Restarting the Journey

As I rang in the new year, still shocked that 2025 has come around so quickly, I made the decision that I need to restart my journey towards a more minimalistic existence. A lot has changed since I last worked through this process. I still have my two Bernese Mountain Dogs, but I’ve added a cat, a partner, and have a baby on the way (due in March).

Sitting in the apartment I share with my partner I was struck with how much stuff we have; almost every surface is covered, we’re constantly cleaning up and putting things away, and nothing ever seems to stay organized. Although that’s been happening for a long time, I think with the new year, thinking about resolutions, and doing an apartment hunt to try and have enough space for the coming baby, I got hit over the head with a sense of overwhelm.

It’s important that I don’t minimize what my partner has, but so much of what we have is duplicative, we never use, or we could downsize if we thought about it. Plus, all of the things that I brought to the relationship that could be removed if I spent the time to process my feelings about all of it.

That’s why I have decided, in advance of my March due date, I am going to spend the next 60 days doing one thing every day that helps me to live more mindfully, and with fewer belongings. Whether it’s boxing something up to leave in the closet before I donate it, posting a product listing on Facebook, or even spending time at the library instead of buying a new book, I know that if I make one small change every day that it will cascade into big changes for my life, and the life of my child.