9 Days In...

So we're nine days into 2015, and my life has changed more in those nine days that probably in any year preceding this one. My mindset and our family's priorities have shifted, and I'm really excited to see what the next 356 days hold in store for us this year.  Last year was Fit Like Flint's first full year in existence, so along with homeschooling our oldest daughter, focusing on growing our business, and being pregnant with our third child, the year flew by and before we knew it, it was over.  Some of you may not know this, but I never had aspirations of being a business owner or entrepreneur.  It just kinda happened.  So 2014 left me feeling like I was always running behind.  I never had a business plan, a budget, I wasn't able to forecast because I had no idea what I was doing, and wasn't really sure which way was up most of the time!  It was a wonderful year full of personal and professional growth, but it was exhausting, and I owe it to our family to not have another year like last year.  So something had to change for 2015 to have any chance of success.

We live in a small house.  Five people in approximately 1000 square feet.  As you can imagine, it's, um, cozy here.  I love our hardwood floors.  I love its homey feel.  I love that all three of our children have lived their entire lives here.  I love the fact that I can be across the house, and still hear my son babbling in his crib when he wakes from a nap, or hear my daughters quietly giggling as they play the "telephone game" in their bedroom.  It's cute and quaint, but at times, it's stifling.  Because of the success of FLF and Ben's increasing success as a stand-up comedian, we had planned to buy a larger home this year with intentions of moving Fit Like Flint into our home.  But those of you who are Christ-followers know that God's plans often don't neatly align with ours, and this was no exception.  We still feel like He wants us to move Fit Like Flint into our home...but this home, not a larger one.  WHAT!?  That is going to require a lot of simplifying and a lot of maximizing our current space.
We keep our house neat.  But if you've seen my recent FB or IG posts, there have always been piles of paper on our bedroom desk (because we don't have a separate office), and there are several places in our home that are just constantly cluttered, and the stacks are just moved around without ever really being eradicated.  That was fine for last year, but this year, I've really felt God calling me to get organized once and for all.  So each pile, rather than being shuttled to a temporarily more convenient location, has been gone through sheet by sheet and either shredded, recycled, or filed.  Children's clothing (which, if you're a parent, you know what a never-ending chore that is) is being removed from closets and dressers as they grow out of it, and rather than being stored for future children that may or may not join our family, we are shuttling it off to friends who can use them. Each unnecessary item is leaving our house.  Each thing that doesn't work or doesn't work well is being replaced.
Realizing that we will be here for at least another couple of years has changed me from a bargain-hunter, save-a-dime mindset to a "What will make this space liveable?" mindset.  No longer am I collecting clothes I've bought on clearance.  No longer am I tolerating the pen cup that always falls over because it's cheaper than buying an actual pen organizer.  No more random stacks because I don't want to spend the money to buy a new file box.  I've gotta tell you, I feel more peace in the last nine days with these small changes than I've felt in a VERY long time.  I feel hope.  I feel optimistic about what the rest of the year will bring.  It's not a one-day job or even a one-month job, which is difficult for me.  I like to go hard and hurry and get it done, but with other things (and people!) that need my attention, that isn't how it's going to work.  There are no quick fixes.  So I'm chipping away it, about an hour at a time, making our home a more peaceful, relaxing place to be. 

I'll hopefully remember to take some before and after photos as I go, and will post them occasionally!