Discomfort = Growth + Progress

February may be the shortest month of the year, but that makes it the perfect time to challenge yourself. When you think about it, all the resolution hype of the incoming New Year has passed and now you're left with just 28 days to focus on making some positive changes. In my last blog post, I talked about how I planned to implement Project 333 during the month of February and since I curated my capsule wardrobe in mid-January, I've only been wearing the same 33 items since then. I should note that I decided to make some modifications to my capsule after trying it out for the first half of the month. This included swiping out a black pencil skirt, bracelet and Fitbit watch for a pair of gray pants and two jackets (turns out I'd rather stay warm and dry than wear wrist accessories). I also ended up swapping out two long sleeve shirts that seemed too short for my torso in exchange for longer sweaters that would keep me warm for the rest of the winter season as well as cover up my post partum belly.

The nice thing about Project 333, as referenced by the author and creater, Courtney Carver, is that "it's not a project in suffering[...]If something you included in your 33 items gets ripped, or stained, or no longer fits at some point, there is no need to suffer through it. Replare or mend the item and move on." When I realized that my original choices were not going to work for the entire month, I opted to swap them out for items that I knew I would wear. I should also mention that I've officially earned the badge of "working mom" since the start of the month and what I've noticed so far is that getting ready for work is uncomplicated by endeless choices. By keeping my wardrobe simple, I save time and energy--two resources that are especially precious to me as I navigate motherhood and career simultaneously. In my last post, I also mentioned that I was considering wearing my capsule through the end of March to finish out the Winter season and since we're approaching the end of February, I figure I should just commit. So, rather than posting an update at the end of the month, I plan to share more about my experiences, the challenges I've encountered, my observations as well as my 33 items for the Spring season closer to the end of March.

Discomfort = Growth + Progress

There are two other mini challenges that I decided to take on this month. What I've learned about myself is that I thrive on challenges. I'm very competitive by nature and I thrive on discomfort because it leads to growth. The first mini challenge is physical. I decided to join in on a 50 push-up a day challenge, which is an obvious way to get physically uncomfortable. Push-ups are not easy and after having a baby last year I feel like I've seriously lost all my upper body strength. Doing 50 push-ups a day allows me to not only flex my arm muscles, but helps flex my discipline as well. With each push-up I get closer to feeling more like my pre-pregnacy self. With that, I gain physical strength and my confidence also increases. Discomfort = growth + progress.

The other challenge that I took on this month is called the "Mins Game" (check out https://www.theminimalists.com/game/ for more information). According to the Minimalists, the rules of the Mins Game are as follows: "Find a friend, family member, or coworker who’s willing to minimize their stuff with you next month. Each person gets rid of one thing on the first day of the month. Two things on the second. Three things on the third. So forth and so on." For the month of February, I calculated how many items one would have to minimize and the magic number is 406! So far, my significant other and I have been able to minimize 227 items from our home and I'm hopeful that we will get to 406 by the end of the month.

The Mins Game also brings on discomfort, but on a mental and even emotional level. When I take a step back and question why I have so many extra partially used toiletries and so many pairs of shoes (when I honestly tend to wear the same 5 pairs all the time) I start to feel... icky. It stings when I think about the hard earned money I've spent on a pair of shoes that I thought I just had to have, but now barely wear. I get irked with myself when I see so many partially used toiletries every time I open my bathroom drawers. I once prided myself for adopting a minimalist hair care, skin care and makeup routine, but now I shake my head when I think about all the time, money and energy that went into purchasing these things that I really could have done without. So that why I decided it was time to get uncomfortable again and minimize my items by playing the Mins Game this month. Again, discomfort = growth + progress.

In the end, there's no sense in beating mysel up about slipping back into old habits. Even the most seasoned minimalists need a refresher once in a while. That's the beauty of Minimalism. It's not a destination and there is no endpoint. It's a way of life and a journey with no end in sight. But why go on a journey with no destination? Wouldn't that be frustrating or depressing? No, quite the opposite. Minimalism has the potential to help people live their lives with more intention, which can allow the discovery of purpose or passion. When you take away the excess stuff (whether physically, mentally or emotionally) you make space for what's important and when your life includes only what's most important to you, well, that sounds like a life worth living. Cheers to the Bueno Life.