Staying Minimalist | Keeping a Want List

So, I want to share one of the best things I’ve done for myself in the realm of minimalism. 

And no it’s not decluttering my things. 

It’s creating and keeping an ongoing “want list”.

So, you know when you’re scrolling through social media or walking through a store and you see something and think, “OMG I need/want that!” 

This is a list to curb those instincts. 

When I have that rush of “gimme gimme gimme” instead of buying whatever it is, I put in onto my list. 

And it sits there.

That’s right, I’m not allowed to buy it right away. 

This allows me to research and find the perfect one of whatever it is. 

I can find the style I want, the company I want to buy from and the price I want to spend.

I can keep an eye out for it in the thrift stores, search online, ask around. 

And then when I do buy it whether that's a month, or several months later I’m in love with it beyond that initial high you get from getting something new. 

And do you know what? 

Sometimes I don’t buy it. 

Sometimes it sits on my list, sits and sits, and then I go to put something new on my list and I’ll look back over it and see an item and go, huh, you know what I really don’t want that anymore. 

And then I delete it from my list, and yes, there’s a lot of satisfaction in that. I just saved X amount of money.

Let’s talk about my current want list to give you an example of this. 

So, at the moment I’ve put my want list into my Wunderlist app on my phone. That way I have access to it at all times. 

Here’s what’s on it:

+ a Keep cup

+ lace barrette that can show

+ toe rings

+ acne pimple patches

+ underwear

+ tight black tank

+ striped linen pants

+ hair bandanas

+ delicate gold jewelry 

+ black loafers/flat mules

+ new iPhone

So, right off the bat, I recently bought that bralette, some new underwear and I found three bandanas in the bottom of Michaels drawer. Boom check those off the list. 

I want a keep cup because at the moment I only have a stainless steel coffee container that isn’t really an on the go option. I need something with a lid. But I’m not at the point where I’m ready to commit to a keep cup. Maybe I’ll find a better option I like more. 

There’s no rush really to what’s on my list. 

I haven’t looked into any toe rings or delicate gold jewelry yet. 

And as I’m thinking through this blog post I’m remembering other things that I’m on the hunt for. I’m on the hunt for a pair of cloth (not denim) overalls. 

And I’m waiting for the new iPhone to be released so I can get the 8 at a cheaper price. 

I can add links to certain things I like. Such as those flat black loafer mule things, whatever they’re called. I can spend some time looking for the ones I want, and if I find a few I like I’ll add the link to the document, but I don’t buy it yet. 

It’s mostly just about letting stuff sit on there. 

Do I need a new pair of shoes to survive? Or acne pimple patches? Absolutely not. 

It’s a practice of patience and really figuring out whether I need/want something or if it’s just that rush of “I need this now!"

And I’m happy to report that this has helped curb my shopping by a lot, and I wasn’t a big shopper to begin with. 

Do you have a want list or the equivalent of it in your life? How do you use it? Or what do you do to stop and think before you buy something? 

Benefits of a Capsule Wardrobe

I’ve been really into the benefits of things recently. And one of my favorite topics is minimalism and one branch of that for me is my capsule wardrobe. While you 100% don’t need to have a capsule to be a “minimalist” it is something that I have found beneficial for nearly two years now (to be honest I can’t actually recall how long it’s been). 

One obvious benefit for me has been less laundry. I go through phases of wearing strikingly similar outfits for months at a time. You know the t-shirt and jeans sort of thing. And I will rewear the same pair or two of jeans all week long, and sometimes the same two or three shirts. 

And I’m going to let you in on a secret: I only do my laundry once a week. And I know that’s probably pretty common for most people but even at the end of the week I have to combine loads with Michael because often times I don’t have enough for a full load of laundry. 

For me it’s not the collecting of dirty clothes and putting them through the washer. It’s the folding and hanging back of of said clean clothes that isn’t my favorite part. And with a capsule wardrobe this process has been cut down so much from where it used to be. Not to mention you could go weeks without doing laundry because of everything you owned. So when it did come time to do laundry it was a downright nightmare! 

Next on my list of benefits: easier decisions each morning. I like to savor that good morning brain juice for important decisions to be made, not on mundane things like what should I wear today. I can literally open up my closet, grab an outfit in 10 seconds, put it on and feel great about how I look that day. Because I don’t have a bajillion pieces of clothing to sift through each morning I can save my brain power for work. 

And the next one kind of goes along with that, but basically you like everything you have to choose from, which in turn helps define your personal style. I don’t keep things that don’t fit me, I don’t like how they look or that I feel don’t reflect my style. While I don’t think I could describe what my personal style is to you, I guarantee you can see it via what I wear. I don’t hold onto old pieces that I’m not into anymore. 

Moving right along: you only have season appropriate clothes to choose from. This means I have my capsule full of sweaters in the winter and flowy dresses in the spring and summer. I don’t have to wade through everything I own to find something that works for the weather that day. I know that from the selection I have set out in my closet there is going to be a simple, quick option for me. 

And finally I think my favorite perk is having a capsule has made me a more conscious consumer, I don’t get swept up into fads that pass quicker than you can blink and in the end I’m saving a boatload of money. I used to go to the thrift store to just see what they had. And because everything was just a couple bucks I didn’t feel guilty buying whatever it was. But I ended up with so many things I never wore for one reason or another, and I just had way more than I could actually wear. 

I now think through everything I buy, and it makes the process so much more enjoyable but also when I finally do make the purchase I am so much more excited about it, and that excitement lasts. And although now I’m more willing to invest a bit more into something in the long run I’m saving money because those things last longer and I’m not just buying cheap crap willy nilly.

Why do you like having a capsule wardrobe? 

Positives of Minimalism For Me

I could go on and on about all the benefits of the world of minimalism (and I do), so today I wanted to just share another list of all the positives that have come from this transition in my life. 

+ It's easier to clean

You may think that you’re very organized with all of your different containers and storage spots in your home, but clutter is still clutter no matter how you arrange it. 

I have a spot for everything I own and know exactly where it goes. This also makes keeping track of stuff a lot easier too. (I’ve found one of my superpowers is remembering where something is at, even Michael’s stuff.)

And when you have less that means less stuff to put away when it comes time to cleaning. Think about having a five-bedroom house vs. having a two bedroom house. Space easily gets filled with things, and that space has to be vacuumed, dusted, you name it. 

+ It's easier to get ready

I’ve done a number of closet declutters since the original big one back in the day, but at that first one, I got rid of nine large garbage bags of clothing and shoes. Nine bags! Before I would have to use my elbows to push my clothes apart to hang something up. It was insane. 

Now, my clothes don’t even fill a fourth of my closet, which is really nice because that gives me storage for work things. 

But it also makes getting ready in the morning so much easier. 

Since that first declutter, and subsequent declutters I’ve been creating capsule wardrobes for each season, which helps so much more than you could imagine. 

Having only your favorite items that are season appropriate to choose from each morning cuts getting dressed down to just a minute or two each morning. 

+ It impacts all aspects of life

This was a surprise benefit I discovered thanks to minimalism. I just thought “Hey, I’ll have less stuff. Great!” But what I didn’t realize was that it would change the way I think about everything. 

Who are the people I want to spend my time with and give my energy to? It’s hard to cut people out of your life, but sometimes it’s necessary so you can thrive.

What am I spending my time doing? Is it activities I enjoy, or things I’m doing just because I think I should, or someone else asked me to? When you stop doing things that aren’t adding anything to your life you make space for things that really matter to you. 

+ It has made room and money for quality items

When you stop buying stuff just to buy stuff you have more time to research what you actually want and need, and the particular item you’re going to get and love. This has made me so much more excited about things when I do buy them because I know I’m going to love them and use them. 

And I know I will have not only space for them, but because I’m saving my money not buying a bunch of stuff all the time I can invest more money and get quality products that I’m proud to own.

+ I have more connection to what I do own

Going off that last one I have found that because I have taken the time to weed out all the things I don’t like, and have spent the time to research and choose each item consciously that I am so much more invested in what I do own. 

I take better care of my things. I have more pride in what I own. Even something as simple as a water bottle or a pair of boots. 

Minimalism doesn’t mean you have to get rid of everything you own, and I think a lot of people are afraid they’ll have to give up things they love. But it couldn’t be more the opposite. You get to keep everything you love and cherish, and you’ll have more space and time for them too!

+ I have everything I want and need

Sometimes people think minimalists go without, that they sleep on a mattress on the floor and have no flavor to their life. But I can truly say that I have everything I want and need in life (and probably then some). There are always areas in which I know I could cut back even further, but the great thing about it is you don’t have to unless you want to. It’s not a competition. 

+ It has helped me fine tune my decision-making process

I used to buy cheap things without really thinking about them. What were a few dollars here or there? But I’ve realized that just because something is on sale, or could be altered to fit better or hey might one day be part of a really great costume idea doesn’t mean you should buy it. 

I am so much more conscious of what I’m bringing into my life, whether that is material things, people, experiences, you name it. 

I also feel like minimalism has given me more character and personality because it’s made me sit down and think about what I want out of life. 

How has minimalism benefited your life?

My Decluttering Process

Every few months I get this itch, this desire to purge myself of stuff I don’t need anymore.

It’s an addicting sensation, and such a satisfying experience. 

My initial declutter was completely inspired and fueled by the Marie Kondo. Since then I haven’t had to do a full house cleanse, but because I’m not a bare bones minimalist, things accumulate. I don’t pretend to be perfect and I look at minimalism as a spectrum, as a journey, as a way of life. 

So over the next month I have my eye set on four areas in my home that need a good combing through:

My closet:

And not in the sense of my clothes. I will go through them of course, but my closet is also my “storage unit”, where I house all my business related, craft and project related sort of items. And I want to rearrange my closet in order to better organize what I have in there. Because I don’t have a big wardrobe that leaves most of the space for everything else, which currently consists of:

+ six large tubs and two boxes of Period Project items

+ shelving unit where I store sewing stuff, camera gear, screen printing stuff, arts and crafts items, etc.

My bathroom:

It’s in pretty good shape, but I know that I’ve switched out some beauty products, and so I want to go through and get rid of everything I’m not using. I also want to find a basket to store toilet paper in above our washing machine, because currently it’s just sitting up there as is, and it isn’t very well contained. 

My kitchen:

I try to go through my fridge each week or so when I grocery shop, but unfortunately there are a number of cabinets that sit dormant for a few months. 

I want to go through my mason jar collection, because let’s just say I know I have too many. I want to analyze all my utensils and machines and make sure we need each of them. We have way too many wine glasses, I somehow ended up with my mom’s cheesecake pan, things like that.

And I want to go through the pantry, enough said.

My living room:

It’s where the bookshelf lives, which is going to be my focus, but I wanted to look at some old picture frames (that fell of the walls) and our um, growing blanket collection, which has blossomed out beyond my nice wood crate they are supposed to live in. 

So, how am I going to do all of this? 

Well, as you can see, I’ve already started by breaking it up into four areas. And then when the mood strikes I begin!

I’m going to work through it in this order so I’ll talk you through how I’ll go through  my closet. 

The first step is to pull it all out, every last thing. This acts as a shock to the system. A “Wow, I have a lot of stuff” sort of moment. 

I’ll go through my clothing and shoes first, that’s an easy thing. Then I want to go through my items for the Period Bag Project because that takes up one side of the closet. Then the other side is that shelf, which houses so much. I need to go through and get rid of a lot. I’ve already started making a mental checklist. 

Once I have it all separated between “get rid of” and “keep” I’m going to take a look at possibly rearranging my closet because right now I have a shelving unit stuffed into the left side that could be better utilized if I could access the whole thing. 

Along with rearranging, I’m going to look at the organization/storage systems I have and if there is any way I can reallocate that or pick up some new containers to help house my items. 

Once I’m happy with my closet, I take on the bathroom.

Just talking through how I’m going to do it is giving me a sense of accomplishment.

What’s your decluttering routine, and how often do you work your way through different areas of your home?

Keeping Up With Minimalism

As I finished “The Magic Art of Tidying Up” by Marie Kondo, she wrote that (and I could be remembering this incorrectly) that you should only do this huge declutter once. 

And part of me finds that misleading. Yes, I haven’t done one to that magnitude, but I have done a series on mini cleanses since then, which I find very beneficial in my journey of keeping up with it all. 

The most important part of that process is changing your mindset as you go along. 

Because moving forward from that first initial cleanse you’re going to want to focus on being a conscious consumer more than anything. Staying on top of every item that makes its way into your home is much easier than having to do a giant declutter one a year. 

Creating a Want List on my computer

If something pops in my head, i want that. Instead of impulse buying stuff I write it down on a list I have on my computer. Whether it’s clothes, electronics, a book or something for the apartment, it goes on the list. Then i can start searching for it, seeking out the exact one I want, at the right price. And in the end there are a lot of items that I don’t actually end up wanting/getting in the end. 

Nixing the weekly shopping trips to the thrift store

I needed to stop buying things just because they’re super cheap, and it is something to do. I love a good thrift store hunt/find, but if you don’t go in with a particular item in mind you can end up leaving with 5 different pieces, and doing that weekly, ads up.

Buying with longevity in mind

Realizing it is OK to spend more if it will last longer. That’s the new goal for me, finding staple, quality pieces that will last long and not go out of style. Whether this is stuff for our house, clothes or beauty products. I want to surround myself with things I love and aren’t full of harmful ingredients. 

Spend a few extra minutes every three months when I’m creating my capsule wardrobe to go through my clothes and donate pieces I don’t wear/have been holding on to

I can look back on that previous capsule at the pieces I didn’t wear, and even items from previous seasons and pass those items along to someone who needs them or loves them more. 

Do mini declutters

Set yourself declutter goals. For example, this week I’m going to go through books, go through the bathroom drawers, kitchen cabinets, etc. 

This saves you from giant declutter session once a year, or every few years. It also keeps it from getting out of hand. 

Spending 15-30 minutes every morning tidying up the apartment as well as doing little tidies throughout the day

The dishes, making the bed, and putting stuff away after I use it. If you bite off small chunks it's much easier than trying to eat the whole cake at once. 

Deep cleaning apartment once a week

     - wash sheets

     - vacuum

     - dust

     - wipe down bathroom, kitchen

Planning meals

Take a look at how often you are actually going to be home over that next week, how many meals will you actually eat. Look at what you already have in the pantry that you can build meals from.  Make a shopping list. This keeps you from buying too much or what you don’t need and will waste

I always take five minutes when I get home with the groceries to go through fridge and clean out any old tupperware, food, etc. 

Make big batches of certain meals that can last you few days. 

Some of these may seem completely unrelated to what you think minimalism is. But for me, this mindset has spread out into almost every aspect of my life, far beyond what I've even written about today. 

I think there is this huge misconception that minimalism is just about owning nothing. But for me it is all about learning how to be selective with what you allow into your life.

Why I Declutter My Closet Every Three Months

I’m constantly editing out different things here and there in the space around me. 

Try as I may things are bought, given and borrowed, which all end up taking up residence in our home. And if you don’t stay on top of it, it can all get out of hand. 

Case in point: my closet. 

I think my personal style has changed more in the past two years then it has in quite some time. Maybe that’s just part of growing up. 

I try to take this information with me when buying things. A consistent goal of mine is to be a conscious consumer. To not buy something that I don’t need, or worse — I’m quickly going to get bored with. And while I’m not perfect I’m getting there. I’m learning along the way. 

I’ve been doing capsule wardrobes for almost a year now, and this has given me a perfect timeline to reassess my closet every three months. 

I start by making sure all of my laundry is clean and put away. Then I will pull all my out of season clothes in with my last capsule so I have all of my clothes in one place. 

I will then work my way through the selection, picking pieces for that upcoming season, creating my new capsule. And as I’m doing this I often find a piece or two, sometimes several, that I haven’t worn in quite some time. 

And there are still a few pieces I’ve noticed that I’ve held on to even though I knew I didn’t wear them. A dress I bought a few years ago from H&M in London. It was blue, it was velvet and it was tight. I wore it to one wedding two years ago and haven’t worn it since. I’ve kept it for so long because I felt guilty for the money I spent on it, hoping I could find an occasion to wear it again. 

I just folded it up with my give away pile today. 

I’ve also noticed I’m still transitioning from my college self into my “adult” self. I’ve evolved from oversized, comfortable and eclectic to more put together, refined and cohesive. I’ve been trading in for staple pieces that can be worn with multiple outfits, and aren’t trendy so I can continue to wear them for years to come. 

And even though I first cleaned out my closet over a year and a half ago, I still find it hard at times to let go of certain things. 

But boy oh boy do I still get this incredible sense of satisfaction from decluttering. It’s addicting if I do say so myself. 

Having a capsule wardrobe has given me the perfect opportunity to continuously stay on top of my closet. If you don’t already I encourage you to take a good look at your wardrobe every 3-6 months, and pass along those items you don’t wear. 

I promise you’ll feel incredible afterwards.

My Zero Waste Update | Over a Year Later

I first started my transition to a more zero waste lifestyle over a year ago. 

And I’m still in the transition phase, with zero hard feelings against myself. 

No, I’m not perfect. No, I’m not 100% zero waste. But that’s OK. I’m working to educate myself, and to be aware. We go for so long without giving a second thought to our trash. 

I have overall become a more conscious consumer. I put A LOT of thought into what I purchase. I have a wish list for items I want to buy (clothes, electronics, etc.) 

But I wanted to share my biggest changes with you today.

I used DIY t-shirt tote bags instead of plastic grocery bags. They’re easy to make. You just cut off the sleeves and collar of the shirt, then cut 3”-4” vertical slits up the bottom of the shirt to tie together creating the bottom of the bag. Here’s a tutorial. 

I take my recycling seriously. We used to just use an old small (like tiny) trash can under our sink for our recycling, but I needed more space. I asked for one of those old green recycling tubs as a wedding gift. Recycling really impacted how much I was throwing away. 

But the biggest  thing I’ve taken out of my trash — food scraps. [Go watch my “How I Compost” video]. I collect my scraps in a bowl in the freezer, when that gets full it goes into an old kitty litter tub in the hall closet, and when that gets full it goes to my parents house to be put in their compost pile. 

I have found ways to reuse all sorts of things. Bread ties are now cord and headphone holders. I made my own wrapping paper this year. I got compostable items for our wedding. Things like that. 

I’ve switched a lot of household products from coming in plastic containers to cardboard, such as dish and laundry detergent.

It also influenced what I asked for our wedding. Instead of asking for items made out of plastic I asked for things that were made from ceramics, metal, wood and glass. And I planned my wedding trying to create as little waste as possible. 

I’ve also started unsubscribing from physical junk mail, which is such a pain in the butt. I wish there was just an “unsubscribe” button on the back of the magazine or catalog. Instead you have to dig into their FAQ’s on their site or find an email address to write to asking them to stop. 

I find that seeking a more zero waste lifestyle nicely coexists with minimalism and veganism. And I like this little world I’ve created and am able to share with you. My take away from the last year, and what I wanted to share with you is that you can start the switch to creating less waste. Don't let thinking you won't be perfect at it stop you. 

What have been your biggest zero waste swaps, or realizations? 

Setting Yourself Up For Success

Today I want to talk about things I do that are part of the process of getting shit done and going places in my life. I look back to just a few years ago when I had no direction in life and how I started and spent my days then vs. how I do now, and it’s a pretty staggering difference.

So I wanted to share my top 10 tips for setting yourself up for success. 

Stay organized — this has been a game changer. I always kept a planner throughout school to keep track of my due dates, activities and work schedule, but just in the past year and really actually the past few months I’ve taken it to the next level. I am a visual person so I like writing it all down where I can have it laid out in front of me. I do that in a few ways. On my computer I use Evernote to house all of my notes for blog posts, videos etc. Everything you see online comes from Evernote. I have created different notebooks for my YouTube channel, my website and my different courses. From here it is all easily searchable and accessible in one place. The other powerhouse to my organization operation is my bullet journal, which is a recent upgrade from a standard planner. I have a simple monthly spread complete with my five goals for that month, my content calendar for FemmeHead, a financial page to make my five money goals for the month as well as track all of my money coming in and going out each day. I have a brain dump where I put all of my ideas, things that need to get done, etc. I have a gratitude page because I think finding your sparkly bits each day is important. And then from there I have weekly spreads were I have a little weekly overview calendar for work, events, etc. a place for my five goals of the week and then I go into Monday with my tasks, etc. Having this bullet journal has been a life changer. I have been so much more productive and focused, it’s incredible. 

Keep your home tidy — Take time every single day to do a quick tidy. For me that is 15-30 minutes each morning where I make my bed, and then put any dishes, clothes, etc away from the day before. My mind functions so much better when I know there isn’t clutter sitting around my house. Right now we are going through some of Michael’s storage so there’s stuff out in the living room that can’t go back quite yet because we’re sorting through it and I’m really trying to not focus on it. I also like to take one day a week and do a deeper clean including vacuuming, wiping things down and doing laundry which can take like two or three hours, but it’s worth it. Just stay on top of it. 

Practice Minimalism — The above task is so much easier when you start with minimalism. Get rid of the crap you don’t want or need, and believe me there’s a lot of it when you’re first starting off. From there make sure every single item in your home has it’s dedicated spot, which makes cleaning easier. This isn’t about living in an empty white box with no belongings. I still have quite a bit of stuff, but it all has a purpose. I don’t keep things just to keep things. I only have stuff I love or need. And I’m not perfect at it, no one is. Don’t be hard on yourself because it’s process and often times it’s more about the journey. And minimalism has carried over into so many other aspects of my life — how I choose to spend my time, who I have kept in my life (friend wise), what I spend my money on, etc. Having less and doing less has allowed me to accomplish so much more in my life. 

Meditate — It’s something that I’ve wanted to add to my daily routine for years, but was unsuccessful for the longest time. It wasn’t until I discovered the guided meditation app, Headspace, that I was able to do it daily. [Not a sponsored post, I just really love the app]. It worked out so well in those first, free 10 days that I went ahead and got the yearly subscription. Doing this in my morning routine is one of those things that really sets me up for a productive, focused day. I feel much more level headed and open minded after I have done this in the morning. For others it may fit better into another time in their day but it works best for me in the morning. My routine is very important to me, and controls how the rest of my day goes. If I wait until bedtime to meditate it almost holds no power over anything, and I often fall asleep during it. 

Journal — I have been doing it for seven years, ever since I studied abroad in Thailand. It’s like therapy to me. And it’s a great way to document experiences, trips, and your life in general. I am able to read the thoughts and emotions of 19-year old Victoria and it’s such a weird, cool experience. And it helps remind me how far I have come if I’ve ever having a bad day. I journal in a few ways. I have a journal that is a bit more sacred than the rest which important thoughts, events and experiences go into. It’s not a daily thing. Something I do do every morning is write in my morning pages journal. It’s always just a random old notebook (I got a stack of them from my mom’s house) and it’s just three pages of streaming conscious thoughts. It’s a way for me to clear out all of the gunk from the day before, and it really allows me to be more clear and focused throughout the day when I don’t have those random thoughts floating around. And the final way I journal, is with my camera — filming trips, adventures and events that I want to remember or share. 

Lifestyle [diet, activities, sleep] — I used to eat cupcakes for meals, for days at a time. You can probably imagine the effect that had on me. Now, I keep a vegan diet and try and pack as many nutritious, unprocessed foods as possible into it. I’m not perfect and I do allow some wiggle room for the occasional junk food or dessert, but I focus on keeping it clean. I only partake in activities that will benefit and enrich my life. I have no issue with saying no. I don’t go out an party on the weekends, I don’t go out to eat frequently, those sort of things. And finally I keep a regular sleep schedule because I know how much sleep impacts my days. Some people can function off of four hours, I need eight. All of these things effect my energy, my body, my focus, motivation, everything. You have to respect your body and your mind, and make sure you are taking care of it through your lifestyle. 

Practice Gratitude — It was something that Michael introduced to me. I think even on our first date he was like, Ok let’s take a few moments to breathe and reflect on the day and then we’ll take turns sharing what moment we’re grateful for. And we still do this every now and then, but I do it on my own too. I have two pages every month in my bullet journal dedicated to my sparkly bits and every night I take a few moments to reflect on the day and find that moment I am thankful for. Doing this regularly just makes you a more optimistic, happy rainbows and unicorns sort of person. You start noticing moments throughout your days, and you’re like Oh, that could be my moment today. I don’t know it’s just a really cool process. 

Stay curious [never stop learning] — This may sound silly, but it’s something I live by. I think of everything I have taught myself and learned since leaving school and it’s astounding. If you have a question, find yourself the answer. If there’s something you’re interested in, go get a book from the library, research it online, watch videos, read blog posts and watch documentaries. I’m always searching to better myself. Not because I don’t like who I am or that I’m not proud of where I’m at in life, but just because I know there is so much that I still don’t know. And along these lines, don’t be afraid to reach out to someone. Even if you think there’s absolutely no way they would ever respond back, take the plunge and write them. I have connected to so many amazing people this way. 

Allow yourself to slow down during your period — Discovering the difference between the menstrual phases, emotionally and physically was a game changer. It all finally made so much more sense. When you listen to your body it’s amazing how much smoother it all goes. When I allow myself to slow down during my period and really just take it easy I am greeted with a happier period, less irritability, cramps, PMS, fatigue, etc. And when I take that time during my period to just kind of hermit myself off from the world I am rewarded throughout the rest of my cycle with more energy. You can only push yourself so far for so long before you’re going to crash and burn. Take the time to slow down, reflect on the past month, and think about what you want to accomplish in the coming month. 

Make time for friends + things outside of “work” — Especially when you start working for yourself, allowing yourself to stop working is a lesson that needs to be learned right away. I could waste away day after day tinkering around with “work” related tasks that really don’t need to be done and have no real impact on it all. Each day I pick out the top five things that I need to do that day to succeed and I tick those off first thing after my morning routine. Then depending where I am at in the day I will head to my brain dump page and see what else I can accomplish, but if I have to stop after those five tasks I will feel satisfied with my day. I allow my afternoons, and sometimes early mornings for friends and family. Whether that’s meeting up for a coffee or drinks and a movie, I try to meet up with people at least once a week. Because if not I would stay in my apartment and never leave. 

Phew, that was quite a bit wasn’t it, but these are some of the most important things in my life that I swear by. What are yours? 

Cleaning | Clutter Drives Me Bonkers

It’s true. It drives me nuts. I can’t think clearly. I have a really hard time focusing, and I am about half as productive as normal when I can see things out of place, or know that something is messy. 

And this is nuts considering I was once the girl who couldn’t see her bedroom floor because there was a layer of clothing covering the tile. I would dig through my “faux” carpet to find outfits and things I had lost. 

But I have started to become a bit anal when it comes to things being clean. Like right now, I have the dishes and such still out from making myself some coffee, and I keep looking over at it. I know in the back of my head that our bed isn’t made and that there are dirty clothes sitting at the bottom of my closet (I’m waiting on my new laundry basket to come in the mail). 

I have discovered that my brain just functions SO MUCH better when things are neat and tidy around me. 

It’s like writing my morning pages. I pull all of the gunk out of my head and put it onto the paper. And something about this process tidies up my mind, which then prepares me to stay focused and on task during the day. 

I also have noticed that if I’m stressed or having an uncomfortable conversation I start tidying up. It’s like a nervous, soothing tick I’ve developed. 

But it’s crazy to me, because I used to be the most unorganized, cluttered person. 

By no means am I at the level of going on the show "Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners”, but this has just been a big flip flop on my end. And I know OCD is not a laughing/joking matter, I would never dream of diminishing what those with OCD go through. 

I guess part of me is starting to feel like my mother, which is always a weird thing to notice. 

And I’m not mad about any of this.

No, quite the contrary. Becoming a tidy, organized person has revolutionized how I think, how productive I am — focused, creative, etc. I’m actually quite thankful that I have made this small habit change because it has helped me immensely with how much I am able to accomplish in a day’s time. 

This fits into my daily/weekly routine a few different ways. Firstly, I have found that I like taking 15-20 minutes every morning to do a quick tidy, which includes making the bed, putting away any clothes, and cleaning up anything in the kitchen that I missed from the night before. I also really enjoy a weekly deeper clean where I vacuum, dust and wipe things down. 

How do you tidy?