Step 5: The Upgrade

 

• Week 1: Mealplan
• Week 2: Wardrobe upgrade
• Week 3: Closet declutter
• Week 4: Beyond

By now, you should feel fairly comfortable in your new habits. So it is time to upgrade once again. This is possible because you focused on building the foundations well, before adding on to it. This is not about building fast, it is about building strong.

During all the steps, maintain the routines you have built until now. But each week, set aside a day or two to work on each project. If it is an option to take some vacation days, you can do that. Or you can use the weekend and some extra time after work. If you need to, you can extend it to two weeks for each project, but try not to drag them out for too long.

Remember, if your life feels like it is crumbeling, revert back to the non negotiables, and build your way back up.

Week 1: Mealplan

By now, you might have grown a bit tired of having the same mealplan. It can be a big help to fall back on, but variety is always a plus.

• Applying the same principles as when you made your ‘survival’ plan, build 4 one week meal plans that are different. The meals can be anything you want, as long as it is something that is realistic for you to make.
• I would recommend that you vary your meals, but try stick to a limited number of key items (spices, meats, grains, etc.). The more things you need, the more space it will require, and the greater the chance you get overwhelmed.
• Tip: you can do certain spices for certain days of the week, that you repeat every week. Or some days with specific themes for inspiration, such as mexican/chinese/etc.
• For each week, write down every item you need available, and how much of it. Categorise by long lasting (the big monthly grocery one), and the fast expiring (your weekly maintenance trip)

For now, stick to the 4 weeks. But over time, you can add new weeks to your ‘cookbook’, and mix up the weekly schedules. This is a good way to make meal planning very simple, and get lots of variety, but will less stress and decision fatigue.

Week 2: Wardrobe upgrade

Remember when you simplified your wardrobe at the start? By now, you should have noticed the benefits of this. But you might also want to readjust it a little.

• Look at the items you chose in the first simplification, and assess any changes you might want to make. This could be seasonal changes, a new style, or anything that would make you feel better about your apperance.
• Really asses how you feel about each item. Does it spark joy? Do you feel confident in it, or are you just using it because you don’t have something better?
• Based on the checklist of wardrobe needs, separate out all the items you truly love/that sparks joy. Compare them to your list, and notice where you have ‘holes’ to fill. Write down these holes (for example 2 cardigans, 1 pair of jeans, 2 shirts, etc.) Adjust the list if you need to.
• When you are shopping, you now know what to look for. When selecting a new cardigan for example, try to make sure it is something that truly sparks joy, not something that will be good enough for now. When you bring something in, declutter the old item it is replacing. This will take time, but it will help you understand your style better, and build a wardrobe you truly love, instead of having the same problem with lots of clothes you don’t really like.

Week 3: Closet declutter

Now that you have assessed your capsule wardrobe, it is time to bring out the clothes you stored away from the first simplification.

• Go through each item, and ask if it sparks joy. If there are any of the items you would like to swop out with the capsule wardrobe, do that.
• Store away items you want to keep, but not have in the capsule right now. Such as seasonal items you still like, and accessories you are not using at the moment. This way, you can keep the capsule system, but still rotate items in and out to keep you from getting bored.
• Declutter broken or worn out items that can’t be repaired, or you will not spend the time to repair.
• When you are done, take everything to the donation center, so it is out of your house, and is no longer weighing you down.

Week 4: Beyond

This is the last step in the method - but likely not the last step for you. As life happens, we will grow and change, and we will have different goals we want to achieve. This can be anything; a personal glow up, projects around the house, or a hobby we want to create time for.

Create a list somewhere where you write down what you want to achieve. Try to group them together (beauty, personal hygiene, social, house, hobbies, etc.) This way, they will be easier to remember, but you will not be able to focus at them all at once.

From now on, the goal is to maintain the structure you have built until now, and add on to that as you go. When you have a week where you have the time and energy, go back to this list, and pick an area to focus on for that week, or add to your routine. This is where you really get to personalise and improve, and have a little fun. 😉