Hey there! 

Welcome back. Hopefully, you have already read Pt. I, as we will be jumping off from there. This is week two for me on this journey. Last week I restrained myself to completing only the first two steps towards a more minimal lifestyle:

Task one: Define goals and your why. 

• Reduce mind clutter: Do you ever walk into a room that just has too much stuff? Maybe it is not a typical reaction, but that makes me anxious. Not to mention, if it is my space filled with my belongings, I remember all of it. Maybe it is "mom brain," but you can ask me where almost anything is, and I can tell you in great detail where it is. Hole punch? In the office, to the left of my office chair, third drawer down, next to the tape dispenser and behind the mini binder clips. See what I mean? Mind clutter. Couldn't that brain processing capability be used for something grander than a running catalog of all the stuff in the house? 
• Reduce physical clutter: I want every inch of my house to be photogenic. Behind every door, under every piece of furniture, and in every drawer. Is that realistic? Probably not, but I can have goals. 
• Give purpose to items not being used: I anthropomorphize most inanimate objects, so I feel bad for anyone not being loved and appreciated. I am in possession of far too many neglected baubles. Plus, if it isn't broken, someone else probably needs it. 
• Reduce stress: A messy and dirty space makes me anxious and full of tension. It is a burden that I put on my own shoulders that I am trying to train myself out of, but until I do, I do not want to feel guilty for reading a book instead of dusting. 
• Create more time: Do you know how many interests I have? Far more than I have time for. On the same note as above, I don't want to feel like I *should* be cleaning or dusting, but instead have that time back for things that foster personal growth or relationships. Or more recipes. 
• Reduce annual spend: I have massive financial goals for the next few years, and something has to change for me to reach them. Reducing the amount I spend is the simplest way to speed up the process. I also need to increase my intake, but that is a different story. Please comment below if you'd like to know how I plan on doing that. Or if you have advice!

Task two: Prioritize
Make a list of areas that are important to you. Those areas will not be purged, or only slightly.

For example, I have an extensive recipe book collection. I doubt that very many of those will need to go. They all bring me joy! 

{In no particular order}

•  Recipe books {Remove ones that are not healthy, not used in last 12 months, and meat based}
•  Shoes
•  Dog Toys
•  Baking & dishes
•  Makeup & Skincare {Determine areas of interest. Purge the rest}
•  Some art supplies {Repeat from above}

Before moving on to this week's tasks, let us take a moment to check in on the process: I am still very eager to get this process underway and struggling to maintain a slow and methodical pace. How are you feeling? 

Alright! This week's tasks will continue on the planning scope of the project. 

Task three: Make a list
Develop a plan or checklist of all of the locations or areas in your home/life that you want to go through. Once you have the full list, go through and number them in order of either priority or by importance. Typically, I like to put the hardest areas at the top of the list. I tend to be a procrastinator, so putting off the areas I do not want to do, isn't always the wisest. However, this can be a double-edged sword. If you put the more difficult thing at the beginning, you may find that it depletes your excitement and energy for the project before you can complete your first win. Keep this in mind as you go through the list and maybe try to alternate priority with easy wins. We want to make this a sustainable process, not a mad dash or something so daunting that we never get to the finish line. 

To create my checklist, I referenced Pick Up Lime's 30 days to Minimalism {link to her pdf} list and made it work for my use. Sadia has some excellent tips included in hers, as well. I highly recommend her blog. It is very informative and as well as gorgeous! I happily stumbled upon her site while watching YouTube videos about minimalism. 

Task four: Stay inspired!
It is easy to get bogged down in the nitty-gritty. To keep up the energy, I like to continually bombard myself with the message I want to soak up. I have followed Instagram hashtags on minimalism and organization, as well as joined groups on other social media platforms, and even created a mood board on Pinterest. 

Task five: Keep it upbeat
Take the list of task one and make positive goals out of them. This will add to task four's inspired theme. Positive reinforcement will help root this new lifestyle choice in our minds and make the practice that much more comfortable. Once you have your list, I recommend printing or writing them out and placing them somewhere where you will see them daily, if not multiple times a day. 

That concludes the planning stage of this endeavor! Take your time. Make several drafts if you need to. This is a process, and you are doing this for yourself, no one else (although, everyone will probably benefit). Perfection isn't practical, so focus on making sustainable and repeatable steps. 

Next week we will start checking off that checklist! Excited? Me too! 

XO Amanda

PS: I love to hear from you! Let me know how the process is going for you. I would like this to become a community, as life is much more vibrant and more rewarding when shared with others. Your insight and experiences will help me make this process better going forward!