Let's talk January - the power of new beginnings

The more clarity we have in our lives, the more likely we will succeed in achieving the goals we set for our homes, finances, health, nutrition- and, believe it or not, photography!

De-cluttering, sorting, organising and monitoring them individually will help you become more mindful and save time and money.

A lot of us feel compelled to begin the new year by doing everything right from now on in one or more areas of our lives. And all I can say is:

GO FOR IT

So what needs to be done and where do we start?

HOME:

Do you know where everything is in your home?

Do you spend hours looking for things you've put in "a safe place"? Only to find yourself losing patience and repurchasing it.

January is a great time to do a little ™Marie-Kondoing in your home by removing the old to give the things we love more room to breathe. In her book, Marie Kondo recommends de-cluttering by picking up each object in your home and asking yourself if it gives you joy. If it doesn’t, it goes. I you know that you have more "stuff" than you feel is healthy and you can't find most of it because it's hidden somewhere in a drawer, then I would certainly recommend following the guidelines in her book "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying: The Japanese Art". I read it whilst on holiday in 2018 and couldn't wait to get home and start. I filled a skip with things that were broken, or other people didn't want. Just beware not to immediately try to fill the newly acquired space with new purchases.

Once you’ve de-cluttered, you can start organising your home so that you always know where everything is. Check out Abby Lawson's blog "Abby Organises".

Another book that I'm devouring at the moment is Michelle Ogunduin's Book "Happy Inside" which guides you through the process of creating a happy, healthy, and. energised home in nine steps. She also has great highlights in her Instagram feed on how to save energy, reduce waste and toxins in your home and sleep better (to name a few). Also, read this eye-opener blog post about how regular household cleaning products (that we all have in our homes) include hormone disrupters that can lead to breast cancer. https://michelleogundehin.substack.com/p/good-health-starts-at-home

By the way, I first saw her on "Interior Design Masters" on Netflix and checked her out because I loved her clothing style. I love everything else too, and I'm spending my January un-cluttering our family home, beginning with my workspace. You can watch my progress and my stories on Instagram (I've also collected them in a highlight).

HEALTH and NUTRITION:

Since reading Gillian McKeith's book, "You are what you Eat", when it was first published in 2005, I’ve been monitoring my eating habits. In the TV show that followed the same principles as the book, guests with health issues were invited and asked to collect everything they'd eaten within one day and lay them out on a table so the participants could see the number of stodgy foods compared with the few nutritious foods, they were regularly eating. She then explained how the bad foods affected their bodies, health and well-being. Many illnesses are provoked or even caused by poor nutrition. Luckily many of them can be swept away by reverting to eating healthily again. I often notice that some food makes me feel sluggish, and some make me feel physically ill. Anything, including wheat, can bring this on, especially if combined with sugar. I've had long periods where I didn’t eat bread and grains, and my body and brain always thanked me for it. This is something I’m presently trying to accomplish again.

Now is a great time to rethink your eating. However, consider the future when you begin to improve your eating habits. Try to eat foods you'll still enjoy eating in a year. Food needs to be something to look forward to, and that also makes you feel good. To sleep better, it's important not to drink drinks containing after 2 pm and to have your last meal five hours before you go to bed. You'll wake up refreshed, with a flat tummy and not be hungry. Try it. It works!

You could also try eating vegan food for four weeks and slowly including more healthy and delicious vegan food into your diet. Veganaury was brought to life to inspire and support people worldwide to try veganism for the whole month of January - and beyond, but you can start any month or day of the year and stop after one month.

Try to cook from scratch with healthy organic ingredients that aren't wrapped in plastic. I plan my snacking in advance and have a stash of healthy homemade snacks for whenever I feel hungry between meals. This keeps me from eating slices of vegan cheese, crisps and chocolate 😉

It's also vital that you move your body and get enough sleep. Try to exercise regularly by combining weight and aerobic workouts. Set aside a specific time of day for brisk walking. And plan set times to visit the gym.

FINANCES:

How much do you spend? Do you monitor your credit card spending? Do you know when insurance payments are due? Many people take on an "I'll deal with it when the time comes" attitude to money and then go into a mad flap when an unexpected payment is shortly due.

Money and not knowing how to pay one’s bills are one of the major causes of worry. Try to avoid this unnecessary mental burden by getting clear on your finances.

Make a list of your income versus spending by month. How much do you earn versus the amount you need to set aside to cover your overheads? Do you have expenses that only occur annually or every quarter? Calculate your total annual and divide them by 12. Keep exactly this amount on the side each month.

You’ll then have an exact amount left over to deal with unexpected expenses for repairs etc.

What do you do with the rest?

Try to put some money aside for unexpected repairs, vet fees or when a household device breaks down.

I try to invest in things that will bring in more money instead of treating myself to things I don’t need. Try to spend sensibly by purchasing good quality, timeless garments and products that will last. If you get a pay rise, try to stop yourself from spending the difference and instead try to save money for items that give you joy or improve your financial situation. Compare a car with a camera. Both lose value with time, but the car needs to be serviced, regularly filled with fuel, and insured, MOTeed, and you pay taxes for it. On the other hand, a camera is an investment that will last you a few years and with which you can earn money (if you put your mind to it).

How to save?

I'm a firm believer in NOT making yourself miserable by cutting some of the things you look forward to every day to save a few Euros. I prefer to earn the extra money so I can finance the luxuries instead. Many money experts advise cutting your morning Starbucks. I'd say, if this little ritual gets you out of bed in the morning and you love the taste of their coffee more than anything you could make at home, then go for it. If you taste no difference and don't see this purchase as a luxury you thoroughly love, then make your own coffee at home and save the money 😉 .

Try to save by not making unnecessary purchases. These can be groceries, clothing you don't need, expensive travel expenses because you booked at the last minute, or many other things. Before opening your purse, ask yourself if you need that thing - and like all the other areas we've covered in this post, the more thoroughly you plan, the more clarity you'll have, so plan how to finance higher priced goods, holidays and expensive gadgets well in advance.

PHOTOGRAPHY:

Last but certainly not least. If you don't know what you've accomplished or set goals as a photographer, your photography will become aimless and boring.

You could begin the year by listing all the specific things you've learned up to now. Once you've completed the list, continue with a list of things you'd like to learn in the upcoming months.

Did you know that almost all areas of photography, from landscape to portraiture, require the same skill set? To master them, you need to know how to set up your camera’s manual settings to capture the shot, what to include in the frame and how, and how to use (and manipulate) available light. To excel as a photographer, you need to develop your unique style.

Assessing what you've learned and knowing what to learn next can be a vague pursuit, to say the least, so I've set up a free training that includes printed worksheets called "New Years (Photography) Resolutions. You can access the free training by clicking HERE.

I truly hope the ideas I've presented you with in this post inspire you to analyse life's situations and set doable organisation goals for weeks, months (and hopefully) years ahead. You can essentially gain more clarity and peace of mind by organising and planning any area of your life, from gardening to the books you’ve read and want to read.

Let me know which pursuit you have planned first in the comments below.

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