Simplify

I was a huge pack rat when I was little.

I loved to collect things; you name it, I probably collected it. Key chains, post cards, mini tea sets, stuffed animals... I even saved all of the hair that I cut off my Barbies. [I KNOW, what was I thinking?!?!?]

Because of my love of collecting things, my room was always packed. I was a fan of organization too, but my shelving units were completely full. Each shelf had things covering every square inch of surface.

One year, I think it was my 2^nd grade year, I decided to have a birthday part at the bowling alley. Because I loved crafts back then as much as I do now, I decided I'd make the party favor bags for my friends. I have a photo of my room during the weeks leading up to my party. The entire floor of my bedroom is covered in construction paper, glitter, sequins, scissors, paper bags, and everything else craft related. The only visible carpet space was the 1 foot circle in the middle, where I would sit.

The vision of that photo is burned into my memory.

As I have gotten older, I have curbed my desire to collect. I am still entirely sentimental and I love to save things like ticket stubs and put them into the scrapbook I keep. But the knick knacks, the things... I'm much more selective about what I keep or what I buy.

Maybe it happened when I got married, or maybe it happened when I moved out of my parents house and had to put all of the belongings I didn't want to take to my apartment into tubs and stack them on the shelves in my parent's garage. I'm not sure when exactly it happened, but now, I crave simplicity.

I crave clean, organized, simple. I crave less things, tidy shelves, minimal excess. I now crave simplicity.

I find myself longing for this in terms of material things like clothes, decorations, possessions. Lately too, I have been longing for this in my business. A simple workflow, simple information, simple details.

2012 is going to be a fresh start in many ways for many people, myself included. My plans include to continue slowly working toward a more streamlined and simplified life, as well as to work toward that in my business as well. 2012 will begin with a more simplified approach. 2012 will be simple, for both myself and for my clients. I think we all need a little streamlined and simplified in our lives. I know I do!

Here's to getting rid of things in our closets that we don't need, love, or want for true sentimental reasons, here's to putting things back in their places after we use them, and here's to a simplified business structure and workflow! Bring it on, 2012!