What is “Mundane”?

What do I Mean by “Mundane”?

I use the word “mundane” frequently, and realized I should probably level-set on its meaning.
So . . . what exactly is “mundane”?

From my perspective and life-philosophy, the mundane in life is bare minimum “living.”

It looks something like this:

Work, eat, consume, zone out on media, sleep.
Wash, rinse, repeat.

Do the same thing day-after-day, week-after-week, year-after-year.

It’s about just getting through the work day, then escaping through television, social media, shopping, eating and drinking. Life in a daily rut of routine.

Lower your life expectations to accomplish only the minimum to get by – – basic survival and escapism. Set the bar as low as you can for living.

Most people are:

not driven by passion for excelling
not driven by Purpose
not identifying with important core Values
not pursuing Growth and Self-Actualization
not achieving life goals
not pursuing an enriched life
not living with adventure

Instead, most simply become comfortable with routine, and routine only.

Can We Ignore the Mundane?

If we strive to be a self-actualizer, can we ignore the mundane in life? No.
Should we shirk our mundane responsibilities? No, not unless we arrange to pay others to do them for us.
Should we get satisfaction out of accomplishing mundane tasks? Yes, I think we should.

However, the enriched living approach should be:

Tackle the mundane, get it out of the way.
THEN pursue the passion and excellence in our life’s Purpose and Mission.

Take whatever satisfaction you can with accomplishing the mundane, but know there is WAY more to living a life of purpose, joy and satisfaction.

Don’t let the sum of your life be a totality of mundaneness. Move beyond it to realize greater potential and life happiness. Pursue living an Enriched Life!

“Are you really living life . . . Or are you just paying bills until you die?”

How to Move Beyond Mundaneness

Eliminate the time vampires in your life and do something – anything – beyond the mundane. Consciously use your time on this Earth better than letting it waste away. Stop being a couch potato and choose to spend that time making life a bit more of an adventure. . .

Read books, learn something new, keep learning, develop a hobby, travel, tackle projects, build, create, write, visit parks, get out in nature, hike, kayak, visit museums, appreciate art, take up art (whether visual or performing), listen to beautiful music, go to art shows and other festivals, take family outings, go camping, find the magic in discovering history, explore your city, appreciate architecture, drive or walk through a historic neighborhood, visit beautiful landscape gardens, surround yourself with beauty, restore something old, develop a craft, collect something meaningful to you, unclutter your life of the things that aren’t important to you, go to concerts, redecorate or remodel your living space, learn new skills, try something new.

Get the idea? Reach for more. Choose something that resonates with your interests. Don’t settle for the mundane as the only option for living.

Your efforts don’t have to be perfect. The goal is to get out of the rut of the mundane and actually LIVE life doing the things that are truly important to your core.

Yes . . . . do the mundane, as a matter of being an element of life, just don’t get mired in the mundane. Fit more substance into your life.