Whelmed.

I'll say it straight - life with Charlotte is awesome, but the rest of life is, well, a little (over)whelming at times. I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm actually overwhelmed, though, more like I feel cluttered in my soul. I feel distracted, frazzled, a little lost.

I think a large part of this cluttered feeling is caused by the clutter that surrounds me at home (and, frankly, at the office. Ok, and in the car, too.). Because, let's face it, I have a stuff problem. Some people have drinking problems, I have stuff problems. I have too much of it. I can't let go of it. I have struggled with my stuff for years and years. I really need to come to grips with it.

I started reading this blog, The Year of Less, and I started looking at organizing stuff on Pinterest, and just the thought of having fewer amounts of more organized stuff makes my soul feel a little lighter. But it's not enough. I need to break down and DO something about it, instead of just thinking about the stuff. Post-maternity leave, I set a goal of going to bed with a clean sink - that helps me feel better, especially when I actually accomplish that goal.

And so, I bring to you: Joie's Year of Less. A loose plan of attack to make my soul feel lighter, my house look cleaner, and myself happier. I'm trying to use SMART goals, so hopefully this won't become yet another CLEAN ALL THE THINGS dream.

To start, I'm just going to make a few small changes:

• I'm going to leave my office desk tidy every night. 
• I'm going to pick out clothes for me and C, and pack lunches and diaper bags the night before.
• I'm going to continue to strive to have a clean sink before bed.
• I'm going to cook one weekday meal on the weekend.

Four goals for the remainder of September, two of which I already do half-heartedly.

I can do this.