This journal has nothing to do with fashion, but everything to do with my journey towards a minimalist life where I seek to identify what's truly essential and worth investing in (be it time, energy or money). The goal is cut the BS and live consciously in line with my values and objectives, making it easier to clearly invision and achieve my dreams. The reality is… this requires PLANNING - and I finally discovered it’s actually freeing AND fun!

Truth is... long term planning, structure and fixed routine have never come naturally to me. I've always associated these words with lack of freedom and just the thought of it would make me feel suffocated and caged. Not to mention shitty because whenever I would try to follow a rigid long-term plan I would (quickly) drop it and then consider it a character flaw. It took me a long time to finally accept (and enjoy) my fluid nature, and from that light create a life for myself with daily rituals that ground me vs. a fixed routine that anchors me.

That being said, after years living very spontaneously and intuitively (sometimes impulsively), I started the year excited and ready to challenge myself and my mindset when it comes to the dreaded concept of long-term planning + finances. After all, I'm a strategic minimalist when it comes to my closet with a clear view on what I want to invest in - so why shouldn't it be the same in the other areas of my life? So I started to map out this years calendar with a sketch of my objectives (personal + professional), and financially what that entails - something I had never done before.

As my business and team expanded (woot woot), it became clear that the lack of long-term objectives and structure started to actually work AGAINST my freedom (of mind and financially). Often times I felt anxious and burnt out, despite in theory living a lifestyle that was fluid and flexible. I found myself impulsively saying yes to too many work projects + trips in short spans of time, which consequently equated to additional unnecessary expenses and stress from my end as a result of short-term reactive decisions.

I would lose track of time, with my head hyper focused from client to client without an understanding of what I was working so hard for - BIG PICTURE. Where is all this hard work taking me? And I'm not talking only about finances here, I'm talking about optimizing your purpose + potential and transforming it into tangible milestones for an overall long-term objective(s).

I knew it was time for me to face this full force - so I started the year with Fe Neute's course (Planeje Sua Vida) which guides you towards devising a fluid life plan to achieve your goals, based on your personality and values. The process of self-discovery in this realm of my life has been super cool and surprisingly not as scary as I thought! It’s actually tickling my creativity as I reflect on my values and the life I want to live.

As I started to journal my dreams, it became easier to break them down into realistic actionable plans that then affect my daily decision making process - consciously and subconsciously. I've already noticed it's becoming easier to say no to things that aren't in line with my values / goals (hello fellow people pleasers!), and carving out time for the things that are - like working out, cooking, reading a book, taking a course, or planning work trips in advance (since self-care, self development and career are values I consider super important for myself).

The goal is to ultimately focus on what's truly essential and optimize LIFE. In the same way we can curate a closet with key staple pieces to make life easier, feel / look good, and invest intelligently - I believe we can do the same with the other areas of our life.