Got stuff? December is a month of joy, connection, and other wonderful things, but it’s also often a month of excess, especially when it comes to stuff.
If you are looking around your home today and thinking, “Where did all this stuff come from?” you are not alone. From presents to bargain shopping, decorations and impulse buys, your month of accumulating may overshadow your year of simplifying. Or at least that’s how it feels.
While you could take time to figure out how this happened and grieve the simpler days, the best way to get back on track is to take action. Why wait for January and continue to binge spend, eat, drink and accumulate? Instead, start small and dedicate five minutes to simplicity right now.
Take Five Minutes and …
Sort your stuff. You don’t have to hold onto things for months to know if it’s right for you. You know. Take five minutes and sort through your gifts and purchases. What do you love and want to keep? What can be returned? What can be donated?
Clean out your fridge. You might not be able to do a deep clean in five minutes, but you can dump the sweets and the fatty treats you purchased for the holidays. The buffet doesn’t have to last until the end of the year. Send leftovers into the office or down the drain.
Choose love. You can rework or start your love list for the new year in five minutes.
Be inspired. My book, Mini-missions for Simplicity is less than a dollar until the end of the year. Download it now and read in January to strengthen your commitment to live with less stuff and more purpose.
Unsubscribe. Instead of deleting the promotional emails coming from your recent shopping excursions, unsubscribe.
Share real gifts. Download the uncopyrighted image I made for you and give it to your friends as a reminder of what you truly want to give and receive all year long.
Donate five things. In five minutes, you can pull five things out of your closet to donate. How many winter coats do you really need?
The end of the year is exactly the right time to practice a life of purpose. That doesn’t mean a week of suffering or deprivation. It’s exactly the opposite. Wake up each morning hopeful instead of hung over, excited instead of regretful, and begin to welcome the promise of a brand new year.
