Life coaching
I had the pleasure of being a guest on the “How to Talk to Men” podcast with Tripp Kramer to talk about my favorite subject, minimalism and organization!
During our conversation, we delve into a sneak peek of my EXACT daily routine (and why you need one!) and the importance of having a solid note taking system. And, of course, a few random topics, such as tongue scraping and the reason I refuse to make my bed. (Thank you, Google!)
Click the button below to check it out!
A weird thing happens when I introduce myself as a minimalism and organization coach.
People instantly rat themselves out.
Typically, I hear one of two variations: “Oh, that’s awesome! I’m super organized!” or “I need you! I’m a mess!”
The people who identify themselves as organized are proud. Like a peacock, you can almost see them fan out their feathers and start strutting around. The ones who identify themselves as disorganized appear to cower in shame as if there is something wrong with them that they can’t get it together.
I just want to scream from the rooftops: IF YOU ARE DISORGANIZED, THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH YOU!
Being organized is not a permanent personality trait like hair color or height. (Ok, so maybe hair color is not that permanent.)
It is a learned skill that is not taught in school.
Sure, some people have a natural affinity for it, but anyone can do it!
So, if you are one of those people who identify themselves as disorganized, it doesn’t mean you are destined to a life of lost keys and late arrivals. It means that you haven’t learned the skill of organizing yet. That’s it.
With any new skill, you first acquire the knowledge, then you practice it, and finally you master it.
Organizing is no different. It is a six-step process that is easily learned and easily repeatable.
Stop telling yourself that you will always be this way because you’ve always been this way.
Create a new identity. You can be a peacock.
You can become an organized person tomorrow if that is what you decide and commit to. Having your shit together is not a birth right, it’s a CHOICE.
That is where coaching comes in. I will teach you the skills you never learned.
I have worked with hundreds of people who transform before my eyes. As their physical space transforms, their mental space transforms. They become confident, motivated, their self-esteem skyrockets. They stop feeling so overwhelmed and start feeling like they can take on life. They fan their feathers and strut around because it just feels so good.
If you want to learn, I can help.
I am not a magician. I cannot read minds, but I can tell you exactly what you value without ever speaking one word to you.
How is this sorcery possible, you ask?
Show me your calendar and your credit card statement.
No matter what you say, what you DO tells the real story.
What you spend your time and money on are your priorities. Period.
You may say you value your family and relationships, but your calendar shows that you spent an insane amount hours in the office last week.
You may say you value your health, but your treadmill is getting dusty and your credit card statement shows you’re a frequent visitor to Burger King.
You may say you want more time to pursue creative endeavors or recharge yourself, but you wasted the last hour watching cat videos on You Tube.
Don’t bullshit yourself.
Take out your calendar and credit card statement and give it a good hard look.
Does it align with how you want to live your life?
Are you proud of what you see?
If not, there is good news…anything can be changed in a moment!
All it take is clarity (which you now have) and a committed decision.
The very core of minimalism is getting clarity on what you value and then aligning your life to fit with that vision.
Don’t look back and have regrets.
If you need accountability, I can help.
P.S. Oh, and for the record, I can find a quarter behind your ear or make an entire plate of chocolate chip cookies disappear, but that is as magic as I get.
When I first heard about minimalism, I was totally turned off. One Netflix documentary after another was like “downsize your home” or “buy a backpack and fit all of your worldly possessions in it” or “sell your car.”
Just the thought of missing all those things made me want to get dressed up cute and go for a drive! So, I clicked off the documentary and thought, “Let’s see what’s on Bravo.”
I like having a large variety of clothes. I like the size of my home. I like buying books that I can hold in my hands.
I thought becoming a minimalist meant I had to get rid of all my possessions, downsize my home, and wear the same seven pieces of clothing on rotation. No thanks!
As a result, I originally dismissed it as something that is for tree huggers, not yours truly.
I stand corrected.
I was misinformed.
I am not sure when and where the lightbulb went on, but slowly, it became clear to me that minimalism was none of that.
What minimalism is really about is being in alignment with your values, and, consequently, your vision for your life…and then getting rid of everything that doesn’t support that vision. Stuff you don’t miss anyway. In fact, it’s all that excess stuff that is causing the problem to begin with.
I’m not referring to just physical possessions. This includes how you spend your time, the people you spend your time with, the way you spend your hard-earned dollars, how you take care of yourself, and on and on.
Each one of those things will move you closer to your vision or pull you further away from it.
However, it all starts with knowing what your vision for your life is! Something that not a lot of us take the time to stop and figure out. But, it’s kinda everything.
Once you know what you want out of life, everything becomes clear!
Decisions are so much easier.
You know where to go, what to do, who to do it with, what to wear while you’re doing it, and what to eat when you get hungry after doing it.
Once I understood the true meaning of minimalism, it changed everything!
It really wasn’t about giving up creature comforts at all.
It was about having clarity of direction in my life. Priceless.
So, I created my own definition of minimalism: everything in your life is your favorite and there is nothing in your life that is not.
This I could do!
Now, everything in my life is my favorite. I spend my time with my favorite people. I am surrounded by my favorite things. I drink out of my favorite coffee mug (see photo above). I write with my favorite pen. I spend my money on my favorite stuff. I wear my favorite clothes. I do my favorite activities. I eat my favorite food. I think my favorite thoughts.
And, if something is not my favorite, I say goodbye.
One caveat: If you have more than one child, please don’t apply this to your children. That could get dicey and you might incur large therapy bills later on. Plus, if you’re anything like me, the favorite title would change by the hour anyways.
TAKE ACTION: Pick one thing in your life that isn’t your favorite and get rid of it! It could be a coffee mug, a pair of shoes, a person, or an obligation. See how easy and freeing that is?!? You’re officially a minimalist. Now go hug a tree.