My husband and I are getting a new couch. It’s the most exciting to happen to me in a while, which makes me think that I’ve really entered into adulthood. We have a hand me down couch that we have had for five years. It’s been well used and even has a dent in the armrest where my cat sleeps. It’s just one of those regular long couches. We are upgrading to an L sectional couch with an ottoman.

In order to fit our new couch in our apartment, we have had to rearrange the furniture in the living room. We started in a spree to fix things up and after the living room, began purging our whole little apartment. It’s amazing how many things were hiding in little pockets or cupboards we forgot about.

Where am I going with this? I’ve realized that to prepare for 2019, I’ve done a lot of something I should have done long ago… purge. I am only filing my space with things that deserve my energy.

I have done more than just purge at home. I’ve gone through piles of stuff and donated so much stuff. I pulled out all the clothes that are too small and boxed them up to try on again in April or March with the hopes they’ll fit then.

I’ve unsubscribed to marketing emails that I never read anyway. I got rid of an email address I wasn’t using.

I cut off my hair. It wasn’t serving me a purpose. It was like an emotional release to do so. It was an honor to donate it. Someone else can use it more than me.

I’ve put timers on my phone that automatically tell me when I’ve wasted too much time on the phone and to get off my ass and go read a book.

But on a deeper level, I’ve kept close with friends who are invested and let go of the ones who have made snarky comments towards me that don’t fuel my positivity, or the friends I have gotten tired trying to chase who don’t reciprocate the friendship back.

I’ve stopped going to fitness classes, events and meetings that I only attended because I felt I had to.

I quit Weight Watchers and found a one on one nutrition program that suits me better. I was paying for WW for months because I felt I had to.

I have been trying to own up to mistakes early, apologize and learn from it and not let the weight of them sit on my shoulders.

All in all, I’m excited to go into 2019 as the same me, but a better version who is more refined and with less white noise in her life.

I’m purging the unnecessary and keeping what’s worthwhile in my life. But you can’t quite call me a minimalist because I’m fairly certain minimalists don’t have a need for four unicorn horns and a tutu in their repertoire.

This isn’t about a resolution or a goal for the year but more a mindset and mentally cleared headspace to be in. I’m excited to think and exist this way!

Cheers to 2019,

Vanessa