How lovely it is to compare notes with a fellow GuMPer* at the end of a classic day in Portugal.
Classic? By this I mean one where the greatest things of this good life have been enjoyed, which for me and my friend John, an American living in Ponte de Lima in the North of Portugal, included the slightly guilty pleasure of having a nap in our respective chairs and parts of the country, this afternoon.
John, actually a guest on the Good Morning Portugal! show earlier this same day, confessed to me his busy day of visiting an attraction close to his home up North (the stunning Lagoas de Bertiandos e São Pedro d’Arcos), as well as attending to chores, before seeking refuge for ‘forty winks’, ahead of a fine home-cooked dinner of Portugal’s fresh, delicious produce.
Under further scrutiny, my mate in the Minho (‘Alto Minho’ to be exact) confided that he’d addressed just the one item on his significant and ever-expanding to-do list, which we agreed was perfectly acceptable, and I will tell you why.
Before I do, let me say I fairly matched John’s workload and hit rate, having myself only addressed one single, albeit significant chore, before heading to the local Mercado Municipal in São Martinho do Porto to replenish the family’s food stocks, thereafter rewarding myself with a sun-blessed power snooze on the front deck.
It turns out, as we discovered in postprandial online conversation, like the simultaneous discovery of nylon in New York and London, that “just one thing” was not only a mutual and coincidental realisation, it also struck us as a brilliant benchmark from which to live a fulfilled life in our new, beloved country. We were amused and delighted by this discovery, jointly believing it to be a blessing, as well as a prescription, for anyone who is considering this same migratory move and lifestyle.
There are a number of reasons why I suspect we were so satisfied with this contribution to human wellbeing and snub to the over-achieving and stressful cultures from which we individually hail.
The first of which is fairly obvious and culturally appropriate, and that is to realise that life in Portugal is not generally measured in ticks off a to-do list, but more a daily adventure where the things you want to achieve should be viewed more as a serving suggestion or aspiration, rather than a demand or drudgery-based badge of honour.
Welcome to the land of quality over quantity, where whilst there’s no harm in having an idea of what you’d like to achieve, you’d best not be betting on the outcome you hope for, else panties may well get bunched, as some might say.
Here, our keywords and hashtags are #calma and #tranquilo – NOT #chopchop #busybusy. And thank goodness they are. Remember only a couple of weeks ago, we said “you came here from there because you didn’t like it there“? Well, here it is, life in Portugal, not being like there, so let’s make the most of it!
Let’s face it, to-do lists are gonna grow, just like haters are gonna hate. So, let’s get good with that, and see that all of those things swirling around in our heads, which will eventually need doing, will forever be facts and features of our lives. The daily round, the common tasks and the ‘rendering unto Caesar’ (which are, of course, best mind-dumped to paper or phone lists to minimise stress) will always be a part of living our lives, including the new demands of Portuguese residency.
BUT … they needn’t rule our lives, dominate our headspace or cause us anxiety like they may have done where we once roamed those corporate plains, slaying priorities like productivity-fuelled ninjas, with one eye on retirement or at least a considerable downshift. And perhaps, and hopefully for you, that time has come, or is coming.
At this point, let me introduce a caveat or term and condition of the ‘just one thing’ philosophy and approach to expat life, thanks to another GuMPer who, within our community, uses the name Lord Gilchrist. Something of a seasoned veteran of the cultural adaptation of which we speak, this good lord wholeheartedly recommends, based on hard-won and battle-weary experience, the implementation of the ‘Law of Three’.
This law, say for example when attending to bureaucratic business as your ‘one thing’ on a given day – in this otherwise, oftentime paradise – suggests that you allow three attempts at the singular activity of your choice. I say, on such pen-pushing and form-filling occasions, to take a ticket, take a book and take a deep breath.
Gilchrist adds, “take a chill pill”, as many of these missions will often require a second, and possibly third visit, on account of not having an appropriate piece of documentation from another office (which, of course, should also be seen as a ‘just one thing’ mission, in its own right, underwritten by this same Law of Three!).
If you think I, John or Lord Gilchrist are joking, we are most certainly not. We have had the PTSD to prove it, which, with intense courses of therapy and Portuguese wine (some say these are one and the same), is now diminishing, barring the occasional flashback.
Life in Portugal, as you engage with and settle into it, requires this more relaxed approach, where productivity should be tempered with perspective, aspiration adjusted with a lack of attitude, and over-achievement overlooked in favour of over-sleeping, especially in the afternoon. Where a Portuguese sesta (different and superior to the Spanish ‘siesta’, obviously) can be your right reward for having completed just that one, well-chosen, thing.
So let John and I humbly commend to you the daily ‘just one thing’ mantra and way of life. Make it the first thing on your to-do list. We imagine, maybe even dream during our afternoon snoozes, that you’ll thank us one delightful dia in the future, when you’ve enjoyed a Goldilocks Day, just like the ones we have, that prompted this health-enhancing proposition: not too much, not too little, just perfectly Portuguese.
*A GuMPer is a member of the Good Morning Portugal! community, who loves life in Portugal with all its ups, downs, highs and lows – usually with a smile on their face and a great fondness for Portuguese life in their heart. Join them every weekday morning on the GMP! breakfast show, which you can find on YouTube. And enjoy more of their light-hearted and informative company at www.theportugalclub.com
Carl Munson is host of the Good Morning Portugal! show every weekday on YouTube and creator of www.learnaboutportugal.com, where you can learn something new about Portugal every day!
