One of my favorite things to do right now is sit on my patio and watch the sunrise.
I grab my fuzzy blanket, open the door, sit down, and watch light dance around the city.
And as I’m sitting there, I catch the smell of blossoms from my lemon tree. Every time I notice it, something in me softens.
The smell of citrus makes me feel safe and happy. There’s just something about it I find so magical. I know there’s actual science around how the smell of citrus can lift our mood, but for me, it’s also deeply personal.
It reminds me of my great grandmother’s backyard and fun Easter days running around with my cousins in the Arizona heat. It smells like so many simple, yet happy moments from my childhood.
And now, it’s part of my morning routine.
What’s interesting is that when I first moved into my apartment, my patio was empty. I would still go out there, but I never really felt connected to the space. It didn’t feel like it was mine.
Adding the lemon tree changed that.
Now, when I go outside, I feel more in rhythm with the seasons. I feel more like myself. I actually want to be there.
And this is something I think about a lot when it comes to organizing.
We tend to focus so much on what to remove from our homes. What to get rid of. What to declutter. What’s too much.
But just as often, big shifts come from what we add.
Your home should feel like you.
Not just look organized. Not just be functional. But feel like a place where you recognize yourself. Where something in the space reflects who you are, what you love, what you remember, and what matters to you.
When people don’t feel good in their homes, it’s not only because there’s too much stuff.
Sometimes it’s because there’s nothing in the space that’s really speaking to them.
And if you’re in a season where clutter feels like too much to take on, or you don’t have the energy to take it on right now, you don’t have to start there.
You can start by adding something.
Add something that makes you feel good in a real, personal, and sensory way. It could be a:
- Plant
- Scent
- Color
- Texture
- Piece of art
- New set of sheets…
Something that shifts how the space feels when you walk into it.
Once your home starts to feel good to you, the rest begins to follow.
It becomes easier to let clutter go. Not because you’re forcing yourself to. But because you’ve created something you want to protect and nurture.
If you were going to add one thing to your space right now that would make it feel more like you, what would it be?
Start there. Add it and see how it changes the way you feel in your home. And if you feel like it, hit reply and tell me about it.
Small changes create big shifts.
