We have just experienced a season of excess. Gifts, gourmet foods, time spent celebrating with friends and family. So much of - so much. As we embark on a New Year I’d like to share a practice with you that I have found transformational in my life. The idea is to take a break from shopping and spending for the month of January. Make no purchases other than the necessary ones for one month.
Stop, reflect, & listen
It is hard to find places for things when new items keep flooding in. I experience this all the time with my clients. A no-spend-January stops the ever-present- stream of items into the house, giving you time to take a look around. See what you have, assess what you need, and what you don’t. Above all, think about who you are, what you want in life and whether the items in your life are aiding you on that journey or blocking your path.
4 weeks - 4 action items - 4 reflections
While you are busy not shopping I’d like to challenge you to go into your closet and delve into your inner self. Let’s find the 2024 you and then let’s dress the part. For each week this month I will pose two tasks.
One is an action item for you to complete.
The second is a journal prompt I would like you to think about and jot down your reflections. You can do this in a journal or record your thoughts on your phone just so long as you can reference them throughout the month. By the end of the month I want you to emerge clear about what you want in 2024 and with confidence and a plan to start living towards your goals.
Week One: Seeing the Unseen
The Law of Habituation
Habituation is a form of learning where we become slowly desensitized to stimuli after repeated exposures over time. How this translates to our lives and homes is that we simply stop seeing items we have been stockpiling or we use our spaces transactionally rather than intentionally. We may bypass the same ill-fitting garment in our closet every day without truly “seeing” it and without actively considering, if maybe, it is time to let this item go. During this month I want to challenge you to look and really see what you have - it is only when we have a clear sense of where we are that we can make actionable plans for where we want to go.
“Seeing What You Have” - One Item Three Ways
Sometimes we have to shake up our paradigm - look at the same things with new eyes. This first No-Spend-January action challenge is designed to do just that. I challenge you to select one article of clothing that you love. Create 3 different looks with that item using clothes you already have in your closet. Challenge yourself to see the possibilities and choose new and unique pairings that you haven’t tried before.
Take pics and tag us in your post on instagram @simplifyraleigh - we’d love to see your creativity at work.
Here to help…
Please feel free to email me about your progress. I will be happy to let you know about my progress and speed bumps with my No Spend January!