Spotlight Blog Featuring "The Goodness Margin!"
Today we have Shelley from "The Goodness Margin." She is currently running TGM blog that focuses on cozy minimalism. Shelley is all about finding minimalism that works best for each person. Rather than rules you have to follow, she desires principles to live by.
First, thank you so much for joining us today on the MOD Spotlight Blog, Shelley. If you could start by telling our readers a little bit about yourself:
"Thank you so much for this opportunity! My name is Shelley, and I have been married for almost 18 years. I have a 14-year-old son and a 5-year-old daughter. We live in Atlanta, where we are church planters."
You run a blog called "The Goodness Margin" can you tell us a little bit about this page and your why behind starting TGM:
"I have always loved being on the go and busy. Life hasn't really slowed down very often. I am an Enneagram 1, and so with that comes a bit of perfectionism. I want to do all the things and do them well. With that also came an unhealthy dose of anxiety and being overwhelmed. I have always enjoyed organization and routines, but it wasn't making life that much easier. A few years ago, I decided I had enough. I came upon minimalism and realized that we had so much stuff standing in the way of our peace. I started getting rid of everything unnecessary. Pretty soon, this began to bleed into my schedule, and through understanding the unimportance of so many things we had accumulated, I began to see how my schedule could be so busy and full, but I still wasn't always focusing on the important things. When I started my minimalism journey, I had quite a few friends who were interested in following along, so I started a private Facebook group. I have always wanted to have a blog but never seemed to have the time. Thankfully I made it a priority and started The Goodness Margin in February of 2020."
Was there a moment when you felt things "click" in your mind regarding minimalism or was it something that developed over time:
"I had heard of minimalism but viewed it as something that didn't fit with my life. I saw the "minimalist lists" on Pinterest and didn't want to only own 4 forks and my style isn't really modern. I found the book Cozy Minimalist by Myquillyn Smith, and I realized that minimalism isn't necessarily a decorating style. During that time, I had a very active toddler, and her favorite task was to pull all of her toys out at once. And there were a lot. I realized that she wasn't really playing with them, and so I began ruthlessly decluttering. I found that she played with the toys more when there was less to focus on, and I didn't feel as overwhelmed because it only took me seconds to clean up. I moved on to the kitchen and then my closet, and the rest is history..."
What was one of the hardest things you "minimized":
"I have really viewed this as a journey. If I found something really difficult to get rid of, I didn't. I have a routine that helps me maintain, and as I go back to spaces, I remember that I held that item in my hand six months ago and put it back in the cabinet, and I still never used it. So it's time to let that go. Many times we hold on to things because it reminds us of someone we think we are supposed to be. I had a lot of craft things because I used to make things to sell. I finally admitted that I don't want to do that anymore. So I passed all of it on to someone who will enjoy them. I waited until almost two years into my journey to finally tackle my sentimental boxes. With a son that was now taller than me, looking at his baby clothes was hard. I made some rules, and now we only have one small box of sentimental items."
How has minimalism changed your life:
"It has really changed all areas of my life. Before I say yes to something, I think about it. While I'm in Home Goods, I don't just mindlessly buy something, I think about exactly where it will go. Do I want to store it? Do I really need it? I have saved myself so much money! It's the same with clothing. I have bought very little clothing for myself over the past few years. When you get rid of the garbage bags of clothes, it is very eye-opening. I also think before I say yes to doing something or going somewhere. I want to truly focus on the important things.
What is a big goal you have set for yourself for 2021:
"I set quarterly goals rather than annual goals. One of the things I am still working on is to give myself margin for rest time. One of my big goals for this quarter is to restructure my mornings to get more accomplished first thing. I am most productive during the first part of the day, but I have found that I have some wasted time. I want to cut the waste out so I can be done earlier in the day, to have more uninterrupted family time and personal time."
If you could say one thing to someone considering minimalism, what would you say:
"Try it. It's funny all the things people say to me when they find out I'm a minimalist. They assume I don't let my kids have toys. Or that we only wear five pieces of clothing. Or they are surprised to see my home decorations are not modern. But minimalism isn't about that. Cut out the unimportant, the things that are just taking up space in your life, and you will be surprised to find how much peace and time that is added to your life.
I also want to add this. Being organized will not work if you have too much stuff. No amount of organization can overcome having too much stuff. Just something to think on. :)"
What is your go-to Starbucks order:
"I am a plain girl. I love a plain latte. If I have a free drink, I upgrade it to add an extra shot of espresso."
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If you are interested in following along with Shelley at The Goodness Margin please visit the following links below!
