LifeStyled

Introduction

This is a book about living intentionally and taking responsibility for creating the life you want. It is also a book about what happens when your dog throws up on the carpet and your back inexplicably goes out, and both of your kids come home from school with lice the day before you’re hosting a holiday party (true story).

But let’s back up. I’ve dedicated much of my life and work to solving the challenge of too-muchness, using principles of minimalism as my guide. I’ll admit that while it’s always been easy for me to keep clutter out of my home, balancing all the moving parts of my life has proven to be far more daunting. As a wife, mother, daughter, friend, entrepreneur, and author, it’s easy to feel like I’m always falling short or failing in one area or another, and I often find myself yearning for more hours in the day. And I’m not alone.

Over the course of my lengthy career helping thousands of people organize their homes and lives, I’ve gained an inside perspective on what people are struggling with. Here’s what I’ve learned: So many of us are teetering right on the edge of total burnout, riddled with imposter syndrome, trying to figure out how to continue to do it all while barely keeping it together. If you’re feeling like it’s all too much to manage successfully, that’s probably because it is.

In America, as well as most other Western cultures, we are oversaturated, overstimulated, overextended, overscheduled, and exhausted. The cumulative effects of a cluttered home and life can lead to anxiety, depression, and other serious mental health challenges. Lost passports, missed medical appointments, and cluttered calendars are more than just a minor inconvenience. I’ve been inside the homes of some of the most successful people on the planet, and I’ve been witness to every type of breakdown and tearful confession you can imagine—people at the top of their industries who’ve confessed they can’t even think about getting their house in order because they’re completely depleted, overwhelmed, and underwater in their lives.

Amy, a successful attorney and mother of three, told me she fantasized about getting sick just so she could get a break from her frenetic schedule and spend the day in bed. Elena, a producer in Hollywood, confessed that she sometimes neglected to eat, or even go to the bathroom, because she was so overscheduled. My client Holly only semi-jokingly asked if I could accidentally set her garage on fire so she wouldn’t have to deal with it. Between daily household responsibilities, family and career obligations, and the seemingly endless buzzing of emails, texts, and news notifications clamoring for our attention, it’s only natural to feel a bit like we’re drowning.

Fortunately, there is an actionable antidote to an overextended life, and it involves making better and more intentional decisions about how to invest our precious time, energy, and resources. Since it is impossible to do everything well all at once, it’s up to us to decide what matters most at any given time. Using principles of minimalism to get more intentional about where we place our attention, and simple systems of organization and habit formation to ensure that our priorities get met, we can create more spaciousness, ease, and joy for ourselves, and radically alter the course of our lives—and we can start today!

In my first book, Minimalista, I taught readers how to edit, elevate, and maintain their homes using a minimalist mindset and my fivestep process. In my second book, Organized Living, I brought people inside the homes of twenty-five organizing experts across the globe to illuminate how organization can be leveraged as a tool to create more order, ease, freedom, and joy. In LifeStyled, I will share how you can take these same principles and use them to transform your entire life. I’ll share specific examples from my work with clients as well as my own experiences (we’re in this together!), and provide small, actionable steps you can take to improve every part of your life—from community and relationships to health and wellness, career and finance, and personal development.

Throughout the book, you’ll discover lots of quick and impactful things you can do to make progress—even when you don’t have a lot of time. The methods I teach are approachable, practical, and for everyone.

In part one, I’ll share a simple tool kit and framework you can use to reduce mental clutter and transform how you approach your home, schedule, and life. In part two, I’ll break down specific prompts and strategies to improve every aspect of your life, choose-your-ownadventure style. Throughout the chapters ahead, you’ll see “Try It” or “Quick Win” to cue you when it’s time to reflect, jot down some notes, or take action. Also look out for “Fifteen-Minute Wins,” tiny things you can integrate or practice to start seeing results now. Little effort, big reward. This entire book is designed so you can revisit individual chapters any time to recalibrate as your values and priorities shift and evolve. I want to help you activate your best self, even if you’re short on time or capacity. If you’re one of those people who’s like, “Just cut to the chase and tell me what to do” (I am that person, too.), I’ve provided a concise roundup of small, actionable prompts you can pick and choose from to get started right away on page 236.

Before we get started, I want to acknowledge that crafting an intentional life can feel more possible—both intellectually and functionally— depending on your access to resources and privilege. This pursuit is made more challenging by very real cultural and systemic obstacles, including poverty, racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and other forms of discrimination. The philosophy and perspective shared in this book are informed by my own lived experience (one of a decent amount of privilege with some challenges woven in), but guided primarily by my intention to share methods and strategies that will be universally applicable and useful. The goal is to empower you to take specific and consistent actions toward a more aligned, authentic, and fulfilling life—whatever that may look like for you.

I truly believe that no matter who you are, and how you’re feeling right now, you’re only a few decisions away from beginning to completely transform your life. I promise you this: If you commit to completing even a fraction of the steps outlined ahead, you will see real and powerful changes start to occur. Relief is on the way.