Well, I’m back.
“Where did you go?” you might be wondering. The answer is, I didn’t go anywhere. Instead, it’s where I choose NOT to go: My blog. A few weeks ago, (or has it been longer? Yikes!), I got a bit sidetracked with other things in my life, and made the decision that my blog would take the back-burner for a while. At the time, I would have said it was because I lost a key on my keyboard, making it hard to type. (which is true, typing has been a b*tch ever since my daughter plucked the “i” key off. But the truth is, it wasn’t because my computer was missing it’s “i” key…It was because I was missing the “M” and the “E” TIME I needed. So I reset my priorities for a bit. I even cut my hours at my day job!
It’s no secret, personal wellness has been a high priority for me, and it continues to be. If we’re not feeling our best, everything else in life begins to suffer. I know this from experience. When I was in the corporate world, working sometimes 15hrs+/day – typically due to unreasonable deadlines – I always put work first. My ‘work-first’ attitude enabled me do well with the company…. But I wasn’t doing well with myself. In fact, my personality is a perfect cocktail of people-pleaser and work-aholic, so I actually convinced myself that doing things for OTHERS was what I wanted and needed. It’s really quite sad…
But that’s a story for another time. Let’s just fast-forward to now. I took a little break from my blog to focus on my YouTube Channel and to help out more at our motel. By focusing on my channel, that really means I was focusing on my minimalism Journey. After 6 months of going hard at this, I’ve become increasingly aware that our cluttered lives can’t just clean up overnight. Someone once mentioned in a comment that “our homes didn’t get cluttered overnight, so they won’t get cleared overnight either”. This is SO true. And yet, I still feel discouraged at times when my progress slows.
So after several weeks of sorting out my priorities (and learning a hard truth: I can’t put 100% of myself toward everything at the same time), I’ve compiled a list of priorities as they relate to my personal goals. The reason I have these two items (goals & priorities) is because neither can live on its own. A goal cannot be met if you don’t make the journey toward achieving it a priority. So here we go:
GOAL #1 : Achieve “My Vision” Of Minimalism
I say “my vision” because there’s no true definition of what minimalism looks like. We’re all different, so my vision may differ from the next persons’.
PRIORITIES:
- Remove items from garage, do NOT put more things in it. Sounds easy, right? :-/
- Make more frequent trips to the donation center.
- Put things back where they belong after using them. (No more “I’ll do it laters”).
GOAL #2 : Maintain A General Feeling Of Contentment.
Perhaps this sounds silly or even mediocre…to desire “a feeling of contentment”. But this string of words was carefully thought out. I used to think I wanted happiness. “I just want to be happy!” I would always say. But the truth is, happiness is fleeting. It’s a momentary emotion that comes as the result of an action. But contentment, (in my book anyway), is a state of being. Happiness is an excited, pounding heart. Contentment is a steady, healthy pulse.
PRIORITIES:
- Keep a consistent bedtime and wake time. (for me, it’s 11pm – 8am)
- Family meals (I’ve found that family meals are key ‘check-ins’ to see how everyone is doing. There’s no feeling content when the family is in turmoil – so breakfast and dinner are key times for my family unit to chat, relax, and most importantly: appreciate one another.
- Don’t take on any more major projects. ‘Nuff said.
GOAL #3 : Go Full-Time YouTuber/Blogger
PRIORITIES:
- Continue to film, edit, and post 1 video/week
- Respond to comments more frequently
- Blog 2+ times a month
- Work on more revenue streams to support this.
That’s it. Those are my 3 goals and how I’m prioritizing my daily/weekly/monthly life to achieve them. Do you have any goals right now? I highly recommend you try assigning priorities to help you stay focused on achieving them. If you’re not sure where to start? You can download my FREE Goals & Priorities worksheet below!

8 comments
I like the idea of contentment. That is why I like Hygge. To feel cozy, comfortable and content in my home and life. And I agree that minimalism is very different for each of use. Best wishes on your journey.
Thank you Audrey – best wishes to you too!
Thank you for sharing your journey so far! It is encouraging to watch. I will check out your workbook, thank you! Our goals are similar. I have been exploring ways to work from home but have been so frustrated, feel like I can’t do it, but barely even started! It’s rough with a 5 month old, and I’m realizing I really need some me time.
Gosh – I hear you about trying to do anything with a little one, let alone start (or join) a new venture. I love working from home, but I’ve found it can be super distracting for me! Keep thinking/watching/listening, something ‘right’ will pop up for you eventually. Good luck! 🙂
Hi Rachel,
I came across your journey on YouTube this past year, and I have watched every vlog thus far. I wanted to share that you have been a huge part of me reinvesting in myself and moving forward on my minimalist journey. In 2011 I separated from my partner, downsized from a 13 room 120 yr old farm house, a 10,000 sq. ft barn with eight horses, a double garage and a shop to my very sweet 800 sq. ft garden apartment 5,000 km from where I started. I returned to University in 2013 at 50 years old, only one more year to complete my degree. With working two part time jobs and attending school full-time, I stopped paying attention to my surroundings. Instead of continuing on my ‘If it doesn’t bring me joy I do not need it’, I only continued to move my “sh#T” from one surface to another, ignoring the build up…. UNTIL I found you!! Your authentic, self-evaluating, funny manner sparked JOY in me, and I began to look at my home thru a different lens, thru your eyes so to speak. Just wanted to drop in and say thank you so very much for, well simply being you <3 You have helped one old Canadian Gal realize that for the first time in many, many years I am truly content!
It’s so hard with a toddler to not be messy so cut yourself some slack too!
Excellent post on Goals. I am very happy to read. Thanks for providing great information. Thanks.
https://www.mindvalleyacademy.com/blog/impact/career-goals
This is such an inspiring list because it is simple and clear. It can be so scary to go full time as any sort of freelance worker and it is awesome that you are doing it. Great post! ♡