TODAY'S MANTRA

As a true "get it done the minute I think about it" type of person, the last couple of weeks have forced me to just relax a bit and let things go. I keep reminding myself that there is a lesson to be learned in every trial, and I am certainly learning my lesson here. I've told myself to breathe, to relax, and to only do the essentials.

The laundry? Let it go.

Cleaning the house? Let it go.

The closet clearing project I had to stop mid-way? Let it go.

I'm happy to have enjoyed a really restful weekend. I had a wonderful brunch with two local bloggers (hooray for checking off #18 on my Thirty Before Thirty list x's 2!), ate a delicious gluten free red velvet cupcake at Sprinkles Palo Alto (okay, two delicious cupcakes), and then enjoyed a relaxing Sunday matinee and nap in the park with M.

I hope you had a wonderful weekend also.

CONQUER YOUR CLOSET SERIES - THE BIG PURGE

This weekend, I started to tackle one of the biggest items on my 30 before 30 list, #12. Cleaning out my closet keeps falling to the bottom of my to-do list, not just because it's a huge undertaking but also because of the emotional battle I knew it would be.

For the last three years, I've struggled with my weight and ballooned and decreased in size on and off due to Celiac disease. I have finally hit my stride in the last year to where I've lost quite a bit of weight, kept it off, with only 30 or so pounds to go to be at my ideal weight. That said, the clothes in my closet harbor a lot of feelings. Things I wore when I was big and not feeling like myself. Things I bought hoping to make myself feel better that still have tags attached and were never worn. Things that I spent too much money on, looking for some sort of version of myself to present to others.

Quite honestly, I bought things that at the time I couldn't afford. But I thought, if the first impression of people is that I'm overweight but that I own nice things and have great taste, maybe they would think more highly of me than I felt about myself.

This is a dangerous trap.

It took me reading "Live More, Want Less" to make the connection between my emotions and my buying habits. Then it took a re-read to actually stop purchasing. Even three months ago, I couldn't really open my closet without feeling some sort of guilt, seeing things unworn or that didn't suit me.

I decided before my 30th birthday that this would change. My goal is to go into that year as certain of myself as ever. I've quit purchasing cheap, throwaway fashion and now try to only purchase things I really need, or that are pieces that will last me several years. And I'm trying not to buy too much at all, knowing that losing the last bit of weight is my final goal.

Since cleaning out your closets can be incredibly hard if you don't know where to start, I used the following strategy. Keep reading for tips.

30 BEFORE 30

Today, friends, is my 29th birthday.

It's crazy how I used to dream about what I would be doing at 29 and I figured I would be married and have at least one kid by this age. I thought I would be "old" and I thought I would have everything figured out. Turns out, I was wrong.

But life worked out even better than I imagined it would, as I'm living in the city I love, with an amazing guy I love, have a job I love, and am generally in good health and very happy. I've achieved a lot, but there is so much more that I want to accomplish. I realize it's very popular to create a list of those wishes, but there is something about putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and planning out your next year that satisfies the Type A in me.

I subscribe to the "Write It Down, Make It Happen" theory. Have you read this book? You must. The idea is that putting your thoughts and wishes on paper, no matter how crazy they are, will turn them in to reality. This is not to say that it's magic and that you don't have to work hard, but rather that you're telling yourself that these are goals. By doing so, they stay in the back of your mind at all times, and you're actively working towards them just by acknowledging them.

My hope is that in my 29th year I can accomplish the items on the list below, and maybe inspire you a little along the way. Some of my goals might seem boring or easy, but I've tried to be realistic about what I want to accomplish (rule the world, obviously) versus what I actually can accomplish in a year.

When the last glass of champagne is dry and the smoke from the candles are clear, I'm going to be a busy girl. Thank you for following my journey.

[ 01 ] Take Cantonese lessons
[ 02 ] Master Adobe Illustrator essentials
[ 03 ] Learn how to cold brew coffee
[ 04 ] Run an official 5K
[ 05 ] Get Google Analytics certified
[ 06 ] Interview women in business I admire [1] [2]
[ 07 ] Lose a few pounds
[ 08 ] Ride a bike along the bay
[ 09 ] Make a piece of jewelry to wear [ DONE ]
[ 10 ] Visit Lake Tahoe
[ 11 ] Read 20 books [ DONE ]
[ 12 ] Clean out my closet [ DONE ]
[ 13 ] Get a photo book printed of our first year in San Francisco
[ 14 ] Properly frame my treasured photo of my grandmother & dad [ DONE ]
[ 15 ] Bake a (gluten free) layer cake [ DONE ]
[ 16 ] Find a cause to volunteer for in San Francisco [ DONE ]
[ 17 ] Have a picnic
[ 18 ] Meet a blogging friend in person [ DONE - Met Ali + many many more ]
[ 19 ] Organize Dropbox files [ DONE ]
[ 20 ] Learn to fishtail braid [ DONE ]
[ 21 ] Try one new recipe each month
[ 22 ] Pass Silverpop Engage certification
[ 23 ] Get a headshot
[ 24 ] Rent a paddle boat on Stow Lake [ DONE ]
[ 25 ] Take a dance class
[ 26 ] Get business cards for the blog
[ 27 ] Write 30 handwritten notes [ DONE ]
[ 29 ] Get Google AdWords certified
[ 30 ] Take a 30th birthday trip

BACKGROUND IMAGE | VIA