Dawn, A.K.A. The Minimal Mom, offered a fantastic end-of-year decluttering challenge and we learned about Project 333 by Courtney Carver. In a nutshell, Project 333 is a clothing challenge to limit your wardrobe to 33 items for three months. The 33 items include clothing, outerwear shoes, and accessories, including purses, jewelry, and scarves.

It sounds a bit extreme, doesn’t it? Maybe it even sounds impossible! But when you consider that people wear only about 20% of their wardrobe 80% of the time, it’s not unrealistic to just go ahead and pare your closet down to the actual 20% that you wear. Courtney admits that there’s nothing magical about 33 items. When she first tried to limit her wardrobe, she had 45 items. But then she said, “Hey, this is a challenge!” and went for an even smaller number of items.

The idea here is that you don’t necessarily have to get rid of all your clothes to start. Instead, you sort everything, give away things that you are ready to part with, move the off-season stuff that you would wear and put it out of sight, and then box up the other things that you’re not wearing. That way, if there’s something you need or something you realize that you do want, you can retrieve it. The Minimal Mom calls this the “time will tell” bin. You box up anything you aren’t sure about in a bin or a box and you label it with a date. If you haven’t missed anything after a prescribed time: 3 months, six months, etc., then you give it away.

Early morning decision-making made easier
One of the important ideas and Project 333 is the idea of reducing not just clutter, but also decision fatigue. When we have a closet full of stuff that isn’t quite right, we spend a lot of time deciding what to wear. So instead, if you take the time to pare down your closet to the things you wear that you feel good in, it’s a much much smaller number of items. It’s very empowering to get to a place where everything in your closet is something you love wearing and are happy to put on any day. If you are a project management aficionado, you might recognize one of the five Ss of Lean project management in play in this process: the first S, Sort, entails removing all unnecessary items from your workspace.

What’s included
The 33 items don’t include underwear, socks, workout wear, or pajamas. I left hoodies out of this list, too, but I did reduce the number of hoodies in my wardrobe. We wear hoodies almost every day in the colder months and we have some hoodies that we use for painting (art and house painting). I also have a handful of special occasion items. I don’t wear those very often, so I kept those in a separate category. I also made a special category of sentimental items and I am trying to limit that to just a few items.

I don’t know what to do about shoes. Some of my shoes I haven’t worn in years. I work from home so my typical footwear is slippers. (I feel like I am revealing what is behind the curtain!) But I wear three pairs of shoes outside and rotate through them pretty regularly. I need two pairs to walk the dogs because it rains buckets during certain times of the year. When my shoes get wet, I need another pair while the first dries out. (Same thing with coats which are not included). I have a couple of pairs of shoes that are nicer and are more for going out, which I rarely do. So I added one pair to my list of 33 items, kept two with my off-season clothes, and will donate the rest.

Here’s my winter capsule wardrobe. I think you will see my uniform pretty clearly! Jeans, t-shirt, sweater/jacket. You can see other lists on the Project 333 website.

1. Light wash jeans
2. Dark wash jeans
3. Medium wash jeans
4. Pull-over sweater, black
5. Pull-over sweater, navy
6. Pull-over sweater, rust
7. Tunic-length sweatshirt, rustic rose
8. Cardigan, indigo
9. Cardigan, black
10. Cardigan, rust
11. Long-sleeve white T-shirt
12. Long-sleeve gray T-shirt
13. Long-sleeve black T-shirt
14. Long-sleeve navy T-shirt
15. Long-sleeve rust T-shirt
16. Long-sleeve green t-shirt
17. Long-sleeve oatmeal t-shirt
18. Tunic-length denim jacket
19. Gray button-up tunic
20. White and blue striped button-down shirt
21. Denim button-down shirt
22. Black plaid corduroy shirt
23. Rust plaid flannel shirt
24. Green flannel shirt
25. Striped silky tunic
26. Artsy embroidered jacket
27. Artsy black and red jacket
28. Black wool suit jacket
29. Gray puffer vest
30. Black belt
31. Green stone necklace
32. Black shoes
33. Black and green scarf

You can get started here: https://bemorewithless.com/project-333-challenge/. I also recommend the book. I found a copy at the library. She explains how to sort through your wardrobe and get it down to seasonal capsules of 33 items. The idea is progress over perfection. I’ll leave you with this quote from Courtney Carver from her book:

“Your capsule wardrobe won’t be perfect. Do it anyway. Each season, you’ll make it a little better. Never perfect, but better. Less perfection equals more happiness, more risk-taking, and better relationships, including the one that you have with yourself.”

(P.S. Courtney Carver has one of the best author bios that I have ever read.)

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

This month I sprang for a Coursera Plus subscription and have decided to earn the certificates in areas that I have been dabbling in over the past year, including project management and digital marketing. Data analytics, building green cities, design thinking, and fundraising, are also on my list of things to learn. I am already more than a third of the way through a certificate in learning. I’m often in situations where I’m mentoring or trying to teach someone something and understanding how people learn and why they learn can help avoid fruitless tactics. A lot of what we do in the name of teaching and learning isn’t effective.

I think Coursera Plus is worth it, especially if you can get it on sale. The testing that is often locked when you audit courses is what helps you cement the knowledge in your brain.

It’s especially hard to learn new things if you are someone with deep expertise in an area or two. It feels difficult to pivot from the relative comfort of familiar knowledge to the land of the beginner. But it’s so good for your brain and I would argue your heart. The ability to change directions and begin again can save you.

Go all in with language study
It’s particularly hard learning another language as an adult. Ask me about my French studies! Wow, it’s just been an ongoing lesson in humility. There’s a good reason for this. As kids, we use a different part of our brain to acquire language. Learning a language as an adult requires a different type of learning. It’s not that it can’t be done, but it does require more effort and more intention. So for all of you who are studying language, I salute you! It’s hard work. But I surprise myself when I am doing Duolingo lessons and realize that I effortlessly translated whatever phrase I’m presented with without laboring over each word. When I can laugh out loud because I know what they’re saying, I feel like I am making a little progress. It’s not linear, but I can see it.

Prepping your nervous system for change
I love setting learning goals for the new year and I’m all in on prepping your nervous system so was excited when this link landed in my inbox from the Greater Good Science Center at Berkeley:

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_to_prepare_your_nervous_system_for_new_goals

I hear this a lot from people who want to embrace change, but just find that they can’t. They might know intellectually that change is not a bad thing and that could even be a good thing, but they resist with their bodies. There are good reasons why we resist! We have a whole system designed to keep us safe, and that system doesn’t like to change because it can’t predict our safety in the face of the unknown.

So as you set goals, recognize and honor your nervous system. As the article explains, “you can create cues of safety” for your autonomic nervous system. Have a friendly conversation with yourself and be gentle with your factory settings.

Also, it’s a leap year! What a great time to make a leap.

What are your learning goals this year? I would love to hear about them and cheer you on! And if you need an accountability check-in or a cheerleader, I’m your girl.

I recently studied for an assessment for a six-month class. The class provided great review materials but reviewing is not the same as learning. One of the tricks I learned from the online course Learning How to Learn: Powerful mental tools to help you master tough subjects is closing your book after studying and writing down everything that you can remember. If you are a Duolingo fan, they encourage learners to do the same thing after a lesson.

So, I pulled out my index cards and wrote down all the key concepts for each of the 10 modules. Turns out I remembered a lot. However, passing the assessment required a greater level of detail. I reviewed and then tried to recall as much as I could.

And lo and behold, it worked! I could recall–with detail!–one of the sections that had been an ongoing struggle—finally!!

Here are the basics of recall practice:

• Creating questions on the topic you are trying to learn. If you have study guide questions, you can use those!

• Test yourself repeatedly on the questions.

• By forcing yourself to recall the information, you ensure that you are actively learning it instead of passively reading it.

Here are some resources:

• Learning How to Learn (free on Coursera)

• A Mind for Numbers by Barbara Oakley (the course text for Learning How to Learn)

• Powerful Teaching: Unleash the Science of Learning by Pooja Agarwal and Patrice Bain

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

On a recent flight, I was trying to recover from a dysregulating morning of travel and looked through the podcasts I had downloaded for such an occasion. But nothing was hitting right. I turned to the in-flight entertainment for some options. I admit I was looking for something “mind-numbing.” The airline offered LinkedIn Learning as part of its in-flight entertainment, and that was where I found some peace. I’ve completed over 100 LinkedIn Learning courses, so I’m a super fan.

My dip into the learning pool helped to return me to a better state. Plus, I learned a few things!

In addition to catching a LinkedIn Learning training on your next flight, your local library, university, or workplace may make LinkedIn Learning available to you. Check it out!

Here are a few of my recent LinkedIn Learning favorites. I recommend all of these instructors!

• Effective Listening with Tatiana Kolovou and Brenda Bailey-Hughes

• Negotiation Foundations with Lisa Gates

• How to Research and Write Using Generative AI Tools with Dave Birss

Photo by Colton Sturgeon on Unsplash

Admitting it is the first step: I have a 3×5 card obsession. ( If I am being honest, I love all office supplies.) I use 3×5 cards all the time: for to-do lists, shopping lists, note-taking, strategic planning, and recall practice. I have lined cards and different colors. I even expanded my repertoire to 4×6 cards.

Here are 7 reasons that I gravitate to 3×5 cards:

1. They are portable

2. It’s easy to use one at a time.

3. They are sturdier than paper or Post-it Notes.

4. They are recyclable.

5. Space is limited so I don’t overdo it with to-do lists.

6. Lined and unlined versions are available.

7. They are inexpensive and easy to find.

Photo by Kate Trysh on Unsplash

I recently completed an 8-week introductory class in effective altruism offered by the Effective Altruism organization. The programs are free and ongoing:  https://www.effectivealtruism.org/virtual-programs

Effective altruism is both a philosophy and social movement that seeks to maximize the positive impact of one’s actions to help others, particularly those suffering the most. It involves using evidence and reason to identify the most effective ways to improve the world and taking action based on that evidence.

The purpose of the Effective Altruism organization is to promote this philosophy and help people become more effective in their altruistic endeavors. They do this by providing resources and information to help people make better decisions about where to donate their money or time and by encouraging people to pursue careers with the greatest positive impact.

Effective altruism emphasizes the importance of using evidence and reason to identify the most effective ways to improve the world. This means that resources are directed toward the most impactful and cost-effective interventions rather than those that may be popular or emotionally appealing but have little evidence to support their effectiveness. By focusing on high-impact areas, effective altruists believe they can achieve the most good with their resources and efforts. Effective altruism encourages individuals to take personal responsibility for making a positive difference. Individuals are encouraged to use their time, talents, and resources most effectively to help others and consider their actions’ global impact.

I loved my weekly discussion group, which included people from six countries. It’s a lot of reading, but the materials are provided free of charge, and the online syllabus is easy to follow. Our group discussions were always thought-provoking. They got me thinking about choosing the most effective giving strategies and separating the emotional component that often drives decision-making. I will acknowledge that EA has a reputation problem at the moment partly because one of its high-profile proponents is under house arrest, accused of fraud and, most recently, for allegedly trying to bribe a foreign government. The sessions did include a discussion of the potential problems with an EA approach.

I don’t subscribe to all EA tenants. Healthy skepticism and critique are, well, healthy! Some of the top criticisms of effective altruism include the following:

• Narrow focus: Some argue that EA emphasizes causes that can be quantified and measured at the expense of other important issues.
• Lack of diversity: The effective altruism movement is not diverse enough and seems to be dominated by a particular demographic–white men from wealthy backgrounds– and this lack of diversity could limit its effectiveness.
• Problems with utilitarianism: EA is often associated with utilitarianism, a philosophical approach that seeks to maximize overall happiness or well-being. This approach ignores individual rights and values and may lead to unjust or unfair outcomes.

I recommend the introductory training if you are interested in this type of exchange. Reach out to me if you would like to hear more about it.

Photo by J W on Unsplash

We have a gas stove. We’ve had one for a long time, and I’m not sure how good I would be with an electric stove at this point. Our last four houses had gas stoves. In one of those humbling, head-slapping moments of adulthood, I’m now understanding that cooking indoors over an open flame might not be so good for us. (More here: Gas stove fumes and broken public health discourse.)

We recently had a new ventilation duct added to vent the kitchen stove fan to the outside. I know–yikes. (Again, humbling, head-slapping moment.) This has made a huge difference and was not nearly as disruptive or expensive as I thought it would be.

Long-term, we need to make the switch. Short term, the new vent works great. We started cooking on the back burners as those are more directly under the vent, one of the recommendations for gas stove users. We also moved one of the HEPA air filters that we have to the kitchen.

We are also going to try a single burner induction cooktop and see where that leads.

How about you? Do you have a gas stove? What’s your take?

Photo by Ilse Driessen on Unsplash

I know a lot of sleep-deprived people. I have been one of those people. I am embarrassed to say that I have been one of those people who said, “I can sleep when I am dead.” Sleep deprivation can cause the same level of impairment as being under the influence. In Matthew Walker’s popular book on sleep, Why we sleep: unlocking the power of sleep and dreams, he says, “Human beings are the only species that deliberately deprive themselves of sleep for no apparent gain. Many people walk through their lives in an underslept state, not realizing it.”

TL;DR: check out his TED talk and get scared straight to an earlier bedtime: https://youtu.be/5MuIMqhT8DM

We consolidate information we’ve learned while we sleep, and if we don’t sleep, this consolidation doesn’t happen. Sleep also cleans toxins from our brains. Sleep deprivation has a bad effect there, too.

We probably all did our share of doom scrolling during the stay-at-home portion of the pandemic. We know our phones are addictive. They are designed to be that way.

In the 90s, the hip-hop group Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy released their song Television, the Drug of the Nation. They really had no idea what was coming. Now the television is in our pocket. We are connected to everything all the time, and it keeps us up at night.

This makes rest a revolutionary act.

I am reading Tricia Hersey’s (AKA The Nap Ministry) new book, Rest is Resistance. It’s a good starting point to think about who is served by your lack of sleep.

A lot of our capitalistic culture reinforces that production equals value and rest equals a loss of value or, even worse, laziness.

So we rise and grind. I meet very few people who are not exhausted. Maybe we need to stop and rest here?

If you know me IRL, you might know that I can face anything after a good night’s sleep. There are some days that sleep is more important than food. And I really like food. 🙂

Photo by Aleksandar Cvetanovic on Unsplash

For most of history, Anonymous was a woman.” Virginia Woolf

Women’s role in history was anonymous. For women scientists and artists, men often dismissed their contributions or, worse, claimed credit for their work. Unfortunately, this practice continues, but one scientist is making sure women are acknowledged for their contributions in the online site of record: Wikipedia. Jess Wade has written 1,750 entries and counting – profiling women and people of color.

Read more: Jessica Wade Makes Wikipedia bios For Unknown Women Scientists

Want to learn more about women artists past and present? You can follow @WOMENSART on Twitter @womensart1.