It has been four months since my last post, and I missed this more than I could imagine. It isn’t that I have a lack of anecdotes or hilarious stories or crazy shenanigans that I want to share…it’s having the time and energy to get my thoughts on paper. I really enjoy the creative aspects of blogging and sharing the hilarity that follows my family and me. Sharing these things makes me feel like I am making a difference. Obviously not a huge difference but making someone smile or maybe making a fellow mom have less guilt in her life. Blogging is an outlet for me and helps me feel like my ideas and experiences are important. I wish there were more people out there sharing the realities of motherhood in a real way. Mine are just funny stories and thoughts but I feel sharing the realities of the difficulties of motherhood is something we can all relate too. I am hoping to continue this endeavor this year and accomplish so many other things too.
2023 is going to be a big year. I need to finish my Certified Financial Planner® courses and take the exam. I have a goal to lose 15 lbs. by eating better and becoming more active. I have a blog that I want to continue to grow and improve. I have also been writing a book for the last couple years on and off and I would like to get back to it. I have a lot that I want to accomplish, but I find that I don’t have the time or energy to do the things that I really want to do. I feel that I am a good time manager, but it seems that every weekend is packed full of obligations and errands and the stuff that we really don’t want to do, but have to like scrub toilets, buy groceries and rake leaves. My to do list is always longer than the day and I never get to the relaxing part, or the part where we have fun family time. I started thinking about the ways I spend my time and it occurred to me that I was always dealing with stuff. Physical stuff…toys, papers, clothes, décor, boxes of stuff I end up moving all around the garage or attic and re-boxing and re-organizing and so on. I decided that my word for 2023 would be “Simplify.”
According to Websters dictionary, simplify means to make simple or simpler such as: to reduce basic essentials, to diminish in scope or complexity ie. Streamline, and to make more intelligible or to clarify. What caught my eye about the definition was to reduce to basic essentials. I am pretty organized, and I feel like I am good about getting rid of items I am not using anymore. But when I started looking around my house, there were so many things that were there that I couldn’t really think of why I still had them. Why did I have every retirement account statement filed and every book I have ever bought on a bookshelf? Was there a reason to keep a closet full of clothes that were no longer my size? Do we need 15 hand towels? I realized that the reason I cannot pursue and accomplish the things I want to do is because my life is too busy researching, buying, paying for, maintaining, organizing, and looking for things that I don’t even need or care about. I spent my weekends cleaning and dusting, doing loads of laundry and organizing all of this stuff instead of enjoying my life and family.
I want freedom. Free time to be creative and write or take a hike as a family or have brunch with a friend. Freedom from financial constraints from buying stuff I didn’t need or 5 of something I do need. I have an entire 4 shelf cabinet in the garage that houses bottles and bottles of cleaners and disinfectants, sponges and rags, wipes and sprays. Why do I have enough cleaning supplies to clean an entire school? I had 50 pairs of underwear in my drawer. 50!I threw over half away as they were old and didn’t fit, but for some reason I felt I needed to hold onto them. As I looked around my house, I decided that in 2023 I was going get rid of all of the noise that was distracting me from my life.
I started with the file cabinet in the office. I purge it frequently so I thought there wouldn’t be much to get rid of. I pulled every single sheet of paper out of the cabinet only to discover that I didn’t need 2/3 of it. I had an entire tote of papers that I had to drag to my car. The funny thing is I really didn’t need or care about the things I was saving. The more I started to dig, the more I found I was so ready to part with. I filled two 55-gallon trash bags from my clothes closet. I had clothes, shoes, bags, and purses that I would never use again just sitting there taking up space. I took out each item and decided that I didn’t need 4 duffel bags or 8 pairs of high heels which are now dangerous for me to walk in. I got rid of everything I didn’t need and now all the clothes in my closet fit and aren’t worn out or out of style. I am on my way to simplifying my life and taking back my freedom. I plan to continue my progress throughout 2023.I am hoping my family will see the benefits and decide less is more. I will keep you updated on my journey and will share insights I discover along the way. I would also appreciate any advice or insights you can offer. Let’s make 2023 our year!