing and/or renovation of building spaces that comprise the home environment. Perhaps an aging parent experiencing declining health would benefit by moving in with you. Maybe an adult child finds him/herself unemployed and in need of a safe place to regroup for an indeterminate period of time. You probably know people who have experienced such scenarios.

Alternatively, when the now-independent children graduate college, earn salaries, and move out, empty-nest fantasies emerge. First thoughts may include a new spa style master bathroom, a gourmet kitchen, a home theatre, a deck with a hot tub, or a vacation home. Second thoughts may reveal more practical projects consisting of overdue repairs, updates, or new appliances.

Rather than waiting for a stress-provoking crisis or a milestone event requiring a quick and perhaps uninformed reaction, your families can begin to consider, plan, and design lifestyle shifts that account for the most relevant possibilities. Such an assessment identifies priorities, potential stages of implementation, and approximate budgets. Designing your lifestyle with intention is a revitalizing process. When the time is right – or necessary - you can respond more rapidly, mindfully, effectively, and gracefully.

Inhabitants

Lifestyle issues revolve around all of the people inhabiting your home now and projected into the future. I refer to household members as inhabitants because we do more than simply occupy space. Inhabitants have functional, physical (health, comfort, convenience), psychological, social, cognitive, and spiritual needs. People engage in activities that vary around age, hobbies, interests, professions, etc. We also have the necessary eating, sleeping, and intimate personal needs. Additionally, we must be able to navigate from space to space effortlessly and free from barriers. There are also issues around balancing social activity and privacy (both acoustical and visual), as well as managing other behavioral boundaries and expectations. Physical comfort must be responsive to needs. Maintaining clear mental perception (visual clarity and contrast, sound control, way-finding, understandable systems and controls, etc.) is crucial, particularly as we age. Time and space for quiet contemplation and/or spiritual respite are also beneficial. As we progress through an assessment, understanding the respective and overlapping needs of all inhabitants becomes vital to successful and enjoyable cohabitation.

Region

Geographical region and climate are important because they are inexorably linked with weather patterns, as well as personal sensitivities due to allergies or other health conditions. What are your local sources of energy and water? Are they healthful? Do the local environmental features, aesthetics, and available outdoor activities impact your lifestyle choices in beneficial ways? Is your proximity to loved ones convenient and sufficient?

Though usually a long-term consideration, having a sense of your community guides your decision processes going forward. Is your neighborhood changing in a way that serves you? Does the community offer convenient services and products that interest you now and going forward? Are you safe and comfortable in this area? Is there a reliable public transportation system in place? How about clearly marked bicycle lanes for short trips and exercise? Are there any concerns in your area involving known environmental toxins (or potential toxins) in the air, water, or ground?

Building

Assessing the building actually begins with site-related factors. What is the approximate size and shape of your property? What type/size building do you inhabit (single, townhouse, condo, etc.)? What are the configuration and orientation of your building(s)? Is space available for expansion? Do the proximity and height of either natural elements or neighboring structures inhibit your privacy? What about access to views and potential sources of renewable energy (wind, solar, or micro-hydro power)? Do you reside next to open space? If so, is it protected, preserved, or available for development? Are you involved in your homeowners association or local government?

Critical issues involve local building codes; structural integrity and durability; building envelope (floors, walls, and roofs including basements, crawlspaces, and attics); systems (heat, ventilation, air conditioning, water, power); environmental safety and quality (interior and exterior materials, finishes, treatments, and care); and sustainable value (economic, sentimental, next generation use).

Resource availability, capacity, and efficiency support all of your activities in the home. Are they stable and affordable? Are all appliances EnergyStar compliant? What strategies can be employed to save both energy and water? Do you require any emergency back-up systems, e.g., for medical devices, office equipment, etc.?

Home Office

The number of home offices and home based business seems to be growing exponentially. More than simply a place for focused work, a home office contributes to sustainability and renewability. First, working at home even part time greatly reduces the costs associated with commuting – money, resources, time, the collective traffic, and one’s diminished mindset upon arriving at work. A designated home office allows flexible work schedules that follow your most effective rhythms, as well as family priorities. Additionally, activities that encourage personal renewal can be structured (or unstructured) into your daily routine. Almost any activity that nourishes you can be integrated into your day. Do you prefer a nap, exercise, gardening, meditation, or other brief diversions to rekindle your creativity? Further, meaningful responsibilities can be incorporated into your daily scheme, such as running errands, visiting parents, meeting with local home-based colleagues, volunteering, etc.

When designed mindfully, such a space can be a natural extension of the person you are in terms of working and thinking styles – sustaining and improving your effectiveness, satisfaction, and lifestyle. For example, if you consider yourself a Visual person, you may find yourself lost trying to utilize a Bermuda In-Box, where important documents go in but never come out! In a forthcoming article, I’ll focus on specific working and thinking styles employing concepts you can easily comprehend and apply.

Presence and Impact of Renewable Lifestyles

Your presence is significant. When you begin to assess your responses to many of the aforementioned questions, you enhance your awareness of the ways in which we all interact with each other, our community, and the world. Once aware it is impossible to unlearn the impacts of our ways. From now on our choices are conscious and personal. During these moments questions become more powerful than answers. Who am I? What do I believe? Why am I here? What are my values? What do I value? What have I learned? What have I taught? What will be my legacy? How do I express my values from now on?

I suggest that the most powerful and empowering questions are the ones we are willing to ask ourselves with patience and without judgment. Rather than reflexively turning these questions toward others or having an immediate group discussion, spending time in thoughtful contemplation can be very rewarding. And the lifestyles we create along the way will better express the essence of who we are and the intention with which we choose to live our lives.

Adapting a renewable lifestyle gives us permission to engage in mutually beneficial choices, activities, and relationships. Experiencing this consciousness may begin organically in a deeply personal place or abruptly from an external influence, such as a life-altering event. In either case it can be said that when we invite presence to replace distraction, quiet to subdue noise, and truth to break through perception we can know ourselves more wholly and contribute to society more successfully.