Like all good addicts, I denied I had a problem for a long time. I checked my email before I got out of bed because “the light from my phone keeps me from falling back asleep.” I spent the entire work day in my personal and work email. I was constantly checking both inboxes – and getting distracted by the influx. I thought if I kept my inbox under 10 emails, then I clearly didn’t have an email addiction problem.

In March I am going to break my email addiction and be more productive and less scattered.

The Rules

I will check my email at 2-3 predetermined scheduled times throughout the day so I stop interrupting my work flow.

I will not check my email on my phone (unless I am for some reason away from my computer during one of those scheduled times and it can’t wait until I get home).

I will not check my email on weekends. Period. No email from Friday night at 6 p.m. until my first scheduled time on Monday morning.

The Desired Outcome

I am going to spend more time on the tasks that matter. I am also going to stop my habit of checking my email when I can’t do anything about any of the messages I receive. The weekend should not be spent worrying about tasks that can’t get done until Monday anyways.

My trial run this past week proved that this is going to be hard. Really hard. I’m not really breaking one habit, I’m breaking many. To make it easier, I am closing out of my inbox on my computer when I’m not supposed to be checking/responding. I also moved my email app off the main page of my phone and into a folder so I can’t click on it without thinking.

Want to join me but need a bigger push? Try this.

I can be a “control freak.” I can plan out my day in 15 minute increments. I love having a training plan that will take me 12-14 weeks into the future. I like knowing where I’m going to be tomorrow and two months from now.

The past few months have been a crash course in letting go of control.

My body runs the show right now with little input from the rest of me on the matter. I want to run and be healthy enough to hike. I have dream times I am desperate to run for. I want to get a running coach and get started today.

But my ankle has other things in mind, and right now, I’m just along for the ride.

Right now I have the incredible opportunity to pursue what calls to me. What I dream about at night. What I wake up excited to do.

Please don’t get me wrong, I am so grateful and excited for the opportunity, but I’m also reeling from the quick change. I don’t have a set routine right now. I don’t go to the same place and sit at the same desk every day for work. I don’t know what job or career will help me pounce out of bed every morning.

The choices start to be overwhelming. There are so many paths and it can be paralyzing to choose the right one.

Instead of sitting around feeling like my life is careening out of control, I’m taking it one step at a time. I’m letting go. I can’t control every little thing. I’m actively changing my life, but I’m also following the tides.

I’ve been making my own laundry soap for years. I gave up store-bought detergent before eco-friendly options were on the market to cut the chemicals and give my sensitive skin a break.

While there are more options these days, I like that I know exactly what goes into my soap and it saves me money to make my own – a lot of money when compared to scent-free, dye-free, biodegradable, harsh-chemical-free detergent.

For the past year or so I mixed up my recipe and started using castile soap bars instead of Fels-Naptha. My clothes are just as clean, and my lungs are so much happier. My laundry soap now has even fewer ingredients and no longer includes things like unsustainably harvested palm products, talc, fragrance, and red 40.

Homemade castile laundry soap ingredients

1 castile soap bar (makes about 2 cups grated soap)
1 cup washing Soda
1 cup borax

You can make as much as you would like at a time. The basic recipe is 1/2 cup each of borax and washing soda per 1 cup of slightly packed grated soap. This isn’t baking, so you don’t have to be exact.

To make the soap, grate the bar with a fine cheese grater until you are left with what looks like a pile of tempting parmesan. (Or if you are awesome like my mom, pop it in your food processor with the grater attachment and be done in a minute.) Once you are done, measure out your soap and add the appropriate amount of borax and washing soda. Mix it together and you’re good to go!

Directions

Use 1 tablespoon per load for a front-loading washer and 2-3 tbs. for top-loading. I like to use a medicine cup to quickly measure.

Since the temperature has dropped and I’m unfortunately stuck with a less efficient washer, I have been dissolving my soap in a cup of hot water before adding it to my laundry. If you wash in cold water with a large top-loader, you might want to do the same to make sure that your soap is getting mixed in well.

The Minsgame was the perfect start to the new year. I didn’t have to spend the first few weeks of January trying to clear out the clutter. Instead, I started the new year reflecting on the process and where I am now.

What I learned

1. I crave a clean, clear, organized space. I knew this already, but this project really solidified my goal.

2. It’s easy to fill a recently emptied space. Over Christmas break I really wanted to paint. When I went home for Christmas I got all of my old art supplies. And haven’t touched them since.

3. No matter how tough the decision, I haven’t regretted getting rid of a single item.

4. It’s hard to keep my dresser and book shelf tops clear, even after everything I got rid of. This clutter makes me feel unhappy and ironically spurs me to get rid of more things, never what’s piled up there.

5. Out of sight, out of mind. When I grabbed the overflowing bag of clothes I was going to sell at a local store, I couldn’t remember what was in it anymore.

6. Decluttering is time consuming! I spent hours throughout the Minsgame going through stuff, and I really only have my room, part of a bathroom, and a single kitchen cabinet. It was exhausting!

7. People are really supportive. My friends, family, and roommates were interested and encouraging. Even though they hadn’t heard of the Minsgame and they weren’t interested in doing it themselves (yet), they did what they could to help me.

8. I didn’t have to make it to the end to be successful. I heavily culled the things I owned and I transformed the game into something that challenged me while still being achievable.

9. “Decluttering” is a dangerous word. It makes me feel inadequate and like I’m not trying hard enough. Every time I hear it I think I should obviously keep getting rid of things. If other people are still removing possessions, I should be too! These 30 days really hammered home that I need to take a step back and be happy with what I have right now, even if it’s more than I absolutely need.

Stats:

I got rid of more than 268 physical items and thousands of digital files.

Moving Forward

I’m taking January off. No reading about decluttering, no daily digging through my drawers for something to rid of. Decluttering has become a type of obsession for me. It’s time to take a step back and finally reap the benefits – more room, a little extra cash, and more mental space.

I’m living with what I have this month. Nothing in, nothing out… okay, I’m not intentionally looking for things to toss out. To make this easier, no reading anything with “decluttering” or “organizing” on it. No stalking #minsgame. No Magic. Just embracing what I have and letting it be enough.

In case you missed it:

Week One
Week Two
Week Three
Week Four

Have you tried the Minsgame or something similar? How did it go?

Throughout the year I stockpile clothes I’d like to sell. Somehow I even end up collecting clothes from friends and family. When I finally can’t take it anymore, I bring the whole lot in and try to sell it all at once. Each time I reminded how to better sell my clothes.

10 tips for selling used clothes

1. Pay attention to season! Used clothing stores don’t want your winter clothes the first day of spring. This takes some planning ahead. Go through your clothes before the start of the season and sell then.

2. Quality matters. Unfortunately your cheap scores or pieces on the verge of falling apart aren’t going anywhere. Look for quality pieces that will last both when you are shopping and selling. Stores want used pieces that hold up and still look new.

3. Trends fill the shelves. I am not a trendy person. I rarely buy anything that would be considered trendy. Often when I bring in a bag full of basics the stores tell me they are looking for pieces that are in trend that second. If you do have something that’s currently popular in your closet that you aren’t sure of, sell it now!

4. Specialty shops are a great resource for items like prom dresses, designer pieces, and more expensive pieces. You will likely get a better price and have an easier time getting someone to take them. The only downside is that these places know exactly what they want, and your item might not fit their current needs.

5. Don’t be afraid of the garage sale. Sure, you have to lower your prices (and actually spend the time to sell them yourself), but you have a much greater chance of selling things off season and in bulk. Similarly, you an also do virtual version like a closet swap or Instagram sale with your online community.

6. Pay attention to what the store is selling. If it’s all summer dresses, your wool coat probably won’t be taken. Many used clothing stores have handouts of what they are looking for. You can also just call and ask if they don’t.

7. Be realistic. Every time I go to sell my clothes I imagine how much I’m going to get for them. I get giddy with the excitement of “getting money back” out of clothes I never wore or regretted purchasing. And it never works like that. It’s hard to remember that used clothes aren’t the same as buying new. And unless you are selling it directly on eBay, you are only getting a cut of the profits.

8. Form a relationship with a local shop. It’s much easier to sell things and get more for them when you know your local shop and they know you. They will start to know your style, how you treat your clothes, and that you are a loyal customer. Bonus, you might also get inside tips about new pieces hiding in their shelves that would be perfect for you.

9. In my experience, my local shops have offered me more per item and bought more of my stuff than any online used clothing store. The convenience of being able to just mail in my clothes and be done with it is great, but when they only end up buying a handful of pieces from the 30 you sent in, it’s frustrating.

10. If you’re willing to put in the work, eBay or other direct selling apps like Poshmark might be your best bet. I get much more per item when I sell them individually on eBay, but it takes far more time to take the pictures, set up the posting, and ship it afterwards.

When I sat down on New Year’s Eve to reflect on the past year and think ahead for the coming one, I was at a bit of a loss. I couldn’t remember the resolutions or goals that I had set the year before (if I did). Instead, I wrote pages of quick notes about my memories from the year and what matters to me right now.

The more I wrote, the more I realized I didn’t want to set out to change a habit or hit a mileage goal or give up sugar. It just didn’t feel right this time around.

I’m setting intentions, not resolutions.

I want to give myself focus and a way to prioritize the things I do. I grew a lot last year, and I really tapped into what makes me happy. I want to continue some things, and dive deeper into others.

So this year, I’m all about priorities or focus. I’m not making new goals or resolutions. They aren’t measurable or tightly defined. At least not to start. There may be times where I do something like the 30-day writing challenge that does give a measurable task, but overall these will be my touchstones, my guiding purpose.

My intentions for 2016: Creativity, health, simplicity, and adventure.

This year I want to make more time for my creativity. I want to do more of the things that made me happy last year, and explore the things that left me feeling at peace and fulfilled (like journaling and blogging more).

On top of that, I’m starting the year with a healing ankle and a deep desire to better nourish and care for my body. The things my body can do bring me a ton of joy and a sense of self. Once I’m healed up, you will certainly find me building my base so I can run and lift to my heart’s desire.

I plan to continue to simplify my life and make more time for the things that get me talking too fast and unable to control my excitement. I want to avoid the trap of busyness and consciously choose what fills my time (and brain).

Mini-trips, across-the-world travel, trying something new – they all fall into adventure. I want to keep pushing my comfort zone and exploring the world around me. I want to say yes to the things that scare me, and make it to a bucket-list destination (or two).

Where to start

Want to set some intentions for yourself? I suggest:

1. Give yourself 5-10 minutes to write down all of the things you remember from the last year.

2. Take 2-3 minutes to look over what you wrote and pick out the things that came up a lot and made you happy.

3. Jot down all of the things you would like to focus on this year.

4. Pick out the ones that are the most important to you and assign them to a category or defining word.

It’s so easy to hoard digitally without realizing it. Files from college (guilty), blurry photos, emails from the past decade – they all add up.

After taming my physical clutter, I was ready to go after my online life. For the past few years I have made sure to keep my work and personal email inbox clear, but I couldn’t tell you the last time I cleared out my folders or archive.

The process took a lot longer than I expected. I spent hours (many hours) cleaning out cloud-based file storage, emails, and more.

Here’s how I tackled my digital declutter:

1. Online File Storage

I went through every entry in my Evernote and deleted every file from my Dropbox account (all 10 of them). I also sorted through my Google Drive and made sure everything worthy of being saved was in a folder. While tedious, this one had an immediate feeling of accomplishment.

2. Computer

I put this one off to be honest. When my computer died the last time, it was stuffed to the brim with files from high school and college. So instead of dealing with any of it, I slapped it all on my external hard drive and called it a day. Which is about how long it took me to get through it all. The high school work got the easy boot, but sorting through my stuff from college, and in particular anything I have had published, was a pain.

I saved more than I would have liked, but I had doubts about getting rid of notes and contacts for stories I have had published. It’s something I am going to keep coming back to when I have time.

3. Phone

I don’t have a ton of apps, but I deleted the few left that I hadn’t used in a while. I also backed up my phone and deleted a ton of photos and old notes. I cleaned out all of my missed calls, old voice mails, and deleted a ton of text messages/conversations (you’re never going to go back and read them all. Really). Since I use Spotify and I can listen to stuff offline through the app, I deleted the music I had put on my phone… and temporarily filled it with new podcasts to listen to.

4. Email

This was where I started. It was easy to clean out each inbox and then go through my folders one by one when I had a couple of extra minutes. I could delete emails in line at the grocery store on my phone, while watching tv, or in meetings at work. I cut all of my accounts at least in half, and it is so much easier to find things now. Bonus tip: your sent folder is stuffed with things you don’t need.

I also don’t have a lot of unnecessary email coming into my personal account (work is a whole other thing thanks to PR databases that let companies spam me with unwanted press releases and other junk). If you get hundreds of emails a day, I highly recommend unsubscribing from the things you don’t need/enjoy. I’ve also created filters for emails I have to hold on to, but that don’t need my attention (likely daily data reports and the like). I’ve also created filters for people who tend to send me chain mail and other things so I can scan through them all at once instead of having them jam my inbox.

An empty inbox makes it easier for me to focus at work and for emails to not bog me down. I never have to apologize for missing an email and I rarely forget to get back to someone with this system.

5. Social Media

I went through my Pinterest and deleted pins I’m no longer interested in or that I have cooked and didn’t turn out. This was an easy place for me to start because I don’t have any attachments really to my pins. From there I tried to delete my Tumblr account (and failed to get in after multiple attempts to reset my password. I gave up. It’s as good as gone if you ask me).

I hardly spend any time on Facebook, mostly because my feed is full of ads and weird videos I’d rather not see. I thought about massively cutting the amount of friends I have on the site, but I use it more as a way to be able to find someone and get in contact with them again in the future than a way to share my personal life. In other words, Facebook is the email I never use, but I’m glad I have when I want to reach out to someone from elementary school (or college).

Instead, I went to this link and moved the majority of my Facebook friends to “acquaintances.” I have yet to actually go to my feed to see the impact… but it’s nice to know it’s all cleaned up now.

On Instagram I took a quick look at the people I follow and I made sure they add value to my life. Lately I spend most of my social media time on Instagram, and I’d rather not waste it or spend excessive time. I’m also trying to be extremely conscious about who I follow and why in the future.

6. Photos

It turns out I had a lot of weird screen shots and other things I don’t actually need. I didn’t delete much here and I ran out of time to organize them like I had planned, but everything is off my phone and computer, which is great.

7. Browser

It only took a couple of buttons to clear all of my cookies, browsing history, and I don’t know what else in Chrome.

I got rid of thousands of files that were being invisibly hoarded. Not only will my devices likely run faster, but it’s easier for me to find what I’m looking for.

While I didn’t get the grand feeling of staring at a pile of things going away, a clean and organized device feels an awful lot like a newly minimized drawer.

Yesterday I fell down the blog black hole of year in reviews. There’s something comforting about reading about other people’ triumphs, travels, milestones, and struggles. A year is a long time, and yet it often feels like it flies.

I started jotting down the memories that stood out to me the most from 2015, and I realized just how much time it was. 2015 was an amazing year – it had some lowlights, but it had even better highs.

My 2015 highlights

I went to Spain! My first time out of the country (sorry, Canada, you don’t count).

I got strong. Real strong. My ankles healed, I built up my fitness, and I dove head first into olympic lifting and running.

I wrote a TV commercial… still weird to say. And begged Adam Savage to come play with us.

I made it through my first full training cycle without an injury… twice!

I hit a major half marathon PR that has me ready for more.

Minimalism was no longer something I just thought about a lot. I cut back on the time I spent watching tv, cleaned out the excess stuff and obligations out of my life, and made finding my essentials a priority. A touchstone.

I fell in love with writing all over again, and recommitted to my creativity.

In May I celebrated a year at my first full time job. Plus sprinkled in a little freelancing to indulge my other interests.

I moved closer to work, and experienced the joys of a shorter commute and more time for the things that truly matter to me.

Went camping twice, thus tripling the amount of times I had been camping in my life.

I started the year with a mild concussion and ended it with a massive sprained ankle. But winter is for resting, right?

Maybe I didn’t hit my original goals. 2015 might not have started off quite as I had hoped. There were times where I was disappointed, where tears were shed. But looking back, I remember 2015 as a year of taking risks. As a time of going all in on the things that I loved. As an adventure. Happy.