Milestones

Two months into this new decade and I’ve become acutely aware that this year will include some of the most precious milestones of my life. On February 17, my husband and I celebrated meeting each other thirty years ago. We decided to spend the following Saturday, a beautiful day, driving around upstate and retracing our steps from where we met, to the seedy bars we went to that evening. We stopped at our old apartments and even the marina where his parents used to have their sailboat. I was struck by how I remembered these places more by how they felt rather than how they looked. It was a magical walk down memory lane that could have easily been dismissed because we were too busy. I’m so grateful we took the time to share our memories with each other - because we each remembered different bits along the way.

On Earth Day, April 22, I’m launching my first book, Clear Space: How to Make Room for What Matters Most in Your Home & Life. It surprises me to say “first book” as this process has been overwhelming and believe me, I can’t imagine going through this entire process again. But I’ve already started thinking about other layers that would compliment this book and I know that as with approaching any project, the anticipation is always worse than actually doing the work.

A week later, I turn fifty. It makes me laugh because it just doesn’t seem possible. I certainly don’t feel my age. I don’t have any specific goals that I had expected to reach by this point and even though my business is eight years old, I still feel like I’m just at the beginning of my work. And still, there is a pause. It’s a time to reflect on who I’ve been and who I am becoming.

Passages of time can be marked in so many different ways: a birthday, a season, graduation, a quarter, a promotion, parenthood, an empty nest, a new relationship, divorce, death. Some people will do anything to avoid acknowledging these moments because it can be overwhelming. We have a deep fear of change and yet, we are always changing. What I’ve found is that by celebrating and honoring our milestones is what truly enriches our lives.

These markers also give us the opportunity to look at what’s holding us back from embracing who we’ve become. This requires a new way of looking at our lives. When we look through the lens of how the stuff we own either makes us feel good or bad, helps us or hurts us, lines up with our energy or drags us down, we can make new choices to keep our homes up to our evolution.

Reflecting on my own life, I can now see how my small shifts have added up: I use a bamboo toothbrush. I use toothpaste tablets instead of toothpaste tubes. I use silk dental floss. I stopped buying ziplock bags. I changed from plastic storage containers to glass and repurpose the old containers as drawer dividers and storage for other household items. I use certified therapeutic grade essential oils for all of my cleaning, both for my home and body. And the bonus of this change is that I haven’t been sick in over four years. I buy toilet paper and tissues made of bamboo or recycled paper. I no longer use any straws whatsoever and I USED TO LOVE THEM! I shop resale and own the least amount of clothing ever. While I’m not completely vegan, my meat consumption is zero and I’m motivated daily to keep my animal products to a minimum without feeling like I’m making a sacrifice.

I’m also reducing my newsletters from weekly to monthly as I find my inbox is always overflowing. I don’t want to be jamming your inboxes every week simply because one of my coaches told me to. These newsletters will be landing on every first Friday of the month setting you up with inspiration for the weekend and the month ahead.

I didn’t do this all at once, this is years in the making. By keeping in mind my values and ethics while objectively observing what changes could be easily made, has brought me to a place where I’m proud of myself, my home, and my decreasing footprint. It also keeps me on the lookout for other small shifts that may bring more peace of mind into my life.

So, which milestones are you celebrating this year? Is your home keeping up with your growth? What’s one simple change you can make today that will benefit both you and your values? Please share with me in the comments, I’d love to know!

Enjoy the rest of your March and I look forward to sharing more about the book launch and my book tour locations around the country next month.

Remember, keep like-with-like and less is always best!

xo