SIMPLIFY // 2015

Happy 2015. 

I have officially given up on writing New Years resolutions.

For me, choosing a word at the beginning of the year helps me reflect on the previous year and look forward. Evaluate where I am currently. Use that self reflection to map out where I want to go from here. How I want to grow. 

Last year I chose the word CREATE for my word of the year. Though I did not create in the way that I originally intended, I could not have chosen a better word for last year. 

This year, I have chosen the word SIMPLIFY. 

Earlier this year I realized that I was purchasing things I didn't need -- using money I didn't have -- in an attempt to fill a void inside of myself. The world online was full of things to buy. Things you NEED. Between Pinterest and fashion blogs I was sure that the right pair of ankle boots (or skinny jeans or leather jacket) for me was out there and that I needed it. Needed it to be happy. I couldn't afford one pair of designer boots so I would buy three pairs of cheap boots instead. I was buying clothes on a weekly basis. Cheap and poorly made clothes. All to fill a void that I didn't even know I had and that I still can't completely explain. I easily could fill baskets full of clothes at Forever21. Clothes that I knew would shrink after one washing... but I didn't care. Shopping became a mild form of self medication. 

Partway through the year I became transfixed with the tiny house movement. I became almost obsessed with the idea of scaling down. Of living a minimalist lifestyle. I realized that I had been filling my life with things. Things I didn't need and didn't have room for in my small townhouse. The things around me began to feel heavy. I was able to step outside of myself and see what I was doing. I felt alone and surrounded by things. 

However, I wasn't able to stop buying things right away. But I started buying less. I started being more conscious of my purchases. I began searching out higher quality items. I tried to not shop out of boredom. It's a slow change. 

Now, in 2015, I intend to sift through what I have. I want to cut down on the things that I have collected over the years. Keep what I need and donate what I don't. I want the things around me to stop being a weight. I want the focus on be on the people in my life rather than the things. The time I spend and the relationships with those people.

"Time is a non-renewable resource."

-Tiny: A Story About Living Small

I want to SIMPLIFY. 

Unload. Mentally and physically. Push back on the consumerist world. Slow down. Breathe. 

I know that I also want to simplify other aspects of my life. I'm not sure what specifically that looks like right now, but 2014 was able to surprise me so I know 2015 will too. 

I probably won't ever be able to simplify how wordy these posts tend to be, but that's probably okay. I'll start with simplifying my closets. 

Conquer one mountain at a time.