Maximum Gratitude, Minimal Stuff

Maybe you've done this too: Bought that cookbook because the diet it detailed would get you back on track to healthy eating and a healthier weight. Bought that exercise equipment because it would finally make working out fun, easy, and a permanent feature of your new, better, healthier life. Bought that trendy, stylin' athleisure because you need to look cute while pursuing your new active life. Bought that face cream, serum, skincare regimen, etc. because you want to look as good as you feel. Bought that water-filtering pitcher and stainless steel water bottle so you could hydrate yourself like the healthy, fit people do. Bought that gym membership, massage package, etc. for the same reasons as above. Bought that Bluetooth headset so you could listen to music or podcasts while you pursue your healthy life. Bought that YouTube subscription so you could listen to music and podcasts without so many pesky ads. Bought that meal kit subscription so preparing healthy food would be ea...

I awoke this morning to discover that I had left the back door unlocked.  All night, all of our belongings were freely available to just anybody – not to mention our sleeping selves! Now, I don't seriously believe we were in any danger.  I doubt that anyone creeps up to our apartment in the night to test if locks are open.  No one comes near. But we all do it, don't we – we lock, and double-check, on the slim and far-out chance that someday, someone might be looking for just such an opportunity. Not too attractive I'm fortunate to live in a fairly low-crime area, but even so, my husband Jon and I don't have much that would be attractive to a thief. Jon's bicycle, maybe – although it's about 15 years old.  He does take good care of it. Our TV and Blu-ray player, maybe – although the TV is a few years old and fairly small, and lots of people don't play any type of disc anymore. Our laptops, maybe – but they aren't in plain sight, and they're old enough...

We're all different, and we're all comfortable with more or less clutter.  Some of us lean more minimalist, and some of us don't.  But for most of us, when we improve our surroundings, we improve our state of mind.  When we make order in one area, we see more clearly in another.  When we clear out something that's messy and bothersome, we may be able to clear up a situation that's been giving us trouble. There's no one right way to be, of course.  We've achieved the right level of order when we can find what we need, function well in our space, and feel comfortable in our surroundings.  For some people, that requires zero (or near-zero) clutter.  For others, their tolerance is a little higher. Here are my top tips for getting control of the stuff in my life so that I can feel more in control of my life. Try these quick and easy actions 1.  Make your bed. It's the center of your bedroom, and it sets the tone not just for that space, but for your w...

If you listen to wealth managers, you'll think that growing your net worth is exciting.  I don't think money is exciting.  But saving money can be comforting, satisfying, and freeing. There are several unsexy ways to save money.  They won't rev your heart rate, but they can make life simpler and more secure.  Let's learn how they work. 9 savings strategies 1.  Eat the same meals every week. This habit makes your grocery shopping faster and easier, makes the cost more predictable, and it simplifies your kitchen chores!  Simply choose a couple of breakfasts, two or three lunches, and a half-dozen dinner options that you can rotate.  You'll never wonder what to fix, you'll save a ton of money over eating out or ordering in, and you'll waste less food.  (Wasted food is wasted money!)  Plus, if you're trying to follow any kind of special diet, keeping track of your carbs, calories, fat, or whatever becomes much simpler. Before you knock it, try it...

I know this won't work for everyone, but it does for a lot of people.  If you're feeling sad, worried, or overwhelmed, instead of trying to soothe yourself with something that might wind up making you feel worse (such as an extra glass or two of wine, a sweet treat, a TV or gaming binge, or an expensive shopping trip), try doing something that might actually make you feel better. After all, the antidote for feeling out of control isn't to abandon control.  Feeling upset is a reason to seek order and purpose, not to abandon them. My prescription A friend was angry with her boss, so she spent the afternoon cleaning out her office.  Sorting, tossing, shredding, making space, and finally organizing helped her calm down.  Plus, she loved her tidied, pretty work area so much that she proudly posted a couple of pictures on social media. The sense of satisfaction with a job well done will improve your mood, too, and increase your sense of competence and efficiency. This isn...

Yes, decluttering can take a lot of time.  It can be physically taxing.  It can even be emotional.  But these aren't the hardest things about it. The real challenge is the number of decisions that need to made, over and over, about everything you own.  You don't just need to handle all of your possessions – you need to decide what to keep and where to store it.  You need to decide what to discard, and how best to do that (sell, donate, recycle, trash). We all know that decision-making is fraught with peril.  It's not just fatiguing.  You start worrying that you're missing something important, or you get trapped in overthinking.  That's why we so often avoid making decisions.  Our aversion causes us to procrastinate, which is at the root of our clutter problem.  It just seems easier to shove something into the back of a closet and leave the decision for later – or never. Clutter is nothing more than postponed decisions. Barbara Hemphill T...