Editing Your Life

I have never been one who struggled much with over-stuffed closets or attic spaces. Not because I am an expert organizer; I just learned early on in my marriage to get rid of things.

My husband’s career kept us moving every 18 months to 2 years. I joke, I never learned how to “Spring Clean,” I just moved. 🤣 If I had not worn it, used it, or unpacked it since the last move, I purged it. By the time our oldest child was 9 years old, we were moving her into her 12th home.

Thirty years later, nothing much has changed. I am the person whose sweet family and friends text me every December, “Address please,”  because they are pretty certain they don’t have the latest address for a Christmas card. 🤷🏻‍♀️

My husband and I have consistently evaluated our surroundings, been willing to get unstuck, and taken the courage to make changes. We have developed a habit of editing our life.

What Does It Mean to Edit Your Life?

Master home organizers, Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin of The Home Edit, have a philosophy that inspires us beyond how you organize and prioritize your physical possessions. We can apply their editing principles to our daily lives. A “Life Edit” becomes a gentle process of deciding what deserves your time, energy, attention, and emotional space to live the life you want.

Here are 10 questions to ask yourself for “editing your life”…

01: What brings me peace?

What people, places, activities, and routines leave me feeling more peaceful rather than depleted?

02: What am I doing out of guilt?

“If I didn’t feel guilty, would I still choose this?” If the answer is no, it deserves a closer look.

03. What am I keeping because of who I used to be?

Your life changes. Something can have been important to the old you without belonging to the current you.

04. What am I keeping or keep doing because I think I “should”?

“Should” is often a clue that an expectation—not a genuine desire—is driving you.

05. What takes more from me than it gives back?

This can apply to possessions, commitments, activities, social obligations, and even routines.

06. What do I want to make room for?

• Family time?

• Friendships?

• Faith?

• Travel?

• Creativity?

• Rest?

• Learning?

• Adventure?

07. What am I afraid to let go of and why?

Sometimes the thing we’re holding onto isn’t really the object or commitment. It’s the memory, identity, security, or possibility attached to it.

You can honor something’s meaning without necessarily keeping a “thing”.

08. Where does my life feel unnecessarily complicated?

Look for places where there are too many steps, too many decisions, too many commitments, or too much stuff. “How could I make this easier?”

09. What does “enough” look like?

• Enough clothes?

• Enough possessions?

• Enough activities?

• Enough commitments?

• Enough striving?

You don’t have to keep adding to your life to make it better.

10. If I had a completely free day, what would I choose to do with it?

This can reveal what you’ve been crowding out.

Making Room for What Matters Most

A “Life Edit” is exercising the muscles of your interior life. It causes you to reflect and take action. It should remove unnecessary noise and distractions. It helps bring clarity to what brings you meaning and makes room for what you love. It allows you to determine the contents of your life without guilt. The goal isn’t a perfectly organized life. It’s a life where your time and energy are going toward the things that matter most. 

Wishing You Happy Editing!

Be Well ❤️

Kelly

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