capsule wardrobe
How much value do you actually hold in your possessions?
This past 8 months, every day I've written down how much I've spent each day, and calculated it at the end of every week and month. Tracking your spending this closely really puts into perspective the amount that you actually spend/waste and means you can't just think about something else whilst the cashier tells you the total cost, and hold your contactless card out at arm's length to cover up the little card machine screen...(definitely not speaking from experience...).
This sense of perspective, regarding how much you know is coming into your account and how much has wriggled its way out by the end of the month, puts your mind into a much more money conscious state, and makes you think twice about every lipstick you buy. And whilst I agree it isn't healthy to be constantly worrying about money, there are things that you can do to avoid this unnecessary spending and collecting:
- start a capsule wardrobe
- simplify your skincare and makeup bag - you only have one face
- switch to audio books or ebooks
- rent films instead of buying them or going to the cinema
- meal plan to avoid wasting food
- invest in quality items that don't need replacing as quickly
This being said, if you are a natural hoarder, you might want to allow yourself one outlet - for me, it's books. I know that by summertime I'll have to ship them all back to England, but it's my one little collection that helps me feel at home here.
Now, with all of the extra cash you've saved from not buying that new Charlotte Tilbury lip shade, or that Topshop dress, you might have enough for that trip you've been wanting to go on, or that new restaurant you've been wanting to try; because I guarantee that the experience of either of these things will be much more rewarding and memorable than going back to work again tomorrow wearing your new expensive lipstick.
This being said, if you are a natural hoarder, you might want to allow yourself one outlet - for me, it's books. I know that by summertime I'll have to ship them all back to England, but it's my one little collection that helps me feel at home here.
Now, with all of the extra cash you've saved from not buying that new Charlotte Tilbury lip shade, or that Topshop dress, you might have enough for that trip you've been wanting to go on, or that new restaurant you've been wanting to try; because I guarantee that the experience of either of these things will be much more rewarding and memorable than going back to work again tomorrow wearing your new expensive lipstick.
How to reboot your life and have a fresh start, and knowing when to do so:
Sometimes you just feel stuck in a rut and completely lacking motivation. You've been doing the same things, the same way, in the same environment for too long, and the cogs in your brain start to get a little rusty and sluggish. Sometimes you have to hit the reset button on your life: switch up your routine, experience new things, update your living space and mindset.
Step 1 - Empty your brain
The first thing you have to do is do a brain dump and get your thoughts down on paper, sweep out the cobwebs and find out what's lurking in that noggin of yours. Take the biggest piece of plain paper you can find (or just go ahead and grab a sheet out of the printer) and write down everything that comes to your mind. Everything. Everything that is worrying you, everything that is making you happy at the minute, any questions your brain has; write anything you can think of, even if it sounds silly to you.
Step 2 - Find your reasons and solutions
For all of the positive things you wrote down, write the reason why it makes you happy or brings you joy; for all of the negative things you wrote down, write a solution to the problem. By thinking so logically like this, putting it on paper, and almost separating yourself from it, it makes it so much easier to find a way to fix the things that are bothering you. This sheet is now your Holy Grail. Treasure it, stick it on your fridge, frame it if you really like - and whenever your brain feels messy again, come back to it - see it as a cheat sheet for your brain.
Step 3 - Find motivation
This is the part where you need to look externally. Find podcasts, books, blogs - anything that looks like it will point you in the right direction. Here are some things I recommend you check out:
Book - Your Inner Critic is a Big Jerk by Danielle Krysa
Podcasts - Jess Lively's The Lively Show
- Tiffany Han's Raise Your Hand and Say Yes
Step 4 - Create new values
So this is something I got from Jess Lively and it serves as a really nice reminder to keep me grounded in my everyday decision making. Basically, you need to create statements that represent your intentions regarding each area of your life (eg work, social, free time, possessions): so this could be something like surround yourself with people that inspire you. Once you're done, stick it on your fridge, or somewhere where you'll see it every day.
Step 5 - Mind over materials
It's time to dust off your Marie Kondo books and get to work. If you've never read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, then now is the time to do exactly that. I know I bashed it a bit in my 2016 book reviews, but if there's any time to get familiar with this book, it's when you're having a life refresh. So pull everything out of the cupboards and get organising. While you're at it, you might want to take up doing capsule wardrobes, something I have been doing for the past year, and has made choosing outfits so much easier and saved so much time (and money).
Step 6 - Make a list of everything you've been meaning to do but have been putting off
Whether it's to do that load of washing or go on a trip to the south of France, big or small, make a list of everything you want to do and haven't had the chance to. Seeing this written down is going to give you a sense of direction and the opportunity of a whole host of new experiences.
You get bonus points if you wake up an hour earlier tomorrow and spend that extra hour working on ticking things off your list - getting the small tasks done and planning for the bigger ones.
Photo: Malasaña, Madrid
Step 1 - Empty your brain
The first thing you have to do is do a brain dump and get your thoughts down on paper, sweep out the cobwebs and find out what's lurking in that noggin of yours. Take the biggest piece of plain paper you can find (or just go ahead and grab a sheet out of the printer) and write down everything that comes to your mind. Everything. Everything that is worrying you, everything that is making you happy at the minute, any questions your brain has; write anything you can think of, even if it sounds silly to you.
Step 2 - Find your reasons and solutions
For all of the positive things you wrote down, write the reason why it makes you happy or brings you joy; for all of the negative things you wrote down, write a solution to the problem. By thinking so logically like this, putting it on paper, and almost separating yourself from it, it makes it so much easier to find a way to fix the things that are bothering you. This sheet is now your Holy Grail. Treasure it, stick it on your fridge, frame it if you really like - and whenever your brain feels messy again, come back to it - see it as a cheat sheet for your brain.
Step 3 - Find motivation
This is the part where you need to look externally. Find podcasts, books, blogs - anything that looks like it will point you in the right direction. Here are some things I recommend you check out:
Book - Your Inner Critic is a Big Jerk by Danielle Krysa
Podcasts - Jess Lively's The Lively Show
- Tiffany Han's Raise Your Hand and Say Yes
Step 4 - Create new values
So this is something I got from Jess Lively and it serves as a really nice reminder to keep me grounded in my everyday decision making. Basically, you need to create statements that represent your intentions regarding each area of your life (eg work, social, free time, possessions): so this could be something like surround yourself with people that inspire you. Once you're done, stick it on your fridge, or somewhere where you'll see it every day.
Step 5 - Mind over materials
It's time to dust off your Marie Kondo books and get to work. If you've never read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, then now is the time to do exactly that. I know I bashed it a bit in my 2016 book reviews, but if there's any time to get familiar with this book, it's when you're having a life refresh. So pull everything out of the cupboards and get organising. While you're at it, you might want to take up doing capsule wardrobes, something I have been doing for the past year, and has made choosing outfits so much easier and saved so much time (and money).
Step 6 - Make a list of everything you've been meaning to do but have been putting off
Whether it's to do that load of washing or go on a trip to the south of France, big or small, make a list of everything you want to do and haven't had the chance to. Seeing this written down is going to give you a sense of direction and the opportunity of a whole host of new experiences.
You get bonus points if you wake up an hour earlier tomorrow and spend that extra hour working on ticking things off your list - getting the small tasks done and planning for the bigger ones.
Photo: Malasaña, Madrid
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