Asking, “How do I start? Where do I begin? Why am I going to do this hard thing?”

German philosopher Frederick Nietzsche once said, ‘He who has a why can endure any how.’

I don’t know about you, but I like me a real good mission statement. Have you ever read one that got you pumped at each phrase, that made you feel ready to join the cause and get it done?

Since I’m about to embark on a deeper level of decluttering, I need to revisit my ‘why.’ It’s changed a little bit since I started my first declutter challenge a few years ago. My why is this: I want to spend more time with the people I love, doing things that I love, than managing ‘stuff.’ Hey, that looks pretty good on paper. I like it. Ok, so the challenge here is that it’s going to take time away from things I love (shoot, this novel is due back at the library today and I really want to finish it!). So, here’s how I’m going to do this. I’m going to write concrete goals on sticky notes and move three of them onto today’s docket. If I don’t get them all done because I’m playing Qwirkle with my six year old, I’ve still chosen to be true to my mission of staying present with my kids. What doesn’t get done on my agenda today can get done tomorrow. It’s that healthy journey I’m looking for of choosing progress over perfection, and finding rest amidst a challenging season.