“I didn’t know how many habits I had that centered on drinking take-out coffee until I wasn’t allowed to buy it. Each time I craved it, I had to stand in the moment, pay attention to what had triggered the craving, and change my reaction.”

“But something I had learned time and time again was that every small change you make pays compound interest. It helps you make another change, another mind-set shift, another decision to live a new way."

Every once in a while, I need to pick up a book about living with less, decluttering, and simplifying my life. It’s kind of like a booster shot for my constant decluttering efforts. This one is about a young woman who spends a year simplifying her life by living with less. It’s not a how-to manual or a checklist, but a memoir of her own experiences. She’s young and comes from a life of relative privilege, and I was worried that I’d be annoyed by her story and find her vapid and conceited. Surprisingly, I found her story to be refreshing, honest, and interesting. She had a year full of ups and downs, managed to stay sober, save a lot of money, and learn what she really needs in order to survive. In fact, she was able to leave her stressful job and make a living by being a freelance writer — something she’d always wanted yet worried that she wouldn’t be able to afford. This was an inspiring story in many ways and I’m excited to get my hands on her next book: Adventures in Opting Out.

Another 3.5 star book for me, given that I found it a little repetitive, that will round up to 4 on Goodreads.