We all have a closet of “someday.” Someday I’ll wear that dress. Someday I’ll learn to use that bread maker. Someday I’ll get back into that hobby.
But here’s the hard truth: “someday” rarely comes.
When I was minimizing, I realized most of my “someday” stuff was actually holding me back. The dress mocked me for not being a different size. The kitchen gadget reminded me of a skill I never picked up. The supplies collected dust and guilt.
So I let them go. And you know what? Someday never mattered. What mattered was today. Today I had space in my closet. Today I had less guilt. Today I had more room to live.
If you’re stuck with “someday” things—ask yourself: would keeping this make my today better? If not, it’s time to let it go.
I’ll never forget the first morning I walked into my living room after a week of minimizing. The shelves were clear, the coffee table was bare, and for the first time in years—I could see space.
It felt like my home was breathing again.
That’s the thing about clutter. It sneaks up on you. You don’t notice how much noise it makes until it’s gone. Once I cleared it out, I realized how heavy it had felt to live with it. Every corner, every pile, every drawer was a to-do list I hadn’t tackled.
Minimalism gave me permission to put that burden down. And now, when I walk into my home, I don’t feel the weight of “should.” I just feel peace.
If your home feels heavy, maybe it’s time to give it a chance to breathe again.
If I had waited for the “perfect” time to start my health journey, I’d still be sitting in my recliner with my joints aching, telling myself, “Next Monday.”
The truth? I started when my gallbladder was making my life miserable. I was in pain, bloated, and tired all the time. Hardly the Instagram-worthy “new year, new me” moment.
But I was done waiting. I swapped my comfort food for real food, cut back on drinks, and figured out how to move my body without injuring it. And you know what? Starting imperfectly still worked.
Don’t wait for a perfect Monday. Start on a random Thursday at 3 p.m. with whatever you’ve got. You’ll thank yourself later.
Let me tell you about my first real workout in years—it was… walking in a circle. Yep. At the YMCA. On a cushioned track. Over and over and over again.
At first, it felt almost embarrassing. Was this even a workout? I wasn’t sweating buckets or gasping for air. But it was the first thing I found that didn’t wreck my joints or leave me limping the next day.
For two years, I walked that track 3-5 days a week with my husband. No gym intimidation, no pain, no fancy equipment—just us and our sneakers. I walked the circle while he lifted weights and the magic? I actually looked forward to it.
Sometimes the “best workout” isn’t the one that burns the most calories—it’s the one you can actually keep doing.
I have been on a health journey my whole life. But now in my 40’s and as an empty nester I am finally making lasting changes.
For several years I had one health repair after another, thyroidectomy, complications from said surgery, partial hysterectomy (that one I loved) then finally I a gallbladder eviction.
This was all over the course of 3-5 years.
Two years ago, thanks to the pain from having my gallbladder whither, I was very motivated to change my eating and drinking habits. Then after the surgery I continued the same lifestyle changes.
After I healed I wanted to be active. But I was almost 300 lbs and had some joint complications from some of my autoimmune disorders. If you’ve ever been obese and then tried to be active you know the pain. In another season I used to walk 40 miles a week. But I was also on phentermine and in my 20’s. While I was losing weight, I was also losing muscle mass. I was not doing it correctly and did eventually gain it back.
Now in my 40’s I am wiser and looking for lifestyle changes I can sustain and enjoy
But where to start with my fitness?
I tried to walk outside. While I love it cement, and black top are too hard on my body at that size. Pool? Can’t do it I get too many yeast infections. Walking on a treadmill? Same issues as walking outside. Then I found the YMCA in my town has a walking track inside made of a thick matt that circles the work out area. For 2 years I went and walked 3-5 days a week with my husband. I also started incorporating stretches and massage therapy. Now 2 years I am 6 pounds away from losing my 100lb weight loss goal.
I feel amazing and I’m inspired to try many new things or to pick up things I promised myself I’d do when I was an empty nester or healthier. Two promises I’m keeping to myself. Now I workout in a personal home cardio room where I actually walk on a treadmill. (I actually enjoy it and have no pain!) I have so much more energy but mostly I have more joy.
And this all started by small and simple changes. (Learned from reading book Atomic Habits)
I’ve been asked if I can link some of the things that have helped. They are below. And I do make a small commission off some of these. FYI we all trying to hustle out here.
Today is the first day of my 30×6 Reset Challenge. The guidelines are ones that come with grace. This isn’t as rigid as a 75 Hard which is great for some people. But for me I need something with some grace but structure, so I created my own challenge.
Here are my guidelines you can create your own or borrow mine
Goals for Next 30 Days
30 min of Morning Exercise (This can be walking, stretching, a YouTube video)
30 min a day learning (podcasts, books, audio books, blogs, a documentary, do something to feed your mind)
30 min decluttering (Go through the whole house and declutter)
30 Min on finances (this can be anything that has to do with finances or money)
30 Min Creating (This can be a TikTok video, a Facebook post, a blog post, a coloring sheet, a painting, a drawing, a plant in a pot. etc)
30 Min Evening Exercise (same guidelines as the morning)
Guidelines
-Don’t spend money on anything beyond bills, necessities, and can be bought at regular grocery shopping trips.
-Save 10% of every time you make a profit for the next 30 days
-When decluttering if you can gift it first do it. If you can’t and you think you can sell it do it. If you don’t sell it in 30 days then donate it.
At the end of the day if you haven’t done them all. Make an effort. If you can’t then try again the next day. You always have the opportunity to catch up and regain the same rhythm that you started with.
At the end of this my goals are the following:
-Less time on screens
-To have learned more
-To have a better understanding of my finances, create a budget, and assess my financial goals going forward
-To loose the last 12 lbs that I need to reach a 100lb weight loss goal
-To have lost the burden of too many unecesssary possessions
-To have a cleaning routine down
-To have a more calm, beautiful, functional home
Share your version of the 30×6 Challenge in the comments.
A concept of faith that I’ve applied to my life and relationships
The Sure! Why not? Concept of faith is defined as when someone presents you with an idea you say Sure! Why not? and listen. If they ask you for feedback you are only allowed to provide positive points of view. That doesn’t mean that later you can’t offer things to look out for or tips for success. Its based on the fact that when someone is sharing something with you for the first time you allow them that initial glow that comes with the excitement of a new idea or dream.
You should start your own business. Sure! Why not?
When we married I was 18 and Chris was 25. We instantly had 2 sons and I got pregnant with our first daughter. By the time I was 19 we were a family of 5. That came with its own challenges but the first one was survival. You know making all the money to pay for needs. Chris was a trim carpenter. He worked for a very kind man who unfortunately died of cancer shortly after we had our first child. This was hard on Chris and he tried working for other companies but it didn’t work out.
With that Moxy that is overflowing with teenagers cause at the time I still was one. I said why don’t you start your own trim carpentry business? He laughed and said sarcastically, Sure! Why Not? If you can find me builders and figure all the legalities out I’ll do it.
It took me a week to do the legalities. And 2 weeks to find work. Which was hard because back then there wasn’t internet, email or website. But I did it and he worked his ass off for sometimes as low as $0.25 a square foot. But it was a start and we built that business up together. It was so successful it afforded us to be able to buy cars, work vehicles, trailers, and even two homes. We worked hard and learned a lot of lessons in that first decade of marriage. But the most important lesson was the value of doing something together and earning the confidence that comes with having a life partner at home and at work that is in it as much as you. This has saw us through almost 25 years of marriage.
Moving quietly and not sharing all your doing can be a cathartic experience. The first time I ever did this I wrote my first book. A novel called Glazier. Once published by a small publishing house out of Georgia called Astrea Press. It has since closed and I have my book rights back. It was going to be the stepping stone to my multimillion dollar writing career. That did not happen but it was an amazing experience. The opportunity I learned from that experience was that I can make moves quietly, only sharing my creations with a chosen supportive few confidants. This can be extremely rewarding emotionally as well as energetically. And goes completely against our post immediately on social media play by play updates of your daily life. Think of it like pulling the arrow back on a bow. When you finally let go and launch your project all that momentum propels you and it forward.
With the social media world, we live in and many people using their lives as part of their art and business waiting to post something can have a fomo (fear of missing out) reverse effect. What I mean is you’re scared someone will miss seeing what you’ve done. And you fear that you’ll miss an opportunity to be seen.
But the beauty of social media is we control our narrative and when and if we share. So take the time to be present in the moment when you are doing something. The beauty that I found of having a present mindset is that you connect more fully with those around you and can have the value of the experience. Now I’m not saying don’t take the time to take photos and videos. Especially if you are planning on using it on social media later. But do just enough to get what you need then put away your camera. Being present means having your eyes and attention forward and not on the other side of a lens or screen.
When was the last time you were present? How was it?
“There is enough, and all my needs are met and will be met.” Is literally the greatest lesson I’ve had to learn in this life. It’s an ongoing active muscle I have to constantly exercise. It always shows up in my life in some form or another. From a tithing promise in organized religion to my greatest fear in therapy to a life lesson from a psychic reading from my guides, this theme keeps coming up.
To be honest I’m not surprised since I am a child of poverty. Growing up with a single teen mother who had her own generational trauma to overcome, it is a reasonable response to develop. But then I also had a mom who made shit happen. All our needs were met, maybe not as expected but we’re met. And it taught me how to be fucking creative at problem solving. Like coffee filters can be toilet paper and paper towels in a pinch. Then if you take into account the sum total of all the environmental trauma I’ve experienced it’s a wander I’m still alive and semi sane. One house fire, three tornadoes, two floods, two hurricanes, two ice storms and two financial collapses there seems to be a common lesson here.
It also seemed to be a principle I wasn’t perhaps learning. Which might be why I kept undergoing similar experiences with different details but the same feelings.
What was the lesson?
“There is enough, and all my needs are met and will be met.”
If that’s the lesson that I need to learn.
If that’s something more than what if I applied this idea like the law of gravity. In religion they say faith fuels blessings.
What if I believed in this like a principle? In spirituality they say that manifesting starts with stating as if it’s already happened and believing it to be.
What if I declared it daily? How would my life change? How would it influence my choices?
Well I’d start having more experiences. I’d start using the resources I had like credit cards and rewards points to do the shit I want to do. I’d have more courage to take risks in my business. I’d be more giving and charitable to those in need. Because it’s just money and I can always make more. Trying to rewire my brain from over forty years of programing is a hard but doable concept. I want to be very clear this is an active lesson I am trying to learn. I am not an expert. I’m just in the thick of it. And I have some hacks that I have found that are working.
1. I say affirmations to myself in the mirror. “ Money and resources flow freely and easily to me and my husband Chris.”
2. I dream big.
3. I don’t make choices based on past Bri. Like you don’t want to make the same mistake you did in 2008. These are fear based thinking practices and aint’ nobody got time for that.”
4. No decisions based on fear. If I’m afraid I just sit still and do or say nothing until I can process it.
5. Take time to think before I do anything.
6. Daily gratitude.
7. I consume uplifting and educational content from social media to music to movies.
8. No news.
9. No drama.
10. I will pay for experiences but not the acquisition of stuff to keep up with the jones.
11. I live a minimalist lifestyle and I’ve defined what that means for me.
What tips do you have for no longer living in financial fear?
Clutter, shopping, binge watching television shows, and social media along with countless other habits have become the go to distraction of most people in modern society. What happens when you take those away? The consequence is, boredom and feelings. That’s right when you take away the dopamine high provided by a great deal, or the stylish fit, or that season finale every episode is a build up to, you are left open and bare.
A realization I had and left me feeling melancholy. Until I made a change.
What was the cure for my mental angst?
Getting up before the dawn. That’s the life I lead now I get up when my body is ready no matter what time. So far, it’s been a great experience but some days it’s like well shit now what do I do. Here’s the answer.
When people find out that I get up at 3am they think I’m some kind of extremist and then they find out I’m an aspiring minimalist. They’re like oh she’s one of those self-improvement assholes. But I’m not really. I didn’t wake up one day and have all these habits. It started with one need. Sleep.
I learned about circadian rhythms watching one of my favorite shows Big Bang Theory. Then I found out that the bed we sleep on, a Sleep Number, has this app that helps give you biofeedback. Within that app after sleeping on the bed for months, I found what my optimal wake up and bedtime were. Then I saw a TikTok that said getting up at the same time each day and going to bed as well were optimal for your health and wellbeing. At this point I felt like the universe was all but screaming at me.
So I made the decision to wake up and go to bed at the same time each day and listen to my body. At first the story I was telling myself is this is stupid, people will think your stupid, what will you do with the time. In all these internal stories I was the narrator and author of in my own head. Once I started doing it I’ll admit it took me weeks before it became a habit. And honestly, I would drink three cups of coffee and scroll, then I started watering my plants, reading, replying to email. Eventually my husband started getting up with me and we learned the value of easing into your day.
Easing into a day is our favorite thing when we camp and vacation. The luxury of not having to rush and have things done by a certain time make our days so much more enjoyable. Since we developed the habit of early to rise early to bed other habits have followed. We work out 4-5xs a week. We have breakfast and dinner together. I usually pack his lunch and my own for the day. We have opportunities to be around each other and exist and just have conversations that come up organically. There are tons of great benefits to this choice. We wake up and look forward to each day. The sense of dread over the day starting has been eliminated. We can spend hours before we have to be anywhere being around each other and tandem scrolling, drinking coffee, sitting on the porch or reading. I water my plants, meditate, say affirmations, make our bed, and am usually ready to leave by 8AM. Sooner if the days’ plans require. We both no longer have any need for sleep aide. We’ve both been fighting insomnia for almost ten years. On average we get about 7-8 hours of sleep a night. I’m beyond happy with the way I live my daily life at this point. Which unfortunately is something that most people can’t say. And to think it all started with getting up before the dawn would bring me the greatest sense of joy?
What say you? Are you going to find your circadian rhythm?
Bri Clark 