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How to Declutter Sentimental Items – 15 Tips for Guilt-Free Decluttering

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Decluttering Sentimental Items

I value the freedom of space that decluttering adds to my life. I don’t want my home to exist as a storage locker; I want my home to have the space for building a beautiful, fun-filled life with my family. Holding on to a lot of things makes me feel overwhelmed and like I can’t exist freely in my own space because it’s busy, it’s crowded, it’s too much. 

Decluttering your space can be a liberating experience, but when it comes to items that hold sentimental value, the process can become overwhelming and emotionally challenging. It can be hard to know how to declutter sentimental items. Physical objects can hold a lot of meaning for us – they may be things that have precious memories attached or items we received from a family member. 

When we want to declutter and make space, it can feel really difficult to let go of some of these special things. You may feel negative emotions like guilt or sadness when letting go of objects that you (or others) consider special or sentimental.

I was always (and still am!) a sentimental person, I would keep a small object or physical item to keep as memento or reminder for everything. I’d put some form of emotional attachment on a lot of physical objects – a rock I picked up from a beach on a daytrip somewhere, the notes hotel staff left in the room while I was on a trip, the 20-pack of candles my boyfriend (now husband) lit when he proposed. I needed to balance my desire for the freedom of space with my tendency to hold on to stuff.

photo for article on how to declutter sentimental items - vintage photos in a box
Collections of sentimental items will look different to everyone. But, if you feel like the burden of your possessions is becoming too great you can declutter your sentimental items and this article has all the tips for how to declutter sentimental items. Photo courtesy of Miray Bostanci via Pexels.

Decluttering and Happiness

At some point I started to realize a few things about my personal core values – that keeping all of these items was me living at odds with my core values. Living against my personal core values set me up for unhappiness because I wasn’t making decisions that aligned with what makes me feel truly happy and fulfilled. Check out this linked article for a how to in defining your personal core values.

I realized:

  1. It wasn’t the things I valued but the memories they reminded me of – I was seeking connection by keeping things instead of valuing the memories and relationships I had experienced.
  2. I valued the freedom in my home and space more than keeping the ‘sentimental things’ I had collected over the years – I was limiting the freedom, simplicity and tranquility of my space by keeping too much. 
  3. I was giving too much of my time and space to physical objects – I wasn’t being present or authentic by putting focus on the past and on objects instead of making memories and living life in the now.

I knew I needed to start to let go of sentimental items and continue with the decluttering process of my home. I knew I needed to do it, but I was struggling with how to declutter sentimental items. I was ready to continue and was eager to get back some physical space and mental space but I was still struggling with the negative emotions that came with getting rid of sentimental stuff.

Sadness, that I was letting go of things that took me down memory lane and reminded me of good things.

Guilt, that I was letting go of things that others thoughtfully gifted me.

Fear, that I would regret what I had decided to let go of.

Over years of letting go of the sentimental clutter I’ve found and developed some tips and tricks that helped me work out how to declutter sentimental items without (okay, not without… let’s say, ‘while minimizing’) sadness, guilt and fear. In the rest of this article, I’ll walk you through 15 practical tips on how to declutter sentimental items.

How to Declutter Sentimental Items

Keep on reading for 15 ideal strategies on how to declutter sentimental items while limiting the negative feelings of guilt, fear and regret that often accompanies the decluttering of meaningful or sentimental objects.

1. Don’t Start with Sentimental Items

If you’re looking for the first, most important tip on how to declutter sentimental items, this is it. If you haven’t decluttered before or haven’t completed many decluttering projects in your home yet I’d recommend starting somewhere else first than with your sentimental items. Try tackling ‘easier’ parts of your home like home office supplies or ‘junk drawer’ before starting with sentimental items. It’s a lot easier to declutter simple items where you only need to think about whether or not you’ll use an object.

It can be difficult to part with sentimental items because there can be so many emotions and memories attached to each item. Starting with other areas will help you develop your decluttering ‘skill’. The more decluttering you’ve already completed hones your ability to make quick, meaningful decisions about what to keep and what to let go.

Before asking yourself how to declutter sentimental items, build your decluttering confidence by starting with easier areas. By making quick decisions about what to keep and what to discard, you’ll develop a decluttering rhythm that’ll serve you well when dealing with sentimental items.

photo for article on how to declutter sentimental items - cluttered desk area with binders, open shelves, papers and equipment
Decluttering is a skill! Don’t start with difficult to part with your possessions that have sentimental meaning. Start somewhere easier on the heart and soul like your desk area where you’re likely less connected with your office materials and it’ll be much easier to declutter and start to get rid of things. Photo courtesy of Sander via Pexels.

2. Start Small

Embarking on the journey of decluttering sentimental items can understandably be overwhelming. I had storage boxes, shelves, drawers (and even whole rooms) dedicated to storing my sentimental belongings. Thinking about spending a day going through ALL of these items was completely overwhelming that I didn’t even want to think about doing it (let alone actually doing it). 

So, save yourself the stress – that feeling of being swamped and overwhelmed, by starting with only a small space. Start small and finish it completely, before moving on. You can start with a single closet, a drawer, or even a single shelf.

This gradual approach for how to declutter sentimental items not only prevents you from becoming inundated with sentimental objects and all of the emotions you have attached to them but also allows you to build momentum and a sense of accomplishment as you slowly witness space and freedom opening up in front of you.

There’s no need to rush your decluttering process, it can take as long as it needs to take. So, start small, take your time and just do one little box at a time. 🙂 

photo for article on how to declutter sentimental items - tidy table top and drawer
Decluttering can take a LONG time, especially when it takes time to make decisions about keeping or tossing items. Ensure you get to your decluttering by targeting small areas at a time like a single drawer. Photo courtesy of Karolina Grabowska via Pexels.

3. Group Similar Items

Categorizing your sentimental belongings into distinct groups can be an effective strategy for how to declutter sentimental items and help with making decisions on what to keep. When you categorize your sentimental items into groups of the same or similar items – such as printed photos, heirlooms, or ‘knick-knacks’, you can very clearly see the quantity of each category of item. 

Seeing how much you really have of certain objects can help you appreciate the collection as a whole and then choose the most cherished items to keep. A simple example is that 20-pack of candles I mentioned from when my husband first proposed – I do want to keep a physical reminder of this memory. But, do I really need ALL 20 candles to remember? No, just 1 serves the purpose of bringing me back to that wonderful time. So, I keep 1 and let go of the rest. 🙂 

If you’re familiar with gardening… you know there are specified instructions for how far apart seeds and plants should be planted for the plant to grow the best it can and be healthy and beautiful. Keeping collections of objects is very similar… when you have too much (or ‘plant things too closely together’) it just takes away from each other’s importance and beauty.

Group similar items so you can get a comprehensive view of your collection as a whole so you can make informed decisions about the most treasured items that deserve a place in your life – collect all that you have and then keep your favourites.  Let go of anything else (they may become somebody else’s favourites!). 🙂

photo for article on how to declutter sentimental items - fridge door covered in fridge magnets
Collect all of your similar items together, like this collection of fridge magnets! Seeing all of your belongings together at the same time can help you decide which items you truly want to keep and which ones you’d rather do without. Photo courtesy of Melike Benli via Pexels.

4. Identify the Root of the Sentimentality

Delving deep and fully understanding the reasons behind your attachment to certain items is key for how to declutter sentimental items and helping you decide which items you can let go of when decluttering. Understanding the basis of the sentimental feelings of your objects will also allow you to let go of objects while limiting negative feelings like sadness, guilt or fear.

If you’re hesitating to let go of something even though you’d rather not keep it or have decided it’s something you can declutter – take the time to dissect the true underlying emotions behind the hesitation. Understanding ‘the why’ behind the items you keep just “to keep them” can allow you to work through those emotions and let go of material things guilt-free. 

For example, if the reluctance to part with a few objects that you may have received from your grandparents’ stems from regret about not spending ample time with them, remind yourself that their true legacy resides in the cherished memories you shared and not the material possessions they left behind. Of course, you don’t have to get rid of everything (or anything at all if you so choose!). But, you’d be surprised about the number of things you keep in your home because you’d feel “bad” about getting rid of them. 

Another place this comes up often is gifts – nobody wants to feel like they’re “getting rid” of something that someone they care about (and who cares about you!) had thoughtfully chose for them. But, I am reminded of the old saying, “it’s the thought that counts” and that is certainly true! Don’t feel guilt about letting go of these things, I’m sure the gifter would prefer it be donated or gifted to someone else who will use it and love it instead of burdenously taking up space in your life. Thank the person for their thoughtfulness and kindness and return their love and care – that’s what gifts are truly about, not the gift itself. 🙂 

photo for article on how to declutter sentimental items - closet area of antique items
If we can identify the underlying feelings and reasons why we’re holding on to a sentimental object (even when we’d prefer not to), then we can work through those emotions to make letting go a little easier. Photo courtesy of Burcu Koleli via Pexels.

5. Trust Your Decisions

Amidst the decluttering process – your intuition, your instinct, your gut – will be your most valuable resource. If you sense the urge to let go of a particular item, trust that feeling. It’s extremely easy to start overthinking when you’re looking at an object and deciding to keep it or not. 

I might need this in the future? Maybe X, Y, Z person will need or want this later on. I might change my style and want this then. I should store it for safe keeping or just in case. Thinking these thoughts is perfectly normal – but, once you start it’s a slippery slope to just keeping everything (which is sort of the opposite of our goal with this decluttering thing). 

Trust me, your first instinct is usually always right – so trust it, trust yourself. 😉 

Once you spend a lot of time decluttering, you’ll get a lot quicker at going with the first instinct (otherwise decluttering takes a reeeeally long time). A great system for how to declutter sentimental items and one I like to use is the 3 pile method – keep, donate, maybe. I pick up an item, take it in and then decide quickly to keep it, donate it and if I’m REALLY unsure it goes in the maybe pile. After I’ve finished going through each object I go back to the maybe pile and repeat the process. You’d be surprised how quick your “decluttering decision making” is when you go back to the maybe objects. 

Trust your first instinct to keep or let go and always keep in mind that releasing excess objects from your life frees up emotional space and mental space, allowing you to embrace new experiences and memories.

6. Ask Questions

If some of the items you’re reviewing during decluttering are challenging you or giving you a difficult time to determine if it’s a keeper or not, try asking yourself lots of questions about it. Challenge yourself to answer lots of questions about the item’s significance to you. 

Try all of the 5 W questions: who, what, where, why and hoW?

Who did you get it from? 

What is it? What does it remind you of? 

Where did it come from? Where will I keep it? 

Why do you love it? Why should I keep this? 

How will I keep this? How do I know I should keep it?

You get the idea 😉 The challenge of all of these questions is a great method for how to declutter sentimental items. Challenge yourself to answer all of these questions about the item’s origin and the reasons why you love it so much and why you should definitely keep it. 

If you’re struggling to come up with answers to these questions, it might be an indicator that the item’s importance has lessened over time or it’s not as important to you as you may have originally thought. It might be a sign that this is an object you could let go of without regrets. 

Assess your items by answering lots of questions about it – if you can’t it might not be that important of a sentimental item for you to keep. 🙂

photo for article on how to declutter sentimental items - neutral coloured question marks on top of an open notebook
Challenging yourself to answer as many questions about the origins of your sentimental items may shed some light on if its truly a sentimental item or not, allowing you to let go a little easier. Photo courtesy of Leeloo the First via Pexels.

7. Take a Photo

This is a great tip for how to declutter sentimental items and help limit the negative feelings of sadness, guilt and regret when decluttering sentimental items. 

You can take a photo of the item before you let it go from your space. That way you don’t need to feel guilty about letting go because you can always look back on the photo if you really need to. You can maintain the memory without the physical clutter. 

I give you this tip with a WARNING: don’t just snap a pic of everything you’re letting go because you can. This creates digital clutter in your life which can weigh you down just as much as physical clutter. So, just keep in mind to only take a photo if you REALLY need to preserve the memory but DON’T NEED the physical object.  

A great example of this one, for me, is school accolades – I had various trophies and medals from my years in school. I always felt they were important and I was proud to have earned them. But, I didn’t really need to physically keep them (I wasn’t going to display them and they don’t really serve any other purpose).  I took photos of each one so I can remember what things I had earned but physically let them go. 

For items you want the memories of but not the physical object, snap a pic! You can preserve the sentiment while reclaiming physical space.  

photo for article on how to declutter sentimental items - camera and plant next to a polaroid frame with the text your memories here inside of it
Snapping a photo of an object you’re getting rid of can help assuage some feelings of guilt or regret because you can always refer back to the photo later if you feel the urge to. Photo courtesy of Tirachard Kumtanom via Pexels (polaroid detail and text added).

8. Keep One

This is a great tip for when you’re really getting into the specifics of how to declutter sentimental items. It is great for helping to limit the heavy feeling of guilt when it comes to ‘getting rid’ of items that feel really meaningful or important. 

This is the tip you need if you have a collection of items or a group of very similar items – like a collection of hundreds of stamps or a large number of items all from the same person or a full set of sentimental dishes. Out of your collection or group consider keeping one of the bunch, keep only the most meaningful piece. This way, you honour and maintain the sentimental connection without being burdened by excessive possessions.

photo for article on how to declutter sentimental items - collection of antique keys, hardware and handles
Do you really want and/or need every single part of a sentimental collection of items to keep the memories alive? Or can you keep just one instead? Photo courtesy of Madison Inouye via Pexels.

9. Share with Family

Family heirlooms carry a shared history, they can hold meaning across generations, across every person in the family. If you have family heirlooms that don’t bring joy and lightness to your life and you want to let go of them but are burdened by the guilt of doing so try reaching out to your family members and offer them the chance to inherit these treasures. 

Sharing cherished items with family is an ideal practice for how to declutter sentimental items – it keeps the sentimental connection alive within your family, limiting those negative feelings of guilt because you still have a connection and access to them or of regret because you can still see them or even take them back if you wanted.

If you have sentimental heirlooms, share them amongst family members – it will keep the connection with the heirlooms alive among your family and you might ignite new stories or new relationships with distant family members. Talk about a win in every way!

photo for article on how to declutter sentimental items - photo of hands holding a small gift box with a white bow
Share your sentimental items with family members. It’s a great way to ignite connection over shared family history. Photo courtesy of Kim Stiver via Pexels.

10. Place Physical Limits

Incorporating designated storage spaces exclusively for sentimental items can be a strategic move to prevent clutter from spiraling out of control. You could consider assigning a shelf, box, or dedicated closet area for these items. This approach compels you to make deliberate decisions about the items that genuinely hold significance. 

A designated space encourages you to limit the amount you keep so that it fits within your decided, designated space. It encourages you to make the tough decisions on what to hold dear and what to let go of. It helps limit the guilt in decluttering sentimental items because you have a valid excuse to not keep the items because you just can’t hold the space (physically or mentally) for them and that’s okay. 🙂

I like to keep cards, from birthdays, anniversaries and every event in between – I have a shoebox full of them! But, inevitably the box starts to overflow and I’ve decided I will only keep my one shoebox of cards instead of adding and adding more boxes of cards. Physical limits works for me on how to declutter sentimental items. When it gets full I get to go through all my cards and keep my favourites to maintain the physical boundary I’ve placed for myself with my cards.

It seems sad and limiting that I’ve chosen to limit the amount I keep! But, in actuality it’s the opposite. It forces me to regularly revisit what I do have, cherishing each memory the card brings and then keeping what makes me most joyful – what a way to inject positivity and happiness into your life! 🙂 

photo for article on how to declutter sentimental items - book shelf with plant and luggage on top, filled with books and antique cameras
Place a physical limit for the storage of your sentimental belongings like a single bookcase. It helps you keep your things organized and help clutter from building back up. Photo courtesy of Taryn Elliott via Pexels.

11. Get Creative

I think this is an important tip for how to declutter sentimental items! When we think of how our sentimental items are stored, what comes to mind? An old box in the most inaccessible closet spot in your house? A storage unit that isn’t even part of your home? A dusty case in the garage? I’ll be the first to admit that I kept a lot of my sentimental items stored up and away – saving them for ‘special occasions’, storing them until I had ‘more room’ to display them, just to get them out of the way because I didn’t really need them. These are all terrible tributes to my beloved sentimental items!

Enter creativity and repurposing – you can give your old sentimental items a new life that transforms them into something you WANT to keep, WANT to display, WANT to hold on to. Transform old concert band t-shirts that are never worn in the back of your drawer into a quilt that tells the story of your live music journey and keeps you warm. Turn vintage silverware that was kept in the box and never used into unique jewelry that you get to wear and look at all of the time!

You can limit the guilt and regret around getting rid of sentimental items that you don’t want to keep or even use by fully repurposing them! Now you get to keep the sentimental connection (the reason why you held on to these items in the first place) BUT let go of the burden of storing them or not using them. (I always use this cliche, but what a win-win 🙂).

photo for article on how to declutter sentimental items - patchwork quilt on a bed
Repurposing items creatively can give them a new lease on life that will be joyful and useful to you. Photo courtesy of Erik McLean via Pexels.

12. Donate to a Museum

A great way to loosen the grip that guilt has on you when you’re considering getting rid of items that are sentimental or family heirlooms is connecting with a greater purpose. A purpose like education and appreciation of history. 

If you have historically significant items (vintage collectibles, wartime medals, artifacts related to your local community’s heritage) consider donating them to a local museum. Most towns have local museums that would love to display these items. My local museum has all sorts of fun things from the town’s history that families have donated (population records/books, old farming equipment).

This method of how to declutter sentimental items is a great mindset exercise – if you can connect your items with having a greater purpose than being stored (and what greater purpose than offering an enriching experience for others through shared history) it can help limit the guilt of letting go of items that don’t serve you. Plus!! You can always visit your items at the museum. 🙂

photo for article on how to declutter sentimental items - photo of vintage objects, shield, antlers and tools
Donate historical items to a local museum – give your objects a greater purpose of an enriching experience for all. Photo courtesy of Erik McLean via Pexels.

13. Revisit Your Items Regularly

As time passes, our attachment to items can evolve. We are always growing and changing so it makes perfect sense that our attachment to our possessions also grows and changes. With the idea that our ‘relationship’ with our belongings is always changing it becomes important to revisit our belongings, especially the sentimental ones, and re-evaluate how those items impact our life. Maybe it’s time to let go, maybe it’s time to repurpose, maybe it’s time to appreciate even more.

Revisit your sentimental items regularly to evaluate if you still want or need them. This process on how to declutter sentimental items by constantly revisiting helps to make sure your sentimental items don’t become clutter in your life. The revisit also helps you limit the negative feelings of sadness, guilt and fear in letting go of sentimental items.

As you come back to the same items again and again you can start to evaluate your true feelings on objects (since you can start to establish a pattern if your attachment is growing or dwindling for certain objects). Identifying this helps you be more confident in the decisions you make about keeping or letting go of objects. This confidence can help limit the other negative emotions.

14. Let Go with Purpose and Intention

Anyone who has considered massive decluttering and home tidying has likely come across Marie Kondo, and her tidying method in getting rid of clutter and settling into a more peaceful and tranquil home. Her method translates well for how to declutter sentimental items. An important part of her method is thanking the items you choose to let go of for serving their purpose and being a part of your life. 

The idea of being grateful and appreciative of the belongings you are choosing to let go of is ESPECIALLY important for items that hold sentimental value. It is hard work to let go of items that are or seem meaningful and sentimental. But, we are in pursuit of a greater purpose, giving your life more room to fill with peace, calm and happiness.

Acknowledging an object’s role in your life and recognizing the joy it used to bring you can help release guilt of letting it go now. Limit the negative feelings around letting go of objects by releasing them with purpose and intention, thank the object for the purpose it has served until now and recognize the joy it may bring to someone else.

photo for article on how to declutter sentimental items - person sitting on the beach watching a sunset
Let go of your objects with purpose and intention. Let them go with a thank you and an eye on the purpose it will have after you, this will help with feelings of guilt, fear and regret in letting go of your things. Photo courtesy of Pixabay via Pexels.

15. Enjoy What You Do Keep

The items you choose to keep are a reflection of your most cherished memories. Embrace these items and relish the happiness they bring. Surround yourself with the things that truly matter. Surrounding yourself with items of genuine importance amplifies your emotional well-being and reinforces the connections that matter most. 

Decluttering doesn’t have to mean getting rid of everything!! It means getting rid of everything that doesn’t add value to your life. When things in life feel heavy and busy and chaotic, it is best to simplify. Strip things back until only lightness and calm and peace remain. I get a huge relief when my surroundings are decluttered and filled with only the objects that reflect the most valued and happy parts of my life. 

Your life doesn’t have to be empty to be decluttered or calm or peaceful, it just has to be filled with the things that fill you with joy. So, always enjoy what you do keep. 🙂 

photo for article on how to declutter sentimental items - decorated living room with displayed records, plants, cushions and fun lamps
Display your sentimental items proudly! Incorporate them into your home’s decor, enjoy your things on a regular basis, you’ve chosen to keep them for a reason! Photo courtesy of Charlotte May via Pexels.

Guilt-Free Decluttering

WELL. You made it to the end of the 15 tips – you are now equipped with practical strategies to declutter your sentimental items while maintaining a sense of purpose and emotional well-being. You are ready to tackle the decluttering of your sentimental items with strategies and ideas that outline how to declutter sentimental items while limiting sadness and guilt and fear. 

Remember that decluttering is not just about minimizing physical possessions, but also about creating space for new experiences and memories in your life. It is hard work but we started decluttering for a reason, don’t lose sight of the reason you started. Add simplicity back into your life and we will all live simply ever after… 

If you have more ideas for how to declutter sentimental items, I’d love to hear them! Any decluttering tip is always appreciated. 🙂

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Mind

100 One Small Positive Thought In The Morning Quotes

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Photo of sunrise lighting up plants with a soft glow, overlaid with the text 100 quotes for positive thinking, one small positive thought in the morning has the power to transform your life

I would not consider myself a ‘morning person’ – I love how comfy my bed is, I enjoy sleeping in (later than I should) and I prefer a slow steady start to my day (they do say slow and steady wins the race so perhaps I’m onto something). I’m not a grouch in the morning – I’m just slow to get started.

I take my time getting up, I like to sip slowly on my coffee or tea and gear up for the day. I really am the tortoise as opposed to the hare who is busting with energy ready to take on the day. There is one thing that I don’t skip in my long, drawn out morning routine and it’s all about one small positive thought in the morning.

One of my slow morning rituals is to set an intention for the day. I usually use this time to remind myself to take on a positive attitude with me throughout the day. For me, each morning is a new beginning to the whole day and I like to start out on the right foot and in a positive way. Positive thinking and positive thoughts are one of the easiest, simplest, and just all around best ways to boost your mood and inject more happiness into your life.

Positive thinking isn’t just a nice thought – it’s scientifically tested! This study was published in March 2016 in the Journal of Behaviour Research and Therapy and results showed groups of people visualizing positive images/outcomes reported greater happiness, restfulness and decreased anxiety.

The Benefits of One Small Positive Thought in the Morning

One small positive thought in the morning really has the power to change your whole day. Starting your day off with the right attitude can be the best thing to brighten your whole life – it can make you feel happier, improve your quality of life and help you achieve the goals you’ve set for yourself.

The only thing you really have control over in life is yourself. How you choose to feel, choose to act, choose to react. Life can be difficult, there will be challenges and we cannot control what challenges or difficulties we may face but we can choose how we face them. There was a long period of time negative thoughts seemed to control my life – worry about the future and stress about the past loomed in my mind most of the time in my day. I had to take positive action to change this! 

I needed to replace my negative thoughts with positive ones as negative thinking was really dragging me down each day. It cast a dark cloud over the rest of the day and made it difficult to feel motivated or even happy. I knew I needed to make a change and I needed to do it as the first step of any given day!

The morning can feel like the most important time of day – its a reset – a brand new day; a fresh start. Starting off with a good mood puts you on the right track for the rest of the day. The morning was the absolute best time to make a change to start with positive intention, first thing. 

woman in yellow sweater hugging a bouquet of sunflowers

From then on, I tried to be more conscious about my thoughts in the morning. Being intentional and present with what I first thought in the morning – I quickly realized the first thoughts were usually worry about all the things I had to get done or stupid mistakes I made the day before. What a terrible way to wake up! My first change was simple: when I wake up I will tell myself ‘today will be the most beautiful day of your life!’ – yes, it was cheesy but it worked! It transformed my thinking to think about and focus on the positive instead of the negative.

This new start to the day and new way of thinking gave me something else to focus on and think about other than negativity! It gave me a positive and brighter outlook on life, that this day was going to be a great day! From then on before going to sleep, I chose positive quotes, my ‘good morning’ to me quotes that would give me a positive head start the next day.

The energy you put out into the world really finds its way back to you – I started to have a more positive mindset. I saw the beautiful world that is out there with each new morning. Instead of seeing the dread in my to-do list or the pain in past mistakes – I saw what there is to be thankful for or the great things that I could accomplish that day.

Similarly to how negative thoughts clouded my whole day, positive thoughts lit up my entire day. Positive thinking, positive affirmations, and just an overall positive attitude became powerful tools for me to meet the challenge of each day with. I see the positive results that one small positive thought in the morning has and I wanted to share it with you too! 

Live a positive life, a happy life by setting yourself up for it! I’ve collected all sorts of different quotes to get you started with your very own “one small positive thought in the morning ritual” – motivational quotes, inspirational quotes, encouraging quotes, any and all of the quotes I felt were a really positive way to start your day! I encourage you to read through and select a few of your favourites to hold onto for each morning. Start your day off each early morning with a breath of positivity!

So, what is a good thought for a morning? Or what is one positive thought to start the day?
If you’d like some inspiration – I’ve separated the quotes into different themes so you can really narrow down which one small positive thought in the morning you’d like to start with!

One Small Positive Thought in the Morning Quotes

Choosing Happiness

We will not be happy 100%, all of the time – it’s just part of the human experience. We experience a wide range of emotions and experiencing the negative ones like stress, worry, sadness, pain allow us to appreciate the positive emotions even more. Even though there are times to be sad or stressed, we don’t have to remain this way. We can choose to see the positive in our situations, we can choose happiness. These one small positive thought in the morning quotes are all about that – choosing positivity, choosing happiness, choosing to seek the light through life’s adversities.

If you need a reminder to look for happiness and positivity, I hope these quotes will do it for you!

  1. “Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.” – Anthony J. D’Angelo
  2. “Happiness is a choice, not a result. Nothing will make you happy until you choose to be happy.” – Ralph Marston
  3. “Happiness is always there. You just have to choose to see it. There’s no point dwelling in the dark and ignoring the light of the stars.” – Carrie Hope Fletcher
  4. “Happiness in your heart is directly proportional to the quality of thoughts in your mind.” – Asma Naqi
  5. “Being happy never goes out of style.” – Lilly Pulitzer
  6. “When you have a choice, choose happy!” – Pancho Barnes
  7. “The purpose of our lives is to be happy.” – Dalai Lama
  8. “Be happy about your own life and you’ll be amazed at just how much more beautiful you’ll find it to be.” – TemitOpe Ibrahim
  9. “Happiness is a choice that requires effort at times.” – Aeschylus
  10. “Happiness is a way of travel not a destination.” – Roy M. Goodman
  11. “Every day we have plenty of opportunities to get angry, stressed or offended. But, what you’re doing when you indulge these negative emotions is giving something outside yourself power over your happiness. You can choose to not let little things upset you.” – Joel Osteen
  12. “Our happiness or our unhappiness depends far more on the way we meet the events of life than on the nature of those events themselves.” – Wilhelm von Humboldt
  13. “If you smile when you are alone, then you really mean it.” – Andy Rooney
  14. “Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.” – Winston Churchill
  15. “I don’t have to chase extraordinary moments to find happiness – it’s right in front of me if I’m paying attention and practicing gratitude.” – Brene Brown

Being Grateful

Gratitude is a powerful mindset tool, it can take some practice and require constant effort to remind yourself to practice gratitude but it is well worth it. We often put emphasis on what’s next – we plan, we schedule, we look forward to the future. It’s not a bad thing, but it can be when we also lose focus on the present.

We may start to only focus on the future – I’ll be happy when I achieve this next goal, I’ll be happy when I purchase this next thing. We need to also remember to be happy and thankful for where we are right now, what we have right now. The more we focus on gratitude for the things we currently have, the more joy and happiness we can unlock.

These quotes are all about reminding ourselves to be grateful and acknowledging all of the good we already have!

  1. “Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.” – Eckhart Tolle
  2. “I am happy because I’m grateful. I choose to be grateful. That gratitude allows me to be happy.” – Will Arnett
  3. “Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” – Robert Brault
  4. “When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.” – G.K. Chesterton
  5. “When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love – then make that day count!” – Steve Maraboli
  6. “Be present in all things and thankful for all things.” – Maya Angelou
  7. “The more that we feel grateful in our lives, the more joy and fulfillment we’re able to feel.” – Miranda Anderson
  8. “Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” – Oprah Winfrey
  9. “If a fellow isn’t thankful for what he’s got, he isn’t likely to be thankful for what he’s going to get.” – Frank A. Clark
  10. “The more you are grateful for what you have, the more you will have to be grateful for.” – Zig Ziglar
  11. “Gratitude turns what we have into enough.” – Aesop
  12. “Happiness isn’t what you find at the end of the road. It’s right here. Right now.” – Unknown
  13. “If you are not content today, there is nothing you can buy tomorrow to change that.” – Joshua Becker
  14. “Things turn out best for people who make the best out of the way things turn out.” – John Wooden
  15. “Some people grumble that roses have thorns: I am grateful that thorns have roses.” – Alphose Karr

Mood Boosters

Sometimes we feel down, maybe for no reason at all. Sometimes just gloomy weather gets me down or I’m just feeling tired. These quotes are a quick mood boost – that the down times don’t last, that happiness is always around.

  1. “When you focus on the rainbow, you don’t mind the rain.” – Unknown
  2. “Let your smile change the world, but don’t let the world change your smile.” – Connor Franta
  3. “Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.” – Oscar Wilde
  4. “Sometimes the bad things that happen in our lives put us directly on the path to the best things that will ever happen to us.” – Nicole Reed
  5. “The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.” – Dolly Parton
  6. “It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.” – Aristotle
  7. “Tough times never last, but tough people do.” – Robert H. Schuller
  8. “For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
  9. “There is no path to happiness: happiness is the path” – Buddha
  10. “A problem is a chance for you to do your best.” – Duke Ellington
  11. “There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.” – Beverly Sills
  12. “Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Believing in Possibility

There are lots of times I don’t go for something simply because I think I might fail, I think a lot of us might think this way, I don’t think anyone ‘likes’ to be bad at things. But, I quickly realized that not even trying for fear of failure was closing the door on so many opportunities to just experience something new. We don’t need to be good at something for it to be worth doing.

A quick affirmation I remind myself of often is “you are capable (and even if you’re not at least you tried :))”. Life became more fun, more interesting when I was willing to try. I hope these quotes inspire you to try – to believe in possibility and all you could accomplish!

  1. “What if I fall?” “Oh, by my darling, what if you fly?” – Erin Hanson
  2. “Wherever life plants you, bloom with grace.” – Unknown
  3. “You can’t stop the waves but you can learn to surf.” – Jon Kabat-Zinn
  4. “An arrow can only be shot by pulling it backward. So when life is dragging you back with difficulties, it means that it’s going to launch you into something great.” – Paulo Coelho
  5. “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” – C.S. Lewis
  6. “Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” – Roald Dahl
  7. “A winner is a dreamer who never gave up.” – Nelson Mandela
  8. “Just when the caterpillar thought the world was ending, it turned into a butterfly.” – Proverb
  9. “What you believe yourself to be, you are.” – Claude M. Bristol
  10. “Courage doesn’t mean you don’t get afraid. Courage means you don’t let fear stop you.” – Bethany Hamilton
  11. “Nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘I’m possible!’” – Audrey Hepburn
  12. “The future depends on what you do today.” – Mahatma Gandhi
  13. “The greatest thing in this world is not so much where we stand as in what direction we are moving.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Feeling Inspired

Exactly as the title says – I want you to feel inspired. I hope these one small positive thought in the morning quotes fill you with the feeling that you are able, that you can – any positive feeling at all! Inspire you to do, to create, to sing, to dance, to do whatever you want! 🙂

  1. “If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.” – Maya Angelou
  2. “One moment can change a day, one day can change a life and one life can change the world.” – Buddha
  3. “You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” – A.A. Milne (Christopher Robin)
  4. “It is often the small steps, not the giant leaps, that bring about the most lasting change.” – HRM Queen Elizabeth II
  5. “To win big, you sometimes have to take big risks.” – Bill Gates
  6. “A boat is safe in the harbor. But, this is not the purpose of a boat.” – Paulo Coelho
  7. “Always believe something wonderful is about to happen.” – Unknown
  8. “To be a champ you have to believe in yourself when no one else will.” – Sugar Ray Robinson
  9. “Success is only meaningful and enjoyable if it feels like your own.” – Michelle Obama
  10. “I’m not telling you it’s going to be easy, I’m telling you it’s going to be worth it.” – Art Williams
  11. “When your intention is clear, so is the way.” – Alan Cohen
  12. “Don’t worry about failures, worry about the chances you miss when you don’t even try.” – Jack Canfield

Being Present

Presence is a huge thing I remind myself of often – the only ‘time’ you can take any action and create change is right now – the past is gone and the future isn’t here yet. So, when we are present in the here and now – that is living! Presence goes hand in hand with gratitude and they make for one powerful combination to add happiness to your life.

  1. “Worrying doesn’t empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strengths.” – Corrie Ten Boom
  2. ““What day is it?” asked Pooh. “It’s today,” squeaked Piglet. “My favorite day,” said Pooh.”- A. A. Milne
  3. “Most humans are never fully present in the now because unconsciously they believe that the next moment must be more important than this one. But, then you miss your whole life, which is never not now.” – Eckhart Tolle
  4. “Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.” – Oprah Winfrey
  5. “Don’t let the sadness of your past and the fear of your future ruin the happiness of your present.” – Unknown
  6. “Remember that there is only one important time and it is now. The present moment is the only time over which you have power.” – Leo Tolstoy
  7. “You can clutch the past so tightly to your chest that it leaves your arms too full to embrace the present.” – Jan Glidewell
  8. “The past is behind, learn from it. The future is ahead, prepare for it. The present is here, live it.” – Thomas S. Monsoon
  9. “Life is available only in the present moment.” – Thich Nhat Hanh
  10. “Every single second is an opportunity to change your life, because in any moment you can change the way you feel.” – Rhonda Byrne
  11. “Remember, today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.” – Dale Carnegie
  12. “Wherever you are, be all there.” – Jim Elliot

Being Intentional

I use the term ‘auto-pilot’ for when I was going through life without intention, without focus. I was going through the motions of life day in and day out. Time just passed by. I didn’t want to ‘lose’ any more time – I needed to put focus on what I was choosing to do each day and doing it with purpose.

I started by defining my Personal Core Values and then choosing to live intentionally by what I valued most in life – choosing to prioritize what I loved in life. Intention gives focus to your life so you can really live according to what matters most to you.

I hope these one small positive thought in the morning quotes remind you to be intentional.

  1. “Intentional days create a life on purpose.” – Adrienne Enns
  2. “It’s not about ‘what can I accomplish?’ but ‘what do I want to accomplish?’ paradigm shift.” – Brene Brown
  3. “Intentional living is the art of making our choices before others’ choices make us.” – Richie Norton
  4. “To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.” – Oscar Wilde
  5. “The key is not to prioritize your schedule but to schedule your priorities.” – Steven Covey
  6. “Living with intention means saying yes to what matters most.” – Crystal Paine
  7. “The busier you are, the more intentional you must be.” – Michael Hyatt
  8. “Be the designer of your world and not merely the consumer of it.” – James Clear
  9. “Life itself is a privilege, but to live life to the fullest – well, that is a choice.” – Andy Andrews
  10. “The 3 L’s of living intentionally. Learn from the past, Look forward to the bright future and Live in the present.” – Dr. Karen Jacobson

Confidence Boost

Everyone can use a pick me up every now and then! The world is a better and more interesting place by each of us being the unique person that we are.

I hope these quotes remind you to be confident in yourself.

  1. “Just be yourself. Let people see the real, imperfect, flawed, quirky, weird, beautiful, and magical person that you are.” – Mandy Hale
  2. “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
  3. “The most beautiful thing you can wear is confidence.” – Blake Lively
  4. “Confidence is not ‘they will like me.’ Confidence is ‘I’ll be fine if they don’t’”. – Christina Grimmie
  5. “Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.” – Bernard M. Baruch
  6. “No one is you and that is your power.” – Dave Grohl
  7. “You can have anything you want if you are willing to give up the belief that you can’t have it.” – Robert Anthony
  8. “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” – Theodore Roosevelt
  9. “I used to hate feeling embarrassed, but then I realized nobody’s watching and nobody gives a damn.” – Barbara Corcoran
  10. “Life has no limitations except the ones you make.” – Les Brown

From Me to You

I think any person can brighten a day with a nice cheerful compliment or well-wishing. So, that’s my final ‘quote’ for you. 🙂

  1. My ‘quote’ for you: “Good morning! I hope you have a wonderful day filled with joy.”

If you see the benefits of positive thinking and the happiness that even one small positive thought in the morning could bring you. You might really love defining your personal core values, our personal core values are the parts of life that bring us full and true joy, that fill us with happiness and light us up from the inside out.

When we have an awareness of what those personal core values are we can start to more easily make decisions in our life that align us with our core values, ultimately leading to more happiness and fulfillment from life. Check out this link for a step by step process on How to Live a Fulfilling Life and Define your Personal Core Values.

…and they all lived simply ever after.

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35 Introvert Activities List – Best Ideas for Introverts

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a collage of 4 photos with text box over top reading 35 ideas introvert activities, photos are of yarn balls and knitting needs, pencil crayons, baking ingredients and person sitting cross legged next to a candle

I consider myself to be mostly an introvert – I do connect with some of the traits that are associated with being an extrovert but overall I think I fall more on the introversion side of the spectrum and prefer introvert activities. I don’t really think there is a distinct divide between introverts and extroverts but a continuous spectrum where people have a little bit or a lot of either traits. This makes us all unique which makes us all the more interesting. 

As a fellow introvert, I’ll share some of the best ways I like to spend my time. Maybe we’ll share a lot of hobbies in common. Maybe you’ll get introduced to some new things introverts may like to do. If you feel like you might have more of an introvert soul, keep reading for all different types of introvert activities you might like to try!

What is an introvert?

There are many definitions and lists of personality traits that have been written to describe introverts vs. extroverts. The explanation that resonates with me the most to define how I see myself as an introvert is the ‘rechargeable batteries’ metaphor. 

When I’m talking about your ‘batteries’ – I mean your ‘social batteries’. It is hard to describe but social batteries can sort of be measured by your patience, tolerance or willingness to participate in being social with others.

If you consider your amount of social energy as a battery – it makes sense that certain activities drain those batteries and certain activities will charge up those batteries. This is where the difference between an introvert and extrovert stand out to me.

An introvert drains their batteries during highly stimulating, highly social activities and charges them up with alone time. And an extrovert can be considered the opposite. An extrovert drains their batteries when spending time alone and recharges them by being around people and being social. 

You can start to understand which side of the spectrum you fall on when you consider how you feel after you spend your free time doing certain activities. For example, I do love going out and spending time socializing and chatting with friends and family but at the end of the night I feel exhausted. And to feel recharged and refreshed I desire to be on my own. 

An extrovert would likely feel the opposite, they spend the day alone and feel tired and worn out but then go out with their friends for dinner and feel replenished of energy, after chatting and being with others.

Why are activities or hobbies important?

Having a hobby or doing an activity we enjoy in our spare time is vital to living a joyful and fulfilled life. It gives us something fun to do in our leisure time. 

It’s important to save time for activities we specifically enjoy amongst our busy lives. There are always going to be activities that are required of us (that we may not necessarily enjoy) like errands or work or cooking so it’s important to mix in activities we specifically choose and love to do. Having the time to spend on our hobbies or leisure activities is important for stress relief and giving us the feeling of joy. 

Remembering to take time to feel happy in our lives is something we tend to forget since life is busy, tasks are important, things are stressful! 

Hobbies have the effect of enriching and improving the quality of our lives. I think it’s vital to have at least one you truly enjoy and do often! 

Of course, there are quite literally thousands of hobbies and activities out there for every personality type and personal preferences but this post will focus on “introvert activities” but that doesn’t necessarily exclude anyone! I’m quite sure anyone can find something interesting on this list of ideas that might spark some joy in life. 

I have included many different “types” of introvert activities on this list because sometimes what we feel like doing is very dependent on our energy levels or even what social events we need to plan around. I have included many different ways of taking some time to do an activity purely for your own enjoyment including: 

  1. At home: for when you need ultimate relaxation and recharging of those social batteries
  2. Solo but out and about: for when you still want some alone time but something more fun, eventful and engaging then being at home
  3. Small groups: for when you want to connect with others but not in a very hustle, bustle highly social way
  4. Trying something new: for when you’re feeling courageous to try something new (but, things I still love to do and consider to be ‘introvert activities’)

35 INTROVERT ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITIES AND HOBBIES FOR THE PERSON WHO FEELS REFRESHED WHEN DOING ACTIVITIES ALONE OR IN SMALL GROUPS

Introvert Activities at Home to Relax and Recharge

Here are 20 introvert activities to get into when you may not have much time and are just looking for a quick recharge. These are activities are often turn to after a stressful day and am looking for an easy way to feel more relaxed and recharge my social batteries. 🙂

  1. Get lost in a good book
person reading with a book in a bath tub filled with floating greenery and citrus fruits

Having some reading time is a super easy way to take a bit of time to yourself. I normally always have a book on the go that I can pick up quickly. If I’m short on time, I don’t mind reading just a chapter or two (although, I often lose track of time and read much more than I intended… but that’s okay!) and getting back to other things. But, I always appreciate a few minutes to wind down, turn my brain off and not have to think about anything but the story. I think reading is considered an ultimate introvert activity because it’s an easy activity to get some alone time even amongst others or during busy times.

  1. Practice with a musical instrument

There are studies to show the benefits of musical training on our brain health – a hobby that is fun but also good for you is a win-win! I am in no way, shape or form a talented ‘musician’ (I don’t really consider myself a person who knows how to play any instrument at all…).

But, I enjoy playing around with various instruments and trying to learn new songs or ways to make ‘moderately nice sounding noise’. It’s a nice way to relax and learning something new can always make me feel really good.

We have a lot of instruments in our house because my husband (who is actually talented) keeps many. But, you can always borrow an instrument from a friend or rent for a reasonable price. There are many small instruments that are fun to play with that aren’t too expensive. Like a kalimba or ukulele (my current favourites to play around with).

practice with a musical instrument, hand holding a thumb piano or kalimba
  1. Play a solo card game
playing cards laid on table in game of solitaire

I grew up playing cards – it was the activity the whole family could join in on for a round or two. Every now and then, I play a solo round of solitaire. It’s a good way to kick back and relax (and it reminds me of my childhood).

Getting out a deck of cards is quick and customizable to whatever game you’d like to play. It’s a great option when you’re looking for something a little bit more to do than just sitting around but is still low energy.

  1. Write in a journal

You can physically write in a notebook – there’s something I quite like about the old-school way of putting pen to paper. But, you can do it the digital way as well – type or use a tablet. However, YOU want to write is the right way. 

Writing in a journal is a very versatile activity, you can tailor it to suit you perfectly:

  • It can be a reflective activity. You can jot things down about how you’re feeling or your goals for the future.
  • It can be a creative activity. You can start writing a story or plan a house renovation.

Writing can be about the content you are writing or just about the physical act of writing down. It doesn’t even have to be words! I’m a big fan of doodling. It gives my mind something to focus on so it doesn’t wander too much. 

Just get out a notebook and see what comes out. If you are feeling stuck but want to write something try searching for various writing prompts to get you started!

write in a journal, person reviewing writing in journal with a coffee

  1. Fill in a colouring book
coloured pencils in a jar on top of a stack of books with a plant and candle

Colouring can be so much fun! It’s a detail oriented activity that keeps your mind focused on the task at hand instead of worrying about other things. It’s a great meditation-like activity to try if you’re looking for some peace, calm and quiet time.

You can try colouring with whatever you have on hand – coloured pencils, markers or even, try paints. If you don’t have a colouring book, you can easily find printable sheets to try out.

  1. Try out or work on a crafting hobby

I keep a stash of crochet stuff (yarn, hooks and the like) tucked behind my couch – it is always easily accessible when I have a minute or two to have a seat. I love crocheting and crafting in general. This is probably my favourite of the introvert activities.

Crafting is a nice activity to inject into your spare time – working through the process of making something is very rewarding. You learn new skills, you make mistakes, you try again and you end up with a product you can love and be proud of in the end! 

It can be a practice in patience but it is worth it for the feeling of accomplishment in the end. I usually always have a little project going like hand towels or a blanket or scarf (as a bonus, they make great gifts!).

neutral earth coloured balls of yarn with knitting needles and knitted blanket

  1. Cook yourself a nice meal (or dessert!)
Baking ingredients, flour, eggs, milk, on cutting board with tulips and kitchen towel

I really enjoy spending time baking. Similarly, to a lot of my other hobbies – it’s enjoyable to take the extra time to go slowly through the process and end with a satisfying (and yummy!) result. 

Choose a recipe you’ve always wanted to try and go for it! Cooking or baking can be a relaxing way to fill your time and it’s always nice to share the results with others (or eat them all yourself! I can’t deny that I do this, at least sometimes. :))

  1. Try meditating

You don’t have to be intimidated by meditation. There are literally thousands of ways to do it and in my opinion, there is no way that is the best way, the right way or even the better way. There’s just the way that you do it. 🙂 

I like to keep it very simple – I find a comfy spot to sit or lay down, close my eyes and just focus on breathing in and breathing out. That’s it! I usually only spend a couple of minutes like this but it is a nice way to reset your mind and relax – especially if you’re stressed, anxious, worried or just have too much racing through your mind. 

Person sitting cross legged on carpet with candle next to them

  1. Take time for thoughtful reflection
Person sitting looking out at mountain views

You might consider this similar to meditation – but, for me – they are very different. Meditation is about thinking about… well, nothing. You let your mind be still without any thoughts, give that brain a break! Whereas thoughtful reflection – you have thoughts! 

I like to pair this with being outside – I enjoy the outdoors and being in nature. It makes me feel calm and lends well to just pondering life – being grateful for where I am, what I have, thinking about what I want to accomplish today, tomorrow, 5 years from now. Thoughtful reflection is for you to think about whatever you want!

  1. Take a nap

I’m thinking, no explanation needed. 🙂

Sleeping puppy in the grass
  1. Have a pajama day
Person in pajamas sitting on kitchen counter holding a coffee

I am a comfort clothes enthusiast – so far as, I have a part of my closet I consider ‘day pajamas’ – really pajamas but possibly could pass for real clothes? 

Sometimes you need a quiet restful day at home where you spend it in your jammies and participate in all of your comforts – cozy blankets, a warm drink, and nothing to do!

  1. Do some stretching

I’ve done a lot of yoga classes over the years so I typically recreate the stretches I’ve learned through classes. But, you can easily follow a youtube video or just move your body in ways that feel good for you. 

I try to prioritize moving my body but sometimes you don’t have it in you to do a whole workout or exercise routine, enter – stretching. It’s the relaxation workout and it’s my favourite for feeling accomplished and getting in some movement but focusing on rest and relaxation.

Person holding a plank position on a pink, purple and blue yoga mat

  1. Listen to a podcast
Phone displaying a podcast on a table with headphones and a book

This is the activity I turn to when I feel like reading but want to keep my eyes closed. Reading for the ears. 🙂 

The blog, Simply Fiercely, has rounded up a list of 7 Simple Living Podcasts to Inspire You. This list has a lot of my favourites, I hope you can find one you love too!

  1. Do a puzzle

I really do love puzzles. I love sorting the pieces by edge/middle, I love sorting the pieces by colour and I certainly love satisfyingly finding a match and putting those pieces together. To me, puzzles are a satisfying game of organization and process that allows my mind to rest while I focus only on the task at hand. 

Puzzles are a great introvert activity and they come in every size, number of pieces and style imaginable. You can definitely find something you might like. You don’t even need to do a traditional puzzle – lego sets are also satisfying to complete and you can follow the step by step guide – less frustration of a traditional puzzle but still great!

Wooden coloured puzzle pieces randomly laid out
  1. Tidy up a space
Drawer filled with pens, markers, roll of string, ruler and papers

Accomplishing something can always put you in a great mood so when I’m in the mood for a pick me up I’ll choose a small area to tidy or re-organize like the top of my desk or a drawer in the kitchen. Choosing a small area ensures I will finish the job, without it taking too much time (sometimes 15 minutes maximum) and I can choose to keep tidying if I’m on a roll or move on to something else.

  1. Watch the sunset (or the sunrise)

The cycles of nature are always mesmerizing. The sun will always set in the evening and always rise in the morning. 

There are so many reasons watching the sunset or sunrise is such a great activity:

  • It’s something reliable you can always count on.
  • It’s an easy activity to do at the start or end of a day.
  • It’s a relaxing activity to take a few minutes to focus on nature. 
  • It’s something you can do alone or share with those close to you. You can sit in silence or chat.
  • It’s for everyone! It doesn’t only have to be one of the introvert activities.
View of a sunrise through tall grasses
  1. Watch a movie
person laying down eating popcorn with a tv remote in their hand

I have a lot of favourite movies I like to watch from time to time. Sometimes, especially on those bad weather days, it’s nice to set aside the to-do’s for a few hours and curl up with some snacks and watch a movie.

  1. Do a workout

We all know how important it is to move our bodies and get regular exercise. It’s an activity that can easily be labelled as self-care. If you’re looking for something to do, it might as well be something good for your body and your mind too! I always feel refreshed and ready to take on new challenges after a good workout.

Rolled up yoga mats in a wooden box
  1. Research something
Wooden ladder in front of a filled bookshelf

“The more that you read, the more things you will know, the more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”

– Dr. Suess

I love learning new things – every new thing you learn is more growth for you as a person. You can delve deeper into a topic you know something about or do some research about something entirely new. I try to always keep an open mind to learning new things, you never know when something new becomes something you love! 

I like to learn about all different kinds of things – baking, gardening, the middle ages, statistics, crochet, how CGI films are made… learning really never ends so try looking into something new! The world becomes a very interesting place when you stay curious. 

  1. Pamper yourself

Everyone deserves a self care day (or at least some self care time :)). Take some time to refresh and relax with all of your favourite self care activities. For me, this is as simple as taking some extra time caring for my skin and having a warm tea. 

Bathtub filled with water and flowers with a shelf over the tub with candles and flowers

Introvert Activities that are Solo Activities but Out and About 

I enjoy solitary activities, having alone time recharges me. But, those activities don’t always need to take place at home. I like going out and about on my own as well – they are just as recharging to my social batteries but more exciting and eventful than my at home introvert activities. 

Consider some of these ideas when you’d like to get out of the house but still would like some alone time.

  1. Go for a walk or hike
Trail lined with tall trees

A super easy activity – no preparation or even driving required, you can just pop out of your house and get a walk in. It’s always nice to get some fresh air and a bit of physical activity. 

You can try morning walks or evening walks, a long walk or a short one, walks just around your neighbourhood or visit walking or hiking trails nearby. It’s a completely customizable activity for every mood. 

  1. Take yourself out for lunch

Taking yourself out on a little self care date is a nice little outing – you get to pick your favourite place, your favourite food and get to just enjoy a delicious meal! I never used to go out to eat on my own unless I was grabbing take out. But, now I like to grab a bite to eat on my own (or I take my kiddo with me, which is just as nice). 

Person putting down a bowl of food onto a restaurant table
  1. Go for a no destination drive
Sunny view from the backseat of a car to show the windshield view and dashboard of the car

I don’t do this very often because… gas prices, environment… so, typically my drives aren’t to ‘no destination’ but just somewhere I don’t go often. But, I use the driving time as a bit of a reset. You get a bit of alone time and I like listening to my music.

Going for a drive gets you a bit alone time with the radio and interesting views depending on where you’re going (or not going). Plus, you might just end up somewhere interesting that you’d want to visit again if you go driving with no destination in mind!

  1. Visit your local library

Most local libraries have more happening than just books! My local library has board games, seed swaps (I love getting new plant seeds for my gardens!), other media (like movies or magazines), computer access, sitting areas, and more! 

There’s always something to do at the library. I usually grab a drink to go and hang out at the library – it’s usually one of the quiet places so sometimes I work or write and do something productive, sometimes I just read or check out what they have going on. But, a visit to the library is usually a good time 🙂 .

Person removing a book from a library bookshelf
  1. Sit at your local coffee shops
Coffee cup on the edge of a coffee shop table

Sometimes you want to spend time alone but with a change of scenery (to your own home) and a visit to a local coffee shop (or little restaurant) is just the change you need. Little local shops always have friendly staff and usually a nice atmosphere to spend some time in. It feels great to support local businesses too!

Introvert Activities for Small Groups

“Introvert activities” doesn’t necessarily need to only mean “ALONE”, I can feel just as recharged after a nice outing with a friend or even small groups of friends too. I’ve made a small list of group activities that are a perfect way to get some social interactions with close friends but not ‘too social’ 🙂 .

  1. Try yoga classes

You could also attend any other type of physical activity class you like! This is a great activity for when you’re feeling a bit social as there will be others there or you can bring along a friend or two. But, it’s still a nice activity for introverts because there’s a task to be focused on and an activity to be doing so general chit chat or socialization isn’t required. 🙂

 I love meeting up with a friend at a yoga class – I get to spend some time with them and chat before and after class but still have an activity to do that I enjoy. Yoga is particularly great, there is a focus on connection and community but you’re sort of all still doing the activity alone… but together 🙂 .

People in a yoga pose, kneeling with arms outstretched in a yoga class
  1. Have a board games night
People sitting on the floor playing the board game Ticket to Ride

This is another great activity for getting some social time in but without too much social ‘pressure’. I find it is easy to get conversations flowing and started when there is a central activity for the group to be doing (in this case, playing the game). It takes the pressure off to start or fill conversations making it more comfortable for my fellow introverts. 🙂 

You can meet up at a place that has board games for use (like a library or board game cafe) or host a gathering at your own place. Sometimes I prefer to host events because I feel more comfortable being social in a setting that is my own.

  1. Volunteer

There is a lot of good we can accomplish in the world when we spend our spare time helping others. Volunteering is a great way to connect with a friend or small group of friends in a profound way that has a lasting impact on others. Plus, you could meet others that share the same values as you and make other close friends.

person picking up plastic water bottle on the beach into a trash bag
  1. Visit a museum or art gallery
Paper cranes hanging from ceiling in an art gallery lit up

Make a trip to a museum or art gallery near you, or make a fun road trip out of it and visit one out of town. You can take a close friend or even go on your own. This is a great outing because you can never run out of things to talk about with all of the new things you get to see and experience (and learn!) at a museum or gallery.

  1. Go out to the movies

A good movie night is always a go-to outing for me! I love the movies (and the movie snacks!) so it’s a natural fit for a fun activity to do. I can go out with my friends and have a great time watching the movie and then we can chit-chat away after all about the movie.

If you want to change it up a bit try visiting a drive-in theater if you can find one near you. It’s very fun to be able to watch a movie outdoors. You can make your vehicle extra comfy with lots of pillows and blankets.

Blank and bright white movie theatre screen in a dark theatre

Introvert Activities to Try Something New

Like I said before, as much as I consider myself to be an ‘introvert’ there are times where I’m just in an ‘extrovert’ kind of mood. Just because I’m feeling more introverted one day doesn’t make me an introvert for life! Your personality and mood can definitely change all of the time and sometimes that means you’re in the mood for different things!

So, if you’re looking for an introvert activity that is outside of your comfort zone, or an activity with large groups or new people then checkout the list below! These are things that maybe you could consider to be more ‘extroverted activities’ but I think they’re still comfortable (aka I’m not really the center of attention). Plus, you can always tailor any activity to make it work for you – bring your closest friends, go alone, whatever works!

  1. Attend a street festival
Bouquets of pink flowers in a rustic wooden bucket

Keep an eye on the social media pages of your local town (if it has one!) – there are lots of fun festivals that go on throughout the year in most towns. My town hosts a maple syrup festival, an apple festival, a jazz festival, a butter tart festival… you get the idea! There’s usually something for everyone. 

I like visiting these events – although there are crowds and it can sometimes feel overwhelming, there’s always lots of fun things to do and you can do them at your own pace without having to interact or small talk with every single person there! So, still great for my ‘introvert’ friends. 🙂 

PLUS! Usually lots of local businesses are a part of these festivals so you might just discover new activities to do in your own town that you didn’t consider before. 🙂 (my town has a circus school… yep! Circus school. The athletes are always at the festivals showing off their amazing skills!)

  1. Join a crafting circle or book club

One of the things I consider an ‘introvert’ trait is having deep and meaningful interactions or connections with others who share similar interests as opposed to lots of small talk type chit chat with lots and lots of people. A crafting circle or book club is the perfect activity to set up these kinds of interactions. I can work on my own project/read the book at my own pace to allow for that social disconnect and alone time BUT then also come together with others to connect, learn new craft skills or reflect on reading material. Alone time and connection all rolled in together – win-win!

My local library hosts both of these types of events but you can always find one near you on social media pages or host one yourself! 🙂

two people holding open books pointing to the pages
  1. Host a small gathering at your home
People doing a cheers, putting their wine glasses together above a table of food

You can host a crafting circle (see the suggestion previous to this one!), a board games night, a movie night! You can tailor it to what you and the people you’ll be inviting love most. You’ll feel more comfortable socializing because you’re in your own space (which is where I feel most comfortable anyway). And if I’m being honest, the best part is that when you’re tired and have had enough you can have everyone leave 🙂 (nicely, of course!).

  1. Attend a local live show or concert

Similarly to a street festival – it may be busy with a lot of people but there is a central activity everyone is focused on and experiencing. You can take it all in without chatting or you can chat with others about the show/concert. Try to focus on having a fun time and the good music! It’s a choose your own adventure of how much social time you want. 🙂 

Close up of person playing the drums
  1. Attend a cooking class
Salt being sprinkled on a stone bowl of chopped up vegetables

Like some of the other introvert activities I’ve suggested – it may seem out there or intimidating to get together with a group of people you don’t know BUT there is a central activity you are all working on so there’s not much social pressure. You can participate socially as much or as little as you’d like and you get to learn new skills at the same time.

You made it to the end of this list…

I did label this as a list of introvert activities BUT I think anyone can find something that might work for them. Since, really there isn’t a divide between ‘introvert’ or ‘extrovert’ sometimes it’s just the mood you’re in that day. And I really believe, everyone’s a little bit of each, falling somewhere on a spectrum of introvert-extrovert. 

I hope you find something on this list that you think is a great idea! If you have any other ideas for me you think I might like please let me know in the comments, I’m always happy to try something new. 🙂 

…and they all lived simply ever after.

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Mind

What is Simple Living? (Plus 5 Steps to Get You Started)

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Simple Living? Minimalism? Essentialism? Slow Living? Homesteading? Sustainable? Frugal? Zero-Waste?

There are a lot of terms out there to describe a lifestyle centered around these similar types of themes – living with less, saving money, protecting the environment. And as much as I would love to focus on all of these goals for my life, most of the time it becomes overwhelming. It feels like there is too much to focus on too much of the time. So, I narrowed down my focus – because really, the main thing I was after in life was simple – happiness (which I think most of us can agree on!). 

Obviously, what will make us happy in life will differ between every person – that’s what makes each of us unique and wonderful! But, I was able to find happiness in simple living and I think you can too! Keep on reading to get all the details on the what, the why and the how-to of simple living so you can start to get the most out of life and simply, be happy. 

WHAT IS SIMPLE LIVING?

Even though it’s got simple in the name, defining it isn’t quite simple or straightforward – because the definition is personal and unique to each individual. But, I will tell you all about how I live my simple life and all of its benefits PLUS 5 tips to get you started with your very own simple living life to boost your happiness. 

To me – simple living is about living life with intention and purpose. It’s about getting ‘simple’ – breaking down your life into the very most basic things (besides all of the actually basic things, like food, water, shelter… you get it) that you need to be truly happy in your leisurely time. I choose my life priorities (the things that bring me the most happiness and joy) and then I develop myself and my time around those priorities. It’s really that simple (poor pun intended ;)). 

WHAT IS THE BENEFIT OF SIMPLE LIVING? 

The biggest and best benefit of simple living is that it makes your life more fulfilling. You fill your time with the activities that bring you the most happiness and joy and ditch the things that don’t – it’s about living a life true to you and not what society or others you feel may have dictated for you. 

Now that you know ‘the what’ and ‘the why’ behind simple living, keep reading for my Top 5 Tips to get you started with simple living. Happiness awaits you in the simple living life! 

5 TIPS TO START SIMPLE LIVING

Below is a quick list summary of 5 easy ways to start simplify your life and make the most room for happiness. Read on for more details on each step.

  1. Define Your Why
  2. Be Honest With Yourself
  3. Tackle Your Physical Space
  4. Commit Time and Schedule It
  5. Try Things the Long Way

TIP 1: DEFINE YOUR WHY

In order to dedicate more time to the things that bring you happiness – you need to know what those things are, of course!

I have a great post on how to define your personal core values – this is a great place to start if you’ve never thought about it before. The post includes an introduction to what personal core values are and what they can do for you AND a step-by-step on exactly how to determine what they are! If you’re pretty confident about what the specific values are that bring you happiness, you can keep going with my simple living tips…

Defining your why can be as simple as asking yourself the following questions:

  1. Why do you want a more simple life? 
    My answer to this was simple – I was reaching the end of every day and feeling like I hadn’t accomplished anything, hadn’t done anything particularly fun or important and that was an exhausting feeling! I was living my own life on auto-pilot! We only get one life to live and I seriously needed to hit the reset button and start boosting my joy and happiness!
  1. What do you need less of in your life?
    Shoes? Fancy, designer things? Activities and hobbies? … Work? As much as ditching work would be nice – I am realistic. But! There were lots of things that I didn’t need in my life – joining and signing up for hobbies because I thought I ‘should’ because others in my life were doing it, shoes (I go back to the same few pairs I love anyway), designer items (they didn’t bring me much joy, so why keep them). The things you need less of will certainly be different then me – but that’s good, tailor your life for you and your happiness!
  1. What do you need more of in your life?
    Time with friends? Time alone? A hobby you love? When I cleared the things I needed less of in my life it made more room for the things I love – definitely a quick way to add more happiness to your life!

Answering the 3 questions above will help you shift the focus of your life to start simple living. 

TIP 2: BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF

That living life on auto-pilot thing I was talking about under Tip 1? It’s easy to get into a rut or run with the same old routines you always have when you’re not focusing on how you’re feeling or take the time to reflect. Get in touch with your emotions – journal, reflect, meditate – whatever feels right to you. But, try and name the emotions you typically feel day to day. Too busy? Too overwhelmed? Why might that be?

Be honest with yourself, know how you’re really feeling and allow yourself to deal with those feelings – take a break, ask for help, add more activities that bring you joy. Don’t let yourself drift through each day in and out – take the time to focus on yourself and how you’re feeling – you’d be surprised how much bringing a little focus to how you’re feeling throughout the day can remind you to be happy or do something small that makes you happy!

TIP 3: TACKLE YOUR PHYSICAL SPACE

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when your physical space is overwhelmed. When you’re consistently looking at overflowing closets, mountains of stuff on every surface, and exploding storage areas it’s hard to feel happy or calm when so much stuff is weighing you down. Try to do away with things that don’t bring you happiness, if you don’t need it to live or feel a little smile come on when you see it, it’s not adding to your simple living life and you can probably get rid of it! 

There’s nothing better than a calm, tidy space to help your mind also feel calm and tidy.

TIP 4: COMMIT TIME AND SCHEDULE IT

A lot of the things we tell ourselves we want more of in our life (for example, spending more time with family) we don’t do or just never get around to because we’re so busy with life’s obligations and don’t feel we have the time. So, take that excuse away from yourself by making the time!

We schedule almost everything in our lives (work, seeing the dentist, dinner time, I could go on and on!) so, why not schedule the things and activities that we actually want to do. Schedule it as an appointment like you would anything else and don’t cancel on yourself, add the date(s), the time, the place – as many details as needed so you’ll be less likely to cancel on yourself.

Some ideas to get you thinking… every Sunday morning from 8:00 am to 9:00 am I will make pancakes with my kids. Every Friday evening from 7:30pm to 8:00pm I’ll have a tea and read some of a book. Every day when I get home from work I’ll send a quick message to my friends to check in. Whatever you want or need to live your simple living life.

I know it can be difficult to schedule a regular thing especially when you have lots of commitments – but hey! you make those other commitments work – so commit to yourself and your happiness and make your ‘simple living’ appointments. Soon that schedule might just become a habit and you’ve made your life simpler and more meaningful for the long term.

TIP 5: TRY THINGS THE LONG WAY

I know this idea might seem counterintuitive since life is normally all about shortcuts and finding the fastest and most efficient way to do things but sometimes when we take the extra time to do something special things can happen…

  1. It can fill us with new meaning we may not have noticed before.
    Bake bread from scratch and you might notice how therapeutic the process is or how good you are at it!
  2. It can give us the time to appreciate the small joyful things in life.
    Walk or bike to your destination instead of driving and you might notice how strong you are or how lovely the flowers are along the way.
  3. It can give a new purpose to ordinary tasks.
    Dry your laundry on the line and you might feel joyful that you’ve helped reduce your energy consumption – giving a little back for the planet (and your wallet! :)).

I believe simple living is an individual journey – unique to each person. It’s about knowing yourself well enough to identify the priorities you have for your life and making time for them. It’s a continuous journey of personal development. It’s about being intentional with your limited time here. It’s about being purposeful with the choices you make. It’s about living a life true to you and not what is expected of you. It’s more of what you need and less of what you don’t. 

… and they all lived simply ever after. 

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Mind

A List of Personal Core Values

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Define your personal core values to live better and happier.

Do you want to live a better, more purposeful and happier life? Determine what is important to you by defining your personal core values so you can stop wasting time and start spending it living the life that aligns with what you value. Check out this link for a step by step process on How to Live a Fulfilling Life and Define your Personal Core Values.

  • Abundance
  • Acceptance
  • Accomplishment
  • Accountability
  • Accuracy
  • Achievement
  • Adaptability
  • Adventure
  • Affection
  • Ambition
  • Assertiveness
  • Attentive
  • Authenticity
  • Awareness
  • Balance
  • Beauty
  • Boldness
  • Bravery
  • Brilliance
  • Calmness
  • Capable
  • Careful
  • Caring
  • Certainty
  • Challenge
  • Charity
  • Cleanliness
  • Comfort
  • Commitment
  • Communication
  • Community
  • Compassion
  • Competence
  • Confidence
  • Consistency
  • Contentment
  • Contribution
  • Control
  • Cooperation
  • Courage
  • Courtesy
  • Creativity
  • Credibility
  • Curiosity
  • Decisiveness
  • Dedication
  • Dependability
  • Determination
  • Devotion
  • Dignity
  • Discipline
  • Diversity
  • Efficiency
  • Empathy
  • Endurance
  • Energy
  • Enthusiasm
  • Equality
  • Ethical
  • Excellence
  • Excitement
  • Experience
  • Expertise
  • Exploration
  • Fairness
  • Faith
  • Fame
  • Family
  • Fearlessness
  • Fidelity
  • Fitness
  • Focus
  • Forgiveness
  • Freedom
  • Friendship
  • Fun
  • Generosity
  • Giving
  • Gratitude
  • Growth
  • Happiness
  • Hard Work
  • Harmony
  • Health
  • Honesty
  • Honour
  • Humility
  • Humour
  • Imagination
  • Independence
  • Individuality
  • Innovation
  • Inspiring
  • Integrity
  • Intelligence
  • Justice
  • Kindness
  • Knowledge
  • Lawful
  • Leadership
  • Learning
  • Logic
  • Love
  • Loyalty
  • Mastery
  • Maturity
  • Meaning
  • Motivation
  • Obedience
  • Openness
  • Optimism
  • Order
  • Organization
  • Originality
  • Passion
  • Patience
  • Patriotism
  • Peace
  • Playfulness
  • Poise
  • Positivity
  • Power
  • Productivity
  • Professionalism
  • Prosperity
  • Purpose
  • Quality
  • Recognition
  • Respect
  • Responsibility
  • Results-oriented
  • Security
  • Self-actualization
  • Self-development
  • Self-reliance
  • Self-respect
  • Selflessness
  • Sensitivity
  • Serenity
  • Service
  • Sharing
  • Simplicity
  • Sincerity
  • Skillfulness
  • Solitude
  • Spirituality
  • Stability
  • Status
  • Stewardship
  • Strength
  • Structure
  • Success
  • Support
  • Sustainability
  • Teamwork
  • Temperance
  • Thankfulness
  • Thoughtfulness
  • Timeliness
  • Tolerance
  • Toughness
  • Traditional
  • Tranquility
  • Transparency
  • Trustworthy
  • Understanding
  • Uniqueness
  • Unity
  • Vision
  • Vitality
  • Wealth
  • Welcoming
  • Winning
  • Wisdom
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Mind

Define Your Personal Core Values – How to Live a Fulfilling Life

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Live better and happier by aligning your life with your personal core values.

WHAT ARE PERSONAL CORE VALUES?

Imagine this scenario –

A friend of yours would like to meet up somewhere you’ve never been before, in an unfamiliar town, hours from where you live. I think most of us would have no problem, we’d pop the address into our phone GPS app and be on our way to enjoy the day! 

Now imagine – you don’t have your phone, no GPS, no map and no friend to direct you on the way. I think we can all agree that without something to direct us on the way, most of us, if not all of us, are not making it to that new destination. With every twist and turn along the road, we’d have to make decisions without having much of an idea if we were much closer or further to our destination.

Life happens to be no different. 

At every twist and turn in life – we need to make decisions, some small and some major but every decision we do make impacts our lives and ultimately brings us closer or further to where we want to be. If we lack something to guide us or to direct us when making those decisions, we have trouble getting where we’d like to go.

Personal core values are that ‘something’ we need – a map; a set of guiding principles and values to help us make the decisions to lead us where we need and want to go. Instead of letting outside influences like your social circle or trending news or culture we can live a life true to ourselves, a life filled with more meaning, passion and purpose.

WHY DO WE WANT TO KNOW OUR PERSONAL CORE VALUES?

Our personal core values serve our life like a set of directions – more complicated than navigating streets with left and right but complex decisions for our lives where many factors are in play…. 

Our personal core values are the parts of life that bring us full and true joy, that fill us with happiness and light us up from the inside out. When we have an awareness of what those personal core values are we can start to more easily make decisions in our life that align us with our core values, ultimately leading to more happiness and fulfillment from life. 

There are many things in life that I thought were supposed to be the most important to me – things like success, wealth, or status. I lead myself through life in accordance with these supposed values – making decisions like getting a high paying job with a fancy title and buying lots of nice things. I’d keep progressing with those same decisions – get that next promotion, buy a new car. It seemed each day I’d tell myself the same story that when I get the next promotion or can afford this new item I’d be happy – but I had already achieved a lot so why wasn’t I already happy? Because I was pursuing the wrong values.

The values I thought I should have weren’t the values that truly light me up from the inside out. So, I defined them, wrote them in a list where I can see them often. Now, living my life and making the right decisions for me to live a truly happy, true to me life is easy and I want that for you too.

I discovered my true personal core values, 

  • Authenticity
  • Contentment & Tranquility
  • Connection
  • Creativity
  • Freedom
  • Nature
  • Passion
  • Present
  • Simplicity

I can make decisions more easily to align with my personal core values so I feel more fulfilled, more purposeful, more happy with my time and my life. I don’t value hustling or being busy all of the time but I value connection, nature and simplicity. So, instead of filling my spare time with plans or endless extracurriculars where I need to be here, there and everywhere at certain times – I leave my spare time free to take walks in nature with my family instead. Knowing exactly what we value and what truly brings us joy allows us to be selective with our spare time and make more room for exactly what we enjoy.

HOW CAN WE DISCOVER AND DEFINE OUR PERSONAL CORE VALUES?

Our personal core values aren’t something we exactly choose or select. They are characteristics we can use to help describe and embody what our true selves love and need for ultimate happiness. Defining them and knowing what they are gives us the opportunity to tailor our decision making to fit those values so we can add more happiness and fulfillment to our lives. 

There are many ways we can discover our personal core values, I’ve put together a step-by-step method for you to help you get started in defining the values that light you up from the inside out.

  1. Gather the Required Materials
  2. Get Yourself Into the Right Mindset
  3. Interview Yourself
  4. Consult a List of Values
  5. Curate Your Personal Core Values

Keep reading for the exact details of each step!

#1: Gather the Required Materials

Really, you don’t need anything to ask yourself some questions and think about what is important to you so if you don’t want to bother with needing anything go on right ahead to Step 2. 

BUT, if you want to get even more out of this experience read on…

Get something to make notes – whether you turn to good ol’ pen and paper or a notes app on your phone. Choose whatever you prefer and get ready to write!

We may find it easier to be more honest with ourselves when we are required to put pen to paper (or fingers to keys?). Thinking about and examining our emotions and mental processes is hard work! It can be difficult to express and be honest with ourselves if we start confronting things about ourselves we always assumed were valid and true – change is hard! 

Being able to scribble down our thoughts can open room for us to just let it all out  and then we can go back and assess what we’ve written to get more honest and open answers.

The best way to answer a lot of these questions is what comes to mind immediately – your gut response. When you give yourself too much time to think you’ll likely stray from the honest answer because you’ll start considering other influences (the ‘well, I should care about this…’ or the ‘this is important to [insert anyone] so it should be important to me’) – this is an exercise for you! Another benefit of the ‘let’s write’ technique – quickly scribble down what comes to mind immediately then review.

#2: Get Yourself Into the Right Mindset!

Get yourself ready. Get yourself in the mood to be honest and introspective. Brew a comforting warm drink, get your comfy clothes on, have your favourite meal, go for a walk, workout, take a bath, sit in nature. Do whatever little self care activity brings you happiness and joy – what you choose as your “getting ready to be happy” activity will likely be part of your personal core values! 

For example, one of my personal core values is nature – I love spending time sitting in the grass staring at the sky or admiring the sights and smells of the wildflowers blowing in the breeze. I know this is an important value of mine because when I’m feeling down I’ll always look to an outdoor breath of fresh air to boost my mood. Nature lights me up and makes me feel joyful!

#3: Interview Yourself

Use the question prompts below to help you define your personal core values – your compass through life. A set of directions to help you make decisions to be the best you that you can be in the life that is true to you! 

As you answer the questions – be as honest as possible. You only stand to benefit from honesty – you can start to carve out a life for yourself that fits exactly with your core values so you can live happier and be more fulfilled. Personal growth is a personal journey – we can’t make progress and develop if we don’t honestly assess where we are in life and where we want to be. 

  1. When do you feel happiest or most like yourself? What memory or moment can you remember where you were lit up from the inside out? Define the memory with as many details as you can remember.
  2. Who inspires you? Why do they inspire you? What characteristics do they have that you admire?
  3. What inspires you? Is there an activity you do that fills you with joy?
  4. What would you want your obituary to say? This one I borrowed from Brooke McAlary, author of “Slow: Simply Living for a Frantic World” and as she puts it, it may be a little dark but it is a powerful thought provoking question. What do you want to leave behind when you’re gone? What do you want your legacy to be? The answer to this question can help you define what you value in life so you can put your limited time towards achieving the legacy you envision!

#4: Consult a List of Values

Some of you may not need this step. You may be able to easily pick out your main personal core values based on your answers from your interview with yourself which is great! 

I find a consult with a long list of values can help (if you’d like to see a list, might I suggest this link, a list of personal core values here at simply ever after). 

I suggest this with the extra warning of BE HONEST. I found this tip helpful when defining my core values to give myself a break from trying to come up with things myself. Sometimes its nice to be able to look at a list and see what sparks some happiness.

But, make sure you’re being honest.

When we choose from a large list, we’re more likely to select what we think we should or to choose what we think others would value for us instead of focusing on what we truly value and what makes us truly happy. 

To help you avoid outside influences when you’re choosing from a list. Perform the following.

  1. Vividly imagine your happiest memory. A memory in which you were truly 100% happy, a memory where you were radiating joy. Imagine it even more vividly, where were you? Who were you with? What was the weather like? The smells? Every detail you can remember. 
  2. Now review the list with this memory in mind – if the value or characteristic fits the memory jot it down, if it doesn’t ignore it and move to the next value on the list. If you’re feeling unsure you can always create a ‘maybe’ list and review it afterwards.
  3. Now choose another memory! And repeat your review of the list.
  4. Review the your ‘maybe’ list, get rid of anything that feels like it doesn’t fit and keep what does.

#5: Curate Your Personal Core Values

Between all that you have reflected upon you should have some nice notes on what makes you happy – the things that bring you the most joy. Try to narrow down all that you’ve written up into a Top 5 Personal Core Values (feel free to go beyond if you need but try to keep it somewhat concise so you have a specific vision for your ‘life’s compass’, you’ll notice my list was quite long…).

Perhaps, you’ve found that all of your happiest memories are with family and friends – you value connection and relationships. Or maybe, you love the hustle and putting in every ounce of passion into achieving your goals – you value passion and accomplishment. Or even, you love traveling, being somewhere you don’t know, discovering new places and people to be with – you value discovery and curiosity. Whatever your personal core values are – they are yours and yours alone! And now that you know what they are you can put them to good use! 

HOW DO WE LIVE TRUE TO OUR PERSONAL CORE VALUES?

Whenever you make decisions in life – no matter how big or small: Should I take that promotion? What would I like to do tonight? You can put your personal core values into action. Think about what decisions would align with your personal core values – let them guide you to a simply happy life tailored exactly for you.  

I hope you’ve been able to define your personal core values and can think of them often day to day in order to align your living with your values. I hope this helps you on your path to get the most fulfillment, passion and ultimately, happiness out of life! 

And they all lived simply ever after…

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