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The Freedom of No

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Instead of searching for the next productivity hack so you can continue to do it all, become more intentional about what you put on your plate in the first place.  It's crammed full because you keep saying yes. But there's freedom to be found in learning to say no.  No is a word that establishes boundaries and saves your time and energy for the things that are important to you. As more and more people receive the Covid vaccine and restrictions are gradually loosening, many of us are once again becoming busier. And isn't this a good thing?  Children and teens are once again enjoying at least some time in the classroom with teachers and classmates, and some activities, especially outdoor team sports like softball and soccer (football).  In my area, people are once again going out to restaurants and movie theaters (still keeping a distance from others).  We attended church inside on Easter Sunday (wearing masks and leaving space between ourselves and other worshippers).  The S
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How to Create a Minimalist Wardrobe

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You've seen them on Pinterest, those perfect capsule wardrobes.  Or maybe you've read the posts about people who wore the same dress for 30 days – and no one even noticed . We so often think that to project a successful image we need a room-size closet full of the latest designer clothes, shoes, handbags, and jewelry.  But some of the most famous people in the world have turned their backs on fashion trends.  You might even argue that their success is at least partly the result of ignoring fashion in favor of focus and productivity. It's not just tech businessmen like Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg who do this either.  Way back in the 1980's, designer Donna Karan introduced her " Seven Easy Pieces " wardrobe, which still works.  Director Christopher Nolan and designer Michael Kors each wear basically the same outfit every day (Kors once told the Seattle Times that his black and white outfit makes him feel "fresh and glamorous and graphic.")  Angelina
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The Difference Between Minimalism and Decluttering

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Even though we tend to use the terms "decluttering" and "minimalism" interchangeably, they aren't actually the same thing.  What's the difference?  Here's the short answer:  All minimalists live without clutter, but not all who declutter become minimalists. Most people who are motivated to declutter have no intention of becoming minimalist. Perhaps they're preparing to move, and don't want to pack up and haul everything. They might be getting married and need to streamline in order to combine households. Maybe they're ready to retire and move to a smaller home.  Possibly they have sorted through the accumulated belongings of a deceased parent, and decided that they don't want to leave such a burden for their own children. Or they might be like I was, and one day they simply reach a point where it's all too much – too expensive, too crowded, too overwhelming. Regardless of the reason, decluttering is the result. Maybe you have declutt
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5 Reasons to Simplify Your Life

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Here's the choice: Spend your life in a cycle of dissatisfaction ➜ shopping ➜ accumulating ➜ organizing ➜ decluttering ➜ more shopping ➜ overwhelm ➜ spring cleaning ➜ repeat . . . OR . . . you can break the cycle, simplify, and find not only contentment but something better to do with your time, money, and energy. Sometimes figuring out how to get to less is the easy part.  You can get rid of clutter in many ways, including these: declutter one specific area in five minutes or less remove 100 or more items from your home in one hour or less create a minimalist 4x4 wardrobe radically downsize in five steps (instructions continue here ) undecorate No matter which approach you choose, if you want the results to be long-lasting, you need to understand why you want to simplify your life.  This will be your foundation when things get tough, when you're tempted by sales and advertising, when the job of decluttering seems too hard, and when you're bored or sad and think buying so
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Friendship Worth the Name

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As more of us get our Covid vaccines, and the time comes closer when we will be able to resume an active social life, we might have some choices to make. I used to have some friends who loved to go out on the town.  They spent money constantly.  We went to restaurants and bars just to see and be seen.  We went shopping together, and encouraged each other to buy stuff.  (I got my first credit card because of those friends.)  We never stopped talking about what we wanted to buy, and tried to "one up" each other with new possessions.  It was a competition that carried a steep financial cost and tied my self-image to what I owned. I also had several friends who did things differently.  Instead of going out, we would get together at each other's apartments, eat potluck or maybe order a pizza, and play board games like Pictionary and Trivial Pursuit .  Instead of going to the movies, we'd hang out and watch a rented video together.  Instead of going to a professional sport
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