On this site, I share a lot of advice for decluttering your physical space. Tips for getting rid of things you’ve accumulated that you no longer have use for. The same principle goes for our minds. We can collect “psychic clutter” – old habits and beliefs that helped us thrive in childhood but currently hinder us. For more about the concept of psychic clutter, check out my Enneagram 1 post. This post focuses on the Enneagram 9. The Enneagram is a personality typology system that outlines 9 types, each defined by a core fear and core motivation. To learn more, check out this list of Enneagram books, which highlights the best options for beginners. You can also refer to online sources like the Enneagram Institute. Free online tests are available, but don’t take the result as gospel. Read about the top 3 types your answers…
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I’ve shared plenty of tips about how to declutter your physical space. But our minds also collect clutter. This clutter consists of habits, beliefs, and thought patterns accumulated in our youth that no longer serve us. While clearing physical clutter can be empowering, clearing mental clutter is life changing. This series on the Enneagram addresses how each type can declutter their minds. I’m writing individual posts on each type, because each type has unique psychic clutter. For more context, check out the introduction to my first post about the Enneagram 1. This post focuses on the Enneagram 8. I want to first address how I see personality typology as a useful tool when for intentional living. Systems like the Enneagram show how differently people’s individual psyches can operate, proving that…
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Inspired Essentialism is about helping us discover what is most important to us in order to live more intentional lives. Personality typology is a theme I touch on often because it’s such a useful tool for each of us as individuals to narrow down our purpose. These systems give us a framework for analyzing our motivations and gaining the self-knowledge required to sort out what’s important to us versus what others have told us is important. The Enneagram is one of those tools. I’ve written about the Enneagram types through the lens of minimalism and essentialism before. But you may be wondering what books about the enneagram you should read to learn more. To summarize, the Enneagram describes nine personality types, each based on a core fear and…
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So, you want to live a more intentional life? Your first baby step is to journal. Journaling can be a powerful tool for self-reflection. Setting aside dedicated time to ponder a question and write out your answer can lead to some fascinating discoveries. If you already have a journaling habit, you know that your answer to a prompt can really surprise you! I crafted the self-reflection journal prompts below to address questions we all need to ask, but most of us avoid. I’ve written before about the importance of sorting your top priorities from lower-value activities you spend time and energy on. That sounds simple, but it’s no easy task. Many of your “fluff” activities are valuable and enjoyable in their own ways. It’s nonetheless…
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I think all of us can admit that we have relationships with our phones that are…not the healthiest. In his book, Digital Minimalism, Cal Newport refers to the concept of a “cell phone as a vital appendage.” This definitely used to be true for me – I rarely even walked from one room to another without my phone. Catherine Price, in her book, How to Break Up with Your Phone, quotes a variety of alarming statistics. Americans spend an average of 4 ours per day on their phones, which amounts to 56 full days per year. They check their phones about 47 times per day, and that number shoots up to…
