I’ve written about values many times in the past 11 years. Being clear about and honoring your values can go a long way towards living intentionally.* A deeper values dive in the past 18 months has resulted in an increased focus on my health, my relationships, and my impact on the environment. Magic happens when you find those values overlapping, such as in the center of a Venn diagram. That center is the sweet spot where … Read More
In a 24-hour period last week I had two clients not show up for their Zoom appointments. This isn’t a regular occurrence. The first emailed later stating, “… I don’t even know what day it is because they’ve all started to blur into one. “ The second, shared waking up that morning thinking it was a totally different day of the week. I might be annoyed, if I didn’t totally get where they were coming from. Days … Read More
Significant Emotional Events We all have experiences that forever imprint on our minds and cause a shift in how we think about things. My dad has always called them significant emotional events. One of my significant emotional events occurred a few years back while whale watching on a 36-foot SuperRib in Southern California. Looking back, I vividly recall the awe as we found our small craft surrounded by a school of hundreds of dolphins. And, I’ll likely not forget how … Read More
When I was in junior high school a friend had an old fashioned pinball machine in her basement. Almost forty years later, I still recall how exciting it was to keep that tiny metal ball in play. I’d thwack it with the flippers and watch it ricochet off the bumpers and thwack at it again. All the while, I was rewarded with bells, flashing lights and points! Keeping that shiny silver sphere in play was so much … Read More
Reading time ~ 5 minutes Please don’t laugh, or think less of me when I tell you that I’ve been trying to complete a home inventory since 1988. Yes, you read that right, 1988. 1988 was the year I was married and the first time in my life that I really owned anything of value. Only 22 years old, my husband and I began to amass the stuff that served as proof of our adulthood: tables … Read More
In January of 2018 I challenged myself to not shop for or purchase clothing, shoes or accessories for twelve months. Four months later I shared my takeaways to date from my shopping ban. It’s now February of 2019 and I wanted to check in and share what I’ve discovered that I believe could be of benefit to you. Before sharing, I must confess to the purchase of two banned items. Going into 2018 I was confident two … Read More
Reading time ~ 5 minutes Until recently, our minimalism journey has been focused primarily on releasing stuff we no longer need or want. My focus shifted a little last month though after noting how many people commented on a particular topic on a professional organizer’s forum I subscribe to. The topic was Ethical Consumption. Unfortunately most of my organizing colleague’s comments related to the back end of consumption, which I’ll call ethical disposal. This encompasses recycling, reusing, … Read More
Reading time ~ 4 minutes Sometimes people in your life have a hard time understanding choices you make. There is a woman I knew, we’ll call her Jill, who was frustrated with a friend of hers, who wasn’t available as often as Jill expected her to be. The friend was happy to hang out with Jill during the day, but every time Jill invited her to dinner or an evening meeting or event, she was turned down. … Read More
Note: I drafted this piece on creating a simplicity statement back in January 2016 as we were preparing to renovate the smaller home we had recently purchased and expected to move into in April 2016. Having spent a week in a 1000sq ft condo in Kauai this past week, I was reminded I can live with a lot less than I thought was possible. Home for less than 24 hours, my initial urge was to begin … Read More
I think deep down I’ve always tended towards the idea of less being more. I was the kid who actually wanted the smallest bedroom and who loved to declutter and rearrange my mom’s cupboards. I was the college student who thrived within the confines of a dorm room, where life was all about living tiny and having only what you needed and loved. The first home my husband and I purchased, a 600 square foot condo in … Read More