Maximum Gratitude, Minimal Stuff

Because we so often talk about coziness at home when we talk about hygge (the Danish concept of comfort, contentment, and belonging), it might seem like the office is the last place you could experience it.  Fortunately, that's not true.  It's possible to create more hygge at work, just as you do in other parts of your life, and the benefits are far-reaching. Let's not forget that hygge isn't just about firesides, warm blankets, and hot cocoa.  These fundamentals are also important to a hygge lifestyle: Presence – being mindful and aware of our surroundings and the people we're with; participating with focus Well-being – a feeling of relaxation and self-care through a slower pace and a bit of pampering Connection – strengthening relationships with family, friends, and even strangers through a sense of community and belonging Ambience – a feeling of warmth, welcome, and pleasure Simplicity – finding joy and fulfillment in basic daily occurrences such as a hot cu...

You walk into your office and immediately feel stressed and overworked.  Why is that?  Your desk is a mess!  It's covered in folders, papers, old coffee cups, pens (both usable and dead), paperclips, at least two staplers, and a million Post-its. Now, tell me, how can you get any work done?  How can you be productive and focused when you can barely see the top of your desk?  And your computer desktop is crowded with icons and shortcuts too.  They cover the wallpaper photo you chose to make your workspace serene and lovely (it isn't). Did you know that 40% of workers surveyed assume that someone with a messy desk is less than competent at their job?  And 28% of employers say they're less likely to promote someone with a disorganized work space. Decluttering to the rescue!  You can make your desk a place that lets you store and find what you need so you can do your best work.  Not only that, but a clean and tidy space projects a better image o...

My 2-year-old grandson loves working.  He stacks up blocks so he can knock them down and build them again.  He puts rocks in his toy dump truck so he can tip them out and fill up again.  He puts the pretend food from the play kitchen in his little grocery cart, then lines it up on the sofa so he can "shop" all over again. Of course, he's playing, not working, but what he's emulating is work.  The siren sounds that accompany the toy fire truck are "hurrying to stop the fire."  Even putting stuffed animals down for their "nap" and then waking them up to "feed" them is a copy of the work his mom does. For many of us, however, work isn't something we seem to enjoy.  How many complaints have you (or a coworker) made about Monday morning?  How many times have you wished for (or rejoiced at) Friday afternoon?  How many weekend chores have you complained about?  All of these behaviors are common, and even expected in our culture.  We're n...

With the first day of school fast approaching, I always feel a burst of energy and anticipation.  And I can't wait for fall!  Now's a good time to use that determination to refresh my home, my goals, and more. In fact, we can do old-fashioned spring cleaning, year-end evaluation, or a seasonal update any time. 6 easy steps to reset your inner and outer environments 1.  Start with self-evaluation. Begin by thinking, "What's really important to me?"  This inner evaluation is at least as important as any decluttering program.  Consider: What do I want from my life? What needs to change so I can move closer to the life I imagine for myself? How can I live the upcoming year in a way that's truly meaningful? Imagining myself a year from now, what am I happy about accomplishing, or rueful about failing to do? Take at least 30 to 60 minutes to think about these questions, or revisit them over the course of a few days.  Take notes.  You'll create a blueprint f...

Between one day and the next, I was married, and my life changed forever.  I was committed to my husband of nearly 40 years. Between one day and the next, I was a mother, and my life changed forever.  My priorities and choices were permanently impacted by my daughter, who will be 35 next month. Between one day and the next, I was a grandmother.  What fun!  I'm so blessed with my three grandsons. Between one day and the next, any of our lives could change.  It could be a promotion, an illness, an accident, or an award and the recognition that goes with it. A gift If we live to be 70, we'll experience over 25,000 days.  So what does it matter if we waste a few?  So what if I lounge all day in my pajamas and binge watch The Queen's Gambit ? Each day we arise with energy and hope, or not.  We successfully complete important tasks, or we don't.  We enjoy pleasant and kind encounters with other people, or we don't.  We connect with our ideals ...

Minimalists talk often about reducing your schedule to create margin and leave time and energy for what you care about most.  But sometimes there are things we wouldn't choose, but simply must do regardless.  Whether it's a prior commitment we must continue to honor, or an unavoidable issue that must be handled whether we care to or not, these tasks present themselves and we must show up.  This is already an extra-busy time of year.  How should we deal with the jobs we don't want to do, but must? 8 tips to get the job done 1.  Commit to doing your best. It might not be your choice to be so occupied, but decide to make the result one you can be proud of. 2.  Don't procrastinate. Leaving things until the last minute simply adds stress and anxiety when you have to eventually perform. 3.  Break the task into smaller steps. Since you're not procrastinating, you have time to proceed in an orderly, bite-sized fashion.  It's hard to detest a job too much ...

Is there a simple answer to avoid burnout in a busy life, or to progress from fatigue and burnout to a more balanced life? I believe there is. Play. My 4-year-old grandson shows me the way.  As we toss a crocheted Frisbee around the living room, his smiles and cries of glee are the same whether he misses a catch or not.  It's just fun to play, and the results are never judged.  If you miss, just try again, because maybe you'll make it next time!  You can always change the rules.  And when you get tired of the game, there's always something else to do – get out the remote-control racecar, build something with Lego, or pick a book off the shelf. By embracing an attitude of play, we stay aware in the moment decide to enjoy whatever we're doing silence doubt and self-criticism give ourselves the freedom to try something new, or to do something familiar in a new way allow ourselves to take a break from tasks leave room for creativity Play isn't just a particular game...

Work more?  Look, Karen, I'm too overwhelmed and stressed as it is. What the heck are you talking about?  Let me see if I can explain. I don't mean for you to work overtime, add a side hustle, or otherwise try to bring in more income. I mean that all of us should do more work . We often think of people in the past living a "simple" life compared to our modern experience, but they certainly worked harder for it. My grandmother grew a garden, tended goats and chickens, and cooked from scratch every day. My mother sewed almost all the clothes she and my sister and I wore. My grandfather and dad always had something that needed maintenance or repair, in addition to the physically taxing jobs they did for pay. The passive life Most of us sit in front of computers all day, and then sit in front of a TV in the evening. This gets boring, so we snack. Snacking loses its power to distract us, so we buy more treats. Or we scroll social media or shop online, all to keep our bra...

It's tax season in the U.S., and as a self-employed author I complete several forms and schedules to file with our 1040. Here's my confession:  In 2022, I made more than I've ever earned from sales of my books and the tiny commissions I receive as an Amazon Associate.  Yay, me!  Here's the kicker:  I figure that after expenses (paying for my blog domain, my business email, and the service that maintains my subscriber list), I'm earning less than $2.00 per hour. You read that right –  less than $2.00  per hour. Now maybe you don't think my work is worth more than that, but honestly and without bragging, I believe it is. I have another option. There's one easy way I could dramatically increase my income right now.  Google is begging me to let them put ads on this site, but I'm sorry, ads on a site about minimalism doesn't make sense to me (although I've seen many minimalist sites with plenty of ads).  I link to a few products that I like and find u...

Imagine if the first job you ever had was the one you had to stay with forever.  Or if the first sport you tried was the one you had to keep playing.  Or if the first instrument you studied was the one you had to keep practicing – regardless of how well or poorly you did. I think we'd wind up never starting anything for fear we'd be stuck in something we didn't like or had no talent for.  We'd postpone making any decision at all for fear of getting it wrong . Yet that's the situation we put ourselves and our children in when we constantly praise grit and deride quitting. How quitting can be positive Even our language illustrates this attitude.  In English, if you're "gritty," you're steadfast, determined, unwavering, resolute.  Grit is often equated with courage and heroism.  You're the rock in a storm.  Quitting, on the other hand, is failure.  A quitter gives up and gives in.  A quitter is a loser.  Weak.  Spineless. Who wants to ...

Are you in a trap?  Maybe you don't feel like it.  Your life is fine.  Sure, you're busy, maybe too busy.  You live paycheck to paycheck, but doesn't everyone?  Maybe your house payment, car payment, and credit card bills are a little high, but it costs so much to live nowadays.  You feel a lot of pressure at work, and you're not really happy there, but it could be worse. The reality is you can't see any way to change things.  It is what it is, and all that.  You need the unsatisfactory job to pay your bills.  Why would you give up your great salary and benefits, after all?  What's a little stress?  And what if you are wasting your energy and talents on something you don't care about?  You don't really have a choice. Ah.  There it is.  The big lie that keeps you trapped.  Can you see it?  Inflated expectations You think you have no choice.  But you do.  You just need to recognize that you're inside...