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Totally the Mom

Kids are crazy. Life doesn't have to be.

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5 Ways to Stay Motivated When You’re Stuck in a Rut

5 ways to achieve your goals when you've lost your motivation

Here’s a comment I get a lot lately: I know I need to do XYZ (insert any big goal you like here, declutter your house, deep-clean the bathroom, get up earlier, lose 20 lbs…), but I just can’t seem to find any motivation.

It happens. No one is immune, myself included. But when you find yourself caught in that rut, here are 5 ways you can stay motivated and achieve your goals (and to help you stay on track, I’ve created a little habit tracker for you – grab it free here):

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Transform your morning with a powerful evening routine

Transform your mornings with a powerful evening routine

They say a good morning starts with a good night, and this is often referring to a restful night of sleep, which, come on, as moms we all know can be fleeting. But the real truth is that (no matter how much sleep you get) a good morning starts before you go to sleep with a good evening routine.

If you’ve read any of my posts on the topic, you already know how establishing routines can help moms rock their days:

And even if you don’t have any other set routine in your day, I urge you to create one for your evenings. Once it’s habit, your morning self will thank you!

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What Should You Do If Your Kids Aren’t On Board with Decluttering?

What you should do if your kids aren't on board with decluttering

For many of us, myself included, kid “stuff” all over the place is probably a huge reason you’re planning a home decluttering project (check out this post if you need help getting started; this one if you’re having trouble finding the time to do it). But, as is also the case with me, decluttering with kids presents a number of challenges. I’d be willing to bet, this probably happens: You start sorting through the toys. You put items in boxes to donate. Your kids might even think this is a good idea – until they start to see the boxes and bags full of “their” things and suddenly, everything is a beloved favorite that is impossible to live without.

You have two choices: You can either continue to trudge ahead over their cries of despair, hoping they’ll eventually get over it and embrace the idea of decluttering and having less stuff. Or you can give in and let the stuff grow, feeling defeated, but perhaps at least a little less guilty.

I totally get it. And I know the struggle is real. Decluttering and minimizing can be difficult concepts for kids to embrace, especially if they haven’t ever been presented with the idea before. Sharing and giving are challenging ideas for people of all ages, including adults.

But even if your kids aren’t on board with decluttering, you don’t have to wave your arms in surrender just yet. By setting some clear expectations and firm boundaries, you can keep the kid clutter from overwhelming your space.

I’ve created a handy decluttering cheat sheet for kids to help you guide your kids through the decluttering process, and you can get it for free here:

 

Now, here are some tips to help keep the mess in check:

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How to Minimize Distractions & Get More Done

How Moms Can Minimize Distractions & Get More Done, plus a free cheatsheet; colorful image of distraction minimizing cheatsheet

Most weekday mornings we have a 20-30 minute lag between the time I drop my big kids at school and the time we need to leave for our next scheduled activity. Every day I have grand ambitions for this time.  Visions dance in my head of folded laundry, scheduling appointments and even making myself look like I didn’t just drop my kids off at school with the top half of my pajamas still on.

But, somehow…that time seems to just disappear. POOF. And we always wind up scrambling out the door, later than I would like, with little to show for it.

Sound familiar?

Well, there is a name for this time-stealing madness: Distraction.

It comes in many forms. And sometimes, it’s even important. But when it comes as an interruption, it is still a distraction.

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How to Declutter When You Have No Time

How to Declutter When You Have No Time

In case you missed my post last week about my word of the year, I’ll summarize (though it’s worth the read and you should check it out after you’re done reading this one :)). I’ve decided to be very intentional about how I spend my time. We all get 24 hours every day, I want to be the one to decide how I spend mine. And one of the ways I know I don’t want to spend it is by cleaning up my house all the time.

Are you with me so far?  Especially after the chaos of the holidays, that can be one daunting task. One of the best ways I’ve discovered to avoid having to clean all of our stuff all the time is by simply having less stuff. And so project declutter my life began.

If you’re just embarking on this journey, I’ve got some tips for how to begin here. I’ve also got a free decluttering pack you can download and use to help you while you work. It includes a list of questions to ask yourself while you declutter and a cheat sheet to help you when you get stuck.

Sign up here to download it for free!

 

So, it all sounds great, right? But here’s the problem. When I first began (and heck, sometimes I even still catch myself saying this), I felt like I just didn’t have time to declutter. Big projects were overwhelming and I felt like, if I couldn’t do this thing all the way, why bother doing it at all? I wanted to do it, I just didn’t have time.

But that mindset is what holds us back. If you really want to embrace a large project like decluttering your home, you need to let go of those “perfect condition” ideas you think you need to have in order to take it on. Because in reality, it’s just a form of procrastination. There is always going to be some reason not to do it if you look hard enough. Instead you need to adopt the idea of progress, not perfection. Decluttering, whether a tiny part of a drawer or an entire room, is still decluttering, and at the end of the day, you still wind up with less of what you don’t want (stuff you don’t need/want/use) and more of what you do (space, freedom, time, peace).

If you’re struggling with getting started on a decluttering project because you don’t feel like you have the time to do it, here are my best tips:

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