The New Year and Caring for Your Soul

The new year is a time of new beginnings when the slate is clean and we get to start over. It's the time when people are making goals, going on fitness programs, and deciding to start the year in a blaze of activity. 

Yes and...

It may not be that way for all of us. 

Some of us are in slow mode.

If you're like me, you don't want to do anything except take a nap, lie down, be quiet, and read a book. Raise your hand if you feel like this. 

It’s stormy and rainy in northern California right now and all I want to do is go slow and not think about what I "need" to do. 

Normally I have loads of energy and I'm ready to start the new year full-on with goals for what I want to achieve and do. I've usually figured out my word for the year to remind me to stay on track.

This year, not so much. I'm not motivated. At all. 

I decided to ask my future self (something I do every morning) about why I feel so slow and she said, "well, think about it, Jo."

The...

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Winter Solstice - How to Love the Longest Night of the Year

As the winter solstice approaches here in the Northern Hemisphere, let us take time to be still and focus on our inner being on this longest night of 2022,

This is a time to reflect on all that has happened in this past year and gain clarity for what lies ahead of us. 

Imagine for a few minutes letting go of the busyness of the holidays and being in listening mode rather than doing mode.

Listen to Mother Earth and what she says. Listen to your heart and what it says.

The darkness can be a time of deep reflection and pause 

Nature shows us her own form of rest as leaves fall away from trees so they can conserve energy during this season with little light or warmth. 

Though it may seem like we're losing the light right now, winter brings an invitation not only to observe but also receive, allowing ourselves moments where no plans need be made nor expectations fulfilled. 

EVEN THOUGH the holidays are here, we must remember how important...

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10 Tiny Decluttering Steps You Can Take Today

Clearing your clutter is a great form of self-care because all of the things no longer serving you are draining your energy and affecting your health.

If you take tiny steps to let go of excess stuff, you can make space for things you do want in your life.  

If you’ve been procrastinating on a home decluttering project, chances are that the reason behind your hesitation is feeling overwhelmed or just not knowing where to start. Those things can trip anyone up on the road to organization. When you find yourself stuck in a pattern of avoidance, the best method to change that pattern is to start with small tasks. Even doing just one little thing is progress.

To help you along your way, consider one of these dozen tiny decluttering steps you can take today. 

Clear Just One Surface

Clear your kitchen table. If that’s too overwhelming, choose a segment of your countertop. Make it a surface you see daily, and be sure to keep it spotless. 

Empty...

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Lies We Tell Ourselves About Letting Go Of Things

There are so many reasons why we don’t let go of our stuff. 

You know what I’m talking about…The things in our closets and drawers and our homes that don’t bring us joy, the things we don’t use, and the things that we’ve totally forgotten about. 

The THINGS that are clogging up and draining our energy. 

Here are just some of the lies we say to avoid clearing our clutter and letting go of it. 

  1. I’ll sell it later and make some money
  2. I paid so much for it, I can’t let it go
  3. I might need it someday
  4. I’ll start decluttering next weekend
  5. That was a gift so I have to keep it (even though I don’t really like it). 
  6. Clutter doesn’t affect me that much 

I’ll sell it later & make some money

We keep things aside to sell on sites like eBay, Craigslist, or Amazon Marketplace but then the stuff just sits around in our homes for weeks or months because of the time and effort required to...

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How To Tackle The Shame Of Clutter

I grew up in a home where if we discovered we had a guest coming to our house, it was a big deal. What was never really said out loud was that we couldn’t let them in the door until “the house was clean”.  We'd run around madly “cleaning” the house before a visit. 

Living in a cluttered home

Now I realize our house wasn’t actually dirty, it was just cluttered.

Our upstairs attic was filled with all the things that had been basically dumped there because no one seemed to know what to do with the stuff and we couldn't possibly throw any of it away. Because the unspoken rule was “we might need it someday.”

The thing I realize now is that no one talked about “it.” The clutter.  

Growing up with clutter

I grew up thinking everyone’s home was like this and that you just didn’t throw anything away. We had clutter everywhere and didn't think it was a problem. We just moved stuff around and hid...

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16 Ways To Declutter Your Digital Life Now

We need to be online so that we’re connected to work and social contacts. Yet being online seems to diminish our attention spans and take over our private lives. It’s a common catch-22 problem that needs to be addressed otherwise our brains become one with our computers. So here are 16 ways to declutter your digital life now without disconnecting. 

How To Approach Digital Decluttering

You can approach digital decluttering in a few different ways. You can begin slowly by taking a few of these tips below and starting to implement them into your daily life.  Or start with one tip then move on to another and another as you complete each one. Or you can take the “cold turkey” approach and unplug from everything, and then only add back digital elements that you truly enjoy back into your life, such as social media platforms or favorite apps.

No matter your approach, take some time to evaluate just how distracted you are with your digital...

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How to Handle Decluttering Overwhelm

The philosophy of minimalism is being embraced by people everywhere. It’s appealing to consider simplifying your life by getting rid of unnecessary physical possessions and concentrating instead on the experiences that bring fulfillment.

Except, for many, the actual process of lessening their load can be daunting, especially if you’ve accumulated years of stuff all in one place. For me, as someone who came from a long line of people who loved to keep things, it's a challenge even knowing where to begin.

Let’s make things more manageable and take a look at some specific ways that you can handle decluttering overwhelm. 

Know Your Why For Decluttering

In this world of chaos and unpredictability, it's easy to get lost in everything. Many people use the phrase, “Know your why,”  and it's used as a motivator to remind yourself of the reasons why you're doing anything. 

This same concept is essential for keeping you on-task when the...

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3 Powerful Reasons To De-Clutter Your Home

Clutter. It drives us all mad and if you're like me, the harder you try to deal with it, the worse it gets.

All that extra “stuff” in our lives does harm to our brains and our wellbeing. It’s a hot topic and for good reason. As a society in the western world, and the US in particular we have more stuff than ever before.

Our houses are bigger, our closets are bigger, yet every closet, the spare bedroom, and the garage is full of stuff. There's now an entire industry that’s grown around helping us deal with our clutter from stores that sell organizing solutions, to organizing and decluttering consultants, and even storage units that allow us to keep even more stuff that we don’t have room for. 

Clutter Is A Distraction 

If nothing else, all this clutter and all this extra stuff can be very distracting.

When was the last time you spent more than a couple of minutes trying to find something among all the extra things you’re...

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Letting Go Of The Fears That Hold You Back

When I worked in Alaska for 4 months in the winter of 2012, I learned the true power of overriding fear. I've never forgotten what it took for me to be able to have a one-of-a-kind adventure and what I learned from the experience. 

It was simply meant to be a Christmas present for my husband. He's a pilot and would rather fly than anything.

It’s one of those passions your spouse has that you say, “I’m glad you love being a pilot but not me. I'll stand on the ground and watch while you go up."

But I'm not married to that kind of man. He wants me to go with him, to share, to enjoy the experience with him. He wants me up there with him. Oh brother.

Flying over a mountain 

So when I told him that his Christmas present would be flying on a ski plane to Denali, the highest mountain peak in North America, he loved this idea. And quietly I added, I’ll be staying back at the lodge and taking pictures.

“Well,...

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When You Need To Take Back Control Of Your Life

I remember when my son was deployed to Afghanistan. It was the spring of 2008. 

I had no idea of what it would be like to be the mother of a deployed Marine.  

What it was:  8 months of wearing an invisible cloak of fear. 

As Andrew was packing up to leave, I tried on his gear and could hardly stand up. 

Letting go of control

I recently found the passage in my journal from that time that reads "this is the ultimate experience in letting go of control." 

I felt powerless about the announcement both my sons made one day 2 years before. 

They said, "Mom, we're going to join the Marine Corps." I burst into tears.

I felt powerless to change their minds. Helpless. No control. Scared. 

And when the news finally came that Andrew would deploy to Afghanistan my worst fears came true. 

When have you felt you had no control over your life?

Have you had events this year that were out of your control? 

If you've had the...

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