In preparation for the day I move to Denmark I am welcoming the Danish tradition of standing on a chair and jumping into the New Year. Who doesn’t love the reset button that gets hit on December 31st at 11:59:59pm? I know that there is nothing stopping me from making new goals and life changes any day of the year, but tonight I leap into the New Year with a clear mindset of what I am leaving behind in 2021 and what I am looking for in 2022.
I am leaving behind items that I have been holding onto purely out of emotional attachment.
I’m not talking about items that you love, or items with sentimental value, or anything that “Sparks Joy”. I am talking about things that once meant a lot to you and are now taking up space, but you are afraid to part with. I was obsessed with Z Gallerie Mirrored furniture in my early 20s. I wanted mirrored nightstands so badly I remember watching Youtube DIYs and planning on how I would make my own version. Eventually I splurged and bought two mirrored nightstands. Years have passed and I still have them. I don’t particularly like these nightstands and they don’t suit my style at all. Despite this I have hung onto them for ages because they were once so exciting to me. Goodbye nightstands. Somewhere out there someone is waiting to style with you a vase of pink peonies and a Tom Ford hardcover. I wish you well.
Are you holding onto an old eyeshadow pallet that you don’t use but keep because it was expensive? It’s time to let go.
I won’t allow myself to be distracted.
There is a calmness that comes with making a decision and sticking with it, but it is difficult to do this when you are able to see almost every alternative on your Pinterest homepage. When you are consumed with trying to make the best decision possible, you might just end up making no decision. In a perfect world maybe I would own six different homes and then I could test out six different cabinet and countertop combinations. In this world I have to just pick something I like and go for it. I can’t have everything and that’s okay. Pinterest, I love you, but you’re a lot sometimes. This year I will work on my home and I will stay true to my vision no matter how many other ideas I see. I won’t stop wanting all of the beautiful, perfect kitchens out there, but I will stop letting them distract me and paralyze my decision making.
Is there a room in your house that you hate but you aren’t working on because you keep second guessing yourself? It might be time to just go for it!
That being said, it’s okay for me to change my mind.
Sometimes you make a plan and then it just doesn’t work. If you find yourself trying to convince yourself every day that you like something, guess what? You don’t like it. You just don’t. I don’t need to hold onto mirrored nightstands. It is okay for me to just say “look, this coat actually isn’t my style, it was a bad buy, I’m not keeping it.” It is okay to paint an entire room and realize that the colour doesn’t work in the light and you need to do it all over again. Don’t waste your precious moments this year trying to talk yourself into liking things or people.
Is there something taking up your space that makes your voice go up an octave and say “it’s fine”? Cut your losses. You don’t need to settle.
Did you feel personally attacked when I told you to throw out your old makeup? What are you doing to improve your home this year?
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