How is January 2018 going for you?  Did you make resolutions that you are currently taking action on? My new year’s resolutions are focused around the value of simplicity, and you can read about them here.  Less scrolling and less clothes are the areas I'll update you on today.

 

Less scrolling/screen time

While I’m not sure if my daytime scrolling habit is improving (I still am checking social media and email more than twice a day), I have been leaving my phone in another room when I go to bed.  This has made a surprising impact on the quality and length of my sleep, which leads me to believe that sleep and the internet do not mix. No more falling asleep with screen in hand, waking up at odd hours during the night, and waking up in the morning feeling exhausted.  I really cannot believe what a difference this simple change has made.

 

Upon waking, it is just me—a bit daunting.  No tools of distraction.  No minutes wasted checking this or that. A space has been created where I wake up and just lie there…noticing anxious thoughts…noticing tense places in my body…just noticing myself.

 

Less scrolling/screen time 2.0 looks like this: 1) checking social media and email intentionally only twice per day. 2) Upon waking, engaging my thoughts and body in some kind of morning meditation or exercise designed to gather and calm thoughts.

 

Less clothes

I went through my closet recently and took out batches of similar clothing (i.e., fitted button up shirts) and laid them on my bed, asking myself if I love each piece and wear it regularly.  I did put pieces back that I don’t necessarily love, but that’s okay for now.  Since I semi-regularly clean out my closet, there wasn’t a ton to get rid of, but I still ended up with a decent sized pile.  Physically taking every item of clothing out and hanging it back up in the closet helped me become aware of exactly what was in there.  Now I know what I have:

2 dresses, 3 coats, 2 skirts, 3 long sleeved shirts, 4 cardigans, 1 cozy sweater, 6 t-shirts, 3 dressy camisoles/tank tops, 3 scarves, 4 pairs of jeans, and 1 pair of dress pants.  This does not include the clothes in my dresser: casual t-shirts, hoodies/sweatshirts, leggings, pajamas, socks, and undergarments. 

 

It feels good to know exactly what I have, and to have similar items grouped together.  I had no idea that I own more cardigans than long-sleeved shirts (shouldn’t it be the other way around??).  And, I noticed that a few of the items I got rid of were purchased in the last 6 months for cheap, and it shows in the way they’ve held up quality-wise.

 

Knowing exactly what is in my closet reduces my decision fatigue when it comes to deciding what to wear and what to purchase.  Mentally, it feels like there’s more space in my brain.

 

Less clothes 2.0 looks like: 1) minimizing my dresser just like I minimized my closet. 2) I will not purchase anymore clothing for now.

 

Over to you...

How are you doing in your quest to live your best life?  If you made resolutions, are you still taking action?  My biggest tip for taking action is this: keep a hard copy of your resolutions in a frequently trafficked place to remind yourself of the direction you wish to be going.  Read it over daily.  Do not only have your goals listed, but the values behind them, your ‘why’.  For more on the importance of values backing goals, see this post. 

 

Here’s to living your best life possible!

 

Until next time,

 

 

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