Starting Fresh In 2022
Do you feel a bit down after the holidays? It’s common for many of us and inevitable for me so I like to fill the lull between Christmas and New Year with activities that help me clean out some clutter. It always helps energize me to start the new year feeling refreshed and unburdened.
Get organized
For many of us, that requires decluttering so we can organize what we have. My dog-eared copy of Clear Your Clutter With Feng Shui gets reread almost every year. I’m always surprised at the number of things I’ve accumulated that I really don’t want or need in my life. A lot of the offenders are in my garage, but my wardrobe has its fair share too.
My wardrobe is getting a thorough go-over as well. I can honestly say I won’t need to buy another pair of blue jeans for many years. The thing is, I know I will, so I’m donating the duplicates I purchased that didn’t measure up. Mid-season may seem like a weird time to do a closet cleanout, but this is a well-deserved mini purge and it feels so good. I’m forgiving of things I’ve owned for many years, but if it was a new purchase in the last 12 months and I’ve decided it’s not making me feel confident or happy, I bag it up and donate it to the women’s shelter.
I’ve removed 95% of my old black exercise gear because frankly, it depresses me and that’s the last thing I want to feel when faced with whether or not to do that yoga class or take that walk. I’m finding fresh, happy colors everywhere on sale, so I’m having fun replacing them.
edit your email box
If you’re anything like me, your email box has accumulated lots of subscriptions you really don’t want. At one time or another during the year, I either decided I loved a brand’s products, or I signed up to get an initial discount. No matter the reason, if I’m no longer excited to see them in my inbox in the morning, I unsubscribe. Labeling an email as spam won’t remove you from their list, it just prevents you from seeing them so to really clear that clutter, unsubscribe.
FYI- some of you may wish to do that for this blog and you can do so at the bottom of every email I send you. 🙂
Bedside Drawer
Bedside tables seem to collect more than their fair share of “need to do’s” which is counterproductive to getting a good night’s sleep. My bedside table drawer houses my essential oil collection which has gotten out of hand so it needs to be cleaned out. I diffuse oils in several rooms daily and love to combine scents but along the way, I’ve bought several I really dislike. Just because I spent money on them doesn’t mean I have to keep them. If we allow things to make us feel guilty (you paid good money for this, you need to get your money’s worth out of it) then they own you.
Choose a word or theme
I gave up on resolutions many years ago and now like to choose a word instead. It sets an intention and acts as subtle guidance to keep me focused on a path I hope to go down. Merriam Webster chose ‘vaccine’ as the word of the year for 2021 because the word vaccine saw a rise of 601% year-over-year from 2020, which should surprise no one:) I have chosen easy. I’m pretty hard on myself about most things and finding it just isn’t serving me well so easy is my word for 2022.
What would your word be for 2022?
Hi Jennifer,
I agree with what the other ladies have said, in so many words this is a meaning full post.
I was thinking what would be my operative word for 2022 last week and I have to have three, having just one did not feel right. My words are, HOPE
SUCCESS, VICTORY. My word for 2021 was LOVE.
Nice post Jennifer.
I adapted easy this year and am carrying into 2022.
Cheers to you and your family!
My word would be Begin – as in Begin new things – Begin to understand – etc. There are so many new things to Begin to enjoy in the coming year. So many things to learn to Begin to understand.
I’m always amazed at how much “stuff” as in the clothes you have but that relates partially to the blog – showing us wardrobes etc.
So nice to pass the clothes on to the women’s shelter. Coincidence – I too went thru a lot of “unsubscribe” emails this past week.
Enjoy the coming year!
Happy New Year Jennifer!
No need to purge my home as we moved 3 months ago and we are down to very little clutter!
My word for 2022 is patience and I plan on practicing it every day as my husband is ill and my life has been turned up side down but I know with the right attitude I can do it!
Look forward to your blog every day ❤️
Coincidentally, I just bought a book on Feng Shui and look forward to applying it to all of the rooms in my house😊
The word I’ve chosen for 2022 is “Stretch”. For example, I intend to stretch my limbs and body each day to gain flexibility. I intend to stretch my comfort zone by campaigning door to door for the county commissioner office I’m pursuing. I want to stretch my time by being more intentional about my tv and screen time. I will stretch my spiritual growth by following a daily Bible devotional plan. Thanks for your daily blog posts and inspiration!
Brilliant Idea! Happy New Year, from Vernon!
(The Okanagan Valley, British Columbia Canada)
I like the week between Christmas and New Years. It’s a time of no expectations.
Not at all a slump for me.
We have a tradition of doing a photo of something meaningful each day which becomes the annual photo journal of the year. It gives us enormous enjoyment both in the creative doing and the in the priceless final product.
On New Year’s Day we make “vision boards” using old magazine cutout words & images, which inspire us daily.
I like the idea of choosing a central word to evoke the hearts desire. Crystallizing it all down to simplicity.
What a wonderful idea – end the year decluttering for a fresh year/fresh start. I like your word “easy.” My word is “healthy” (I need to finally put my health first) but my second word will be “easy.” Happy New Year to you, Jennifer, and your lovely family. I look forward to your new posts.
I’m finding that the older I get the more I want JOY in everyday. That is my word for 2022.
I’ve been thinking about my word for 2022 for awhile and I finally settled on FREEDOM. I also choose a Bible verse to go with my word each year, so the verse for 2022 will be John 8:32, “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” This is a good transition from this year when my word was TRUTH. I’ll be writing a blog post about my new word and why I chose it sometime in the next few days.
Appreciate is my word.
I always seem to like to change my decor after putting away all the Christmas decorations. Purging clothing is always something I need to do because I just love buying clothes! Not always good choices so it’s an ongoing thing. I think easy is a great word, just makes you feel relaxed about things.
Word for 2022
Ust which comes from ‘just trust’
Ancient Christian: “All will be well and all manner of things will be well”.
Calms me down, so I can think,What things are in my control and do I need to do and for the rest Ust
Abbreviation for JUST TRUST.
After living with a small wardrobe for the past seven weeks, I realized that there was no need for all the clothes that I buy. Going forward, I’ll be more careful about my purchases. And, I’ll be purging many pieces from my closet. It is easier to get dressed with a few favourite choices.
I’ve been going through my Instagram and unfollowing anything that doesn’t bring me joy. Same with blogs. I always do this after Christmas before a new year.
It feels like a fresh start.
Wonderful word
Any time is a good time to purge a closet. When I do finally get to it I feel so well organized and don’t miss the donated/tossed items. No point in keeping that expensive dress/sweater or anything if it just takes up space.
My word is “accept” as another reader (GK) wrote. So wise for the “I have to fix this” people like me.
Thanks for your great ideas to keep us stylish and up to date.
Happy New Year
I am an “I have to fix this” person too. It’s not fun
My word is also “intentional.” I have been working toward cleaning out the clutter with the aim of surrounding myself just with things that are useful, meaningful or bring me joy. I am also trying to be more cognizant of the new things I bring into my life, particularly clothing, to determine whether it is something I need, love and makes me feel confident, attractive and happy. If it doesn’t meet all of those criteria, it is a “no.” I have an appointment with my local resale shop in a week to bring in the items I have culled out. This gives me a deadline to declutter the closet and get those things out of the house! I have spent a lot of time over the last year considering what is important to me. While I still love fashion and cultivating a beautiful, comfortable home, what I really enjoy are experiences–eating out, traveling, attending concerts and plays and spending time with my family and friends. Spending less on “stuff” frees up more money (and time) for those other things that I enjoy. In 2022, I plan to be more intentional with how I spend both my money and my time.
That’s wonderful, Kami. It does feel so good to clear things out.
My word for 2022 is partnership. I just discovered my husband and I have the same numerology and this year it is partnership. My tarot reading also shows me this year will be transformative. A bittersweet letting go in order to move to the next big cycle of my life.
That sounds fascinating, Lisa. I don’t know anything about numerology but it is intriguing.
If I had to choose one word, it would be Breathe. About a year ago I started to get serious about meditation and it has truly made a difference in how I approach life. It helps me to be calmer and more thoughtful in how I respond to both people and situations. Within this last year, I also discovered your blog. I LOVE it and all the wonderful thoughts you share. My closet is also looking a lot better now that I have started to realize what looks best on me. I did a substantial clothing purge when I brought out my winter clothes this fall. Your remarks on night table cluttering definitely hit home. I try to limit it to my journal and daily pills, but it always fills up with stuff. The biggest culprit is my stash of chocolate! I’ll be eating less of that come January so it will be a good time to clean. Thank you , Jennifer. I really look forward to your blog!
Thank you for sharing, Jeanne. I would like to recommit to meditation and journalling this next year. They’re so good for me.
“Fun” which popped into my head upon reading your suggestion.
I bought and read the fascinating book Fashion Feng Shui by Evana Maggiore. Now I plan to re-read the Kingston declutter book to help clear the old and make way for fun.
Great suggestions, thank you!
I’m glad you like that too! Evana’s first book on the subject is a fun read too.
Really like this post. Feels so good get rid of clutter including e-mail sign-ups and clothing. Still trying to get rid of a least one item of clothing for every new item. As a result I am buying so much less. This is the first winter that I have not added new shoes/boots because I still like what I already own. Now if I could just force myself to get rid of the huge accumulation of outdated and non-essential paperwork. For me that is a hard task.