2018 Refresh Tips

Well, just like that’s it’s the third week of January! I’m always so grateful for the timing of MLK weekend because it always gives me an extra day (today!) in the long weekend to really kickstart and tackle my new year to-do list. I’m always very inspired by my New Year’s goals the first few weeks of January, but MLK weekend is when I really find the time to accomplish a big new year project or two. It can be anything from cleaning out my closet to sitting down and planning my travels for the year ahead to taking the steps to legally change my name (me this year, post our 2017 wedding!).

Hopefully we’re all still going strong on our 2018 goals for the year in terms of exercise, reading, eating healthy, finding a positive work-life balance etc. If you’ve made some goals but are surprised with how tricky it can be to implement them or if you need an extra dose of inspiration for kickstarting and organizing in the new year, then my 2018 refresh tips are arriving at precisely the right moment. Keep reading to learn about some things that have helped me over the years and some things I’m doing this year! Maybe you’ll use these tips to accomplish something today with our day off from school/work!

P.S. I shared a tiny sneak peak of what this year will hopefully hold for Edwin and me here.

Sweater (old – similar, similar) / Jeans (similar, similar, similar, also come in black)

2018 Refresh Tips: Reset Your Life & Declutter

Digital Refresh

– Email Inbox:

A girlfriend turned me onto unroll.me and, speaking from experience with the service, it is a game changer. There’s nothing worse than being signed up for every email subscription under the sun, especially when you were automatically signed up and didn’t do it yourself. This service makes it incredibly easy to unsubscribe from email newsletters (without having to go through and click “unsubscribe” yourself) and it’s free. If you do one thing today to protect your sanity, let it be this!

– Social Media:

A few months ago, I was at a Dry Bar appointment to get my hair done with some girlfriends for a wedding. I was seated away from my friends so I unintentionally used the whole time to unfollow accounts on Instagram. It felt so darn good. Like everyone, I hate that I don’t see Instagram posts from my actual friends and from bloggers/brands/accounts that I truly enjoy.

I really didn’t realize how many accounts I followed. Some I never remembered following in the first place. Or I didn’t know who they were. Some I think I followed back in 2012 when I got Instagram. The worst are the ones you feel you gain nothing from, like E! News etc.

After I unfollowed a bunch of accounts, I noticed a difference in my Instagram feed. I started seeing people I loved more and started seeing people I loved who I didn’t realize were getting buried. Honestly I HIGHLY recommend this cleansing task! I recently did the same thing with my Pinterest (I’d do it with my twitter and my personal Facebook (not my blog one) but I don’t really use either platform).

– Computers/Dropbox:

This one has two parts… 1) clean up, 2) back up. Take today to clean up your desktop (talking to myself here!) and to organize your digital files and Dropbox. Then, back everything up with an external hard drive or with Dropbox. This way, you’re being proactive so you won’t loose all your work and photos and you will also keep you computer clean and running quickly and efficiently. This is one of my top priorities this January (!!!) so you aren’t alone.

– iPhone:

This task is at the bottom of my ‘digital refresh’ to-do list but still important… clean up you iPhone photos, aka delete 1 million photos! The number of random unused photos of restaurants, food, and people with their eyes closed is out of control on my phone. I’m guessing it is on your phone too. There’s nothing more annoying than running out of storage on your phone to stop this from happening… hint, this can be done so easily while you’re watching a movie tonight.

House Refresh

– House:

Do yourself and favor and give your house or apartment a deep clean. I suggest, cleaning the whole house yourself first and then scheduling a maid service to come in and make everything sparkly, squeaky clean. Edwin and I always clean out house first so that our house cleaner can really get into the nitty gritty. While you’re cleaning today, feel free to purge as well!

– Closet:

Nothing weighs me down more than an overflowing, cluttered, unorganized closet. I generally purge my closet a few times a year (after every season) so I can donate the pieces I didn’t wear that season. I get rid of so much when I clean my closet by asking myself a few key questions along the way:

1) Have I worn this in the last 3-6 months? (this is the most important question!)
2) Do I like the way I feel when I wear this?
3) Is it comfortable?
4) If I were in a store right now, would I buy this?

I find these questions SO helpful… they lead me to put a lot more stuff in the “NO” pile. In addition to the end of every season, I always start the new year off with a closet clean out too. My mind is clear so my closet should be too! One of the best things about cleaning out your closet is that you know you are directly impacting someone else for the better when you donate your clothing.

I take having clothes on my back for granted all the time (don’t we all?). It’s amazing what your unwanted clothes can do for others. Take this chance to clean your closet so you can look in it and feel inspired by your wardrobe. Instead of overwhelmed and weighed down. If you spend today cleaning out your closet, I guarantee you will go to bed feeling accomplished!

– Desk:

The new year is the best time to get your desk in order. If you’re in school, then you’re half way through the year so you should know what you need in/on your desk by now and you’re starting a new semester so embrace it. If you’re working, then believe it or not, but tax season will be here before you know it. Take a few hours to organize and file all the paperwork that is floating around your desk. Throw away any pesky desk accessories you don’t use every week (i.e. cute knick knacks, pens that look nice but don’t work etc.). I have this file organizer, these hanging file folders, and these regular file folders (I color coordinate these) and I love the whole set-up.

– Other:

If you have a laundry room, garage, attic, basement, or some other room that often becomes a storage unit before your very eyes, then use today to get a handle on this room. If today is not enough, then I suggest, blocking out another day (or whole weekend) on your calendar to do this. Hint: we have another long weekend in February with President’s Day.

Refresh Yourself

– Stick to your New Year’s Resolutions:

Three weeks in… have you already forgotten about them or are you going strong? A tip I’ve used in past years that has really helped me is to mark the first day of every month on my Google Calendar with a resolutions reminder. That way, throughout the whole year, I’m reminded to keep checking in and staying focused. It’s a simple thing you can do today on your calendar that will go a long way throughout the year.

– Schedule “You” Time:

Now, I’ve never done this. so I’ll be right there with any of your trying this for the first time this year. I’ve read about the strategy of blocking off time on your calendar for “you” time. It can be anything from going to read, go on a walk or bike ride, work out, get your nails done, or try a new coffee shop. It can be anything that makes you happy. Honestly, I never actually knew how I could apply it to my life. However, this year, I’m refreshing what “you” time means to me by blocking out an hour three days a week to use how I want. Based on how this year has started off, I’ll be using it to read. So we’ll see how this goes and if I can stick to this refresh goal. My hope is that it will help keep my mind fresh.

– Beauty:

In 2017, I decided I really wanted to work on my hair health. I started investigating and researching different products to help nourish by hair because I was really struggling with dry hair. I ended the year feeling like my hair was in SUCH a better spot than at the beginning of the year (p.s. I’m about to get my hair cut to take care of my uneven ends). It was honestly a rewarding experience for me. So, this year, I’m going to focus on skin hydration and dedicate my energy in the beauty department to educating myself on the topic. What’s one beauty thing you can reasonably tackle and refresh this year?

– Be Well By Kelly Smoothies:

We all know that there is so better time to start a new routine than the new year. If I were to suggest one new routine to adopt above all others, it would be to start making and drinking Be Well By Kelly smoothies every morning. They totally changed the way I feel inside and out… read all about my experience and the smoothies here!

Photograph by Edwin Eversole (taken at Mac & Murphy in Charleston… they have lots of lovely notepads and agendas to help you accomplish my 2018 refresh tips!)

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