How to take an inventory of your life

As the seasons shift, so do our rhythms—and sometimes, our priorities need a reset too.

In this solo episode, I share my go-to seasonal practice for getting clear on what matters: taking an inventory. Not just of your closet or your calendar, but of your energy, time, and attention. It’s the process I use to quiet the noise, cut through decision fatigue, and focus in on what’s truly a yes right now.

You’ll learn:

• Why “maybe” isn’t indecision—it’s information
• How to sort your yeses, nos, maybes, and “not this season”
• Why starting with your yeses creates clarity
• How this mindset shift helps you make aligned choices—in your home, your work, and your life

Whether you're feeling overwhelmed, stretched too thin, or simply ready to be more intentional with your time, this episode offers a grounded, practical way to take stock and move forward with more peace and purpose.

Mentioned in this episode:

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• Follow along on Instagram → @angiemizzell
• Visit my website 

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Transcript

Hey, it's Angie. Today we're talking about taking an inventory. Every time the season changes, I get the urge to declutter. So as we're transitioning from spring to summer, we're gonna talk about how to take an inventory, not just of your closet or of your calendar or your to-do list, but an inventory of your life.

but we're gonna use the same techniques that we use in decluttering. And I'm gonna talk you through a process that will help you take an inventory of anything you're trying to make a decision about. We're gonna talk about what's taking up space, what still fits, what feels like a clear yes, and what's maybe just sitting there in the way, crowding everything else out. Let's dive in.

the past two months since my last episode have been very full. I had a couple of speaking engagements, there was some travel mixed in, and then we moved our oldest child out of the college dorm. So Dillon just finished his first year of college, and I am processing how that even happened so fast. It feels like we just sent him off, and now...

The nest is full

But many parents did tell us that this year was going to fly by and before we knew it, he would be back home for the summer. And they were right. But that also means that if the school year flies by as fast as it does, it means this summer is going to fly by too. So there are things that I want to be present for this season. And I want to claim those yeses and really make room for the things that feel like my biggest yeses right now. And I want to put everything else in its place.

before we get into this, want to say that I find that it is easier and less overwhelming to take an inventory of your life and your priorities one season at a time. And you can divide these seasons up however you want. For the purposes of this episode, I'm looking at this summer and the period of time that my three children are out of school and living in this house. So that's what I'm personally focused on. So when you're listening along with me and thinking about anything you might need to take an inventory of, I would say start first and claim your season. How far ahead are you looking? And that will make this whole process a lot easier.

So a few months ago, I watched my husband clean out his closet. We share a walk-in closet, and it's not that big, but it is a walk-in closet, and I have one side and he has the other. And so I'm watching him go through his things. And the whole process took him about 15 minutes. Yes, no, yes, no, done. And I was like, what is happening in your brain? How are you able to go through your things this quickly and make these decisions so quickly. I was like, is there a series of questions you're asking yourself? What is that filter? And he acted like he didn't even really understand the question. Like he couldn't explain it.

What I realized in watching his brain in action, it's not that I'm not clear on what a yes is, what a yes feels like in my body. I feel like I'm pretty certain when something is a yes, I know it. I feel it right away. It doesn't mean it's perfect. It just means it feels like a yes. I feel yeses in my body. I feel the same way about nos. If something's a no, I know that pretty quickly too. It is the maybes that keep me stuck every time, trying to force a yes or a no before I was ready. And that is where decision fatigue comes in. That's where we get either overwhelmed or stalled or our vision gets cloudy.

Maybe is a valid option. it's not you being indecisive. Something that's a maybe, that's information too. And it might be a signal that it's not time to make a decision about that yet. But here's the key.

We cannot start with the maybes.

We need to start with the things that feel like a yes. the yeses, the things that are non-negotiable for us create that clear foundation in which we build everything else upon.

we can see what belongs after we've established our yeses.

once the yeses are in place, then go back to the maybes. Because then we will have more perspective and there will be less pressure because you've already sorted out your yeses and your nos. And we're not gonna spend a lot of time talking about the nos because if something is a no, it's a no. and you know it's a no and it's not taking up space.

The point is we have to get to a place that things that are maybes aren't crowding out our yeses.

we're gonna make this practical for a moment and we're gonna talk about the act of cleaning out my closet.

Everything has a place. The yeses are here, the maybes are here, the nos are over there, not this season is tucked away to revisit later.

So for example, I'm not going to spend a lot of time right now making a decision about a sweater when it's 80 degrees in Charleston. That's not a no, it's a not yet. And I know where that sweater goes. It goes in the part of my closet for the clothes that I'm not wearing this season.

Now again, once we go through it, you will see how this led me to a practice that I use for everything. From my closet, to my calendar, to my creative work, and on and on it goes. But let's just start and think about this in a practical sense.

I'm standing in my closet and I go fast. If something's a yes, I just leave it hanging there. There's no need to pull it out to put it in a pile to have to put it back in my closet. That's gonna take too long. If it's a yes, it stays right where it is. So imagine I'm standing at the rack of clothes and I'm just going one by one, yes, no. If I'm like, I don't want this anymore, I'll just pull it out and put it in the no pile. 

here's the thing. if I get to anything that makes me pause and I find myself going, huh, I don't know. I'm feeling like mixed feelings about this. I pull it out, but I put it in the maybe pile and I don't spend another second thinking about that item. That's what creates the decision fatigue. When we get bogged down with the mental gymnastics of something that clearly already flagged our internal system that it's a maybe. 

So go through the closet. Yes, no, yes, yes, yes, huh, I'm not sure. Pull it out. It goes in the maybe pile. Wait, that's a sweater. This shouldn't even be on this side of the closet. Okay, I'm gonna pull it out and put it in the not this season. Fast, fast, fast. This should go as quickly as it went for my husband when I was watching him go through his closet. 

The difference is, I'm making a pile for the maybes.

I can't stress enough that if we stop in that moment to decide about the maybes, that's where the decision fatigue sets in. That's where we get stuck. We just need to set them aside. Just set the maybes aside. 

Now, here's the tricky part. Sometimes as committed as I am to this process, I'll hit something that feels like an almost yes and I will pull it out and then I'll put it back on the rack. And I catch myself And that's when I remind myself the goal of this practice is to see the true yeses, the no brainers. If it made me pause, it needs to go in the maybe pile. 

Everyone knows the phrase, if it's not a hell yes, It's a no. And I really do get the appeal of that. It's bold, it's decisive. And in some cases, that filter can really work. But sometimes a maybe is a not yet, or sometimes I'm just not ready to decide. I have given away things that I regretted almost the moment after I got rid of it because it was a maybe, it was an almost yes. and I just decided if it's not a hell yes, it's a no. And then I got rid of something and I'm like, wait, why did I do that?

Here's the key. This is why even if something is an almost yes, but it made you pause, you need to pull it out. Put it with your maybes because once everything is sorted, then you can look at your yeses and you can ask, is this just what I need? Is there room for more? Is this rack of clothes already full enough? 

Then go back to your maybes. Look at them with a fresh set of eyes. You're seeing your maybes differently now and you're not deciding under pressure because you already know what belongs and you're able to decide about the maybes from a place of clarity.

Does that make sense? Because there are many times, I pull things out of my closet. I look at the yeses that are left. And then I look at the maybe pile, and there might be a handful of things that I take and I put back on the rack, but I'm deciding about those maybes in the context of everything else I've said yes to. And I've already gone through this process that I know this was a maybe, but I put it back in. Let's see. Let's try this on. Let's see if there's really room for this. But I've already gone through the process of being 100 % clear on what the true heck yeses are in my life.

we can apply this practice to anything. It's not just piles of clothes and sections of your closet. There are so many ways we can take an inventory. We can make lists. We can journal about it. We can use sticky notes, a blank open document on your computer. And if your brain works a certain way, maybe you can put things in these categories inside your brain. I'm not able to do that. I have to see how I have things separated.

Once everything's sorted, you look at your yeses and you ask, is this just what I need? Is there room for more? And then, only then, do you go back to the maybes. Because now you're seeing them differently and you're not trying to decide under pressure. You're deciding from a place of clarity.

so, right now, I've got my summer wardrobe in place, ready to go, so I don't have to spend a lot of time thinking about what am I gonna wear? I don't have things that are not relevant for this season in my way, in my visual space. And I'm also looking at my work and my home projects and all the things that are yeses in my life for this season.

So for me, it's definitely this podcast. I have spent the past few weeks recording a new set of conversations with wonderful people. I cannot wait to share them with you. I will still be writing my Hello Friday newsletter over the summer. Of course, I'll be on Instagram. I'm still committed to show up there on a regular basis. I like Instagram a lot, but I'm only going to post something and create something if it feels inspired and fun and like a yes. I'm not gonna show up just to show up because I feel like I have to post on social media because I feel like it blocks my energy and it kind of messes up my ability to create on a regular basis anyway. So that's my filter, my yes filter for social media. 

I'm gonna be spending time with my family, of course. Definitely have some home projects that I'm working on, gonna be making some updates to my website. Like for example, there is not currently a page on my website for this podcast. If you click on podcast right now, it takes you to Buzzsprout where I host my podcast and that is fine. But I want to have a dedicated podcast page on my website. That's just something I've been waiting to do. So.

All of this really for me in this season isn't about slowing down. I think you're listening to my list and going, well, that sounds like a lot of things. I'm not trying to slow down in this season. I am trying to be very focused in. And I want the clutter out of my view so that I can focus in on those yeses and be present for each day as it comes. 

So, Maybe this is your season to take an inventory too. Is this a season of clearing for you or of shifting gears or do you need to pause for a minute to take a look at everything on your plate and just see your life a little more clearly? If that feels like you, then I invite you to try what I described today It's just to take an inventory. Make four piles or four lists or four categories in your brain.

however you wanna do it. Yes, no, maybe, and not this season. And don't stress over those maybes. Set those maybes aside and focus on what's a clear yes. Let your yeses be your anchor and let your yeses be enough.

Thanks for being here

I'll be back next week with a new fresh conversation that I can't wait to share with you. And if you'd like to stay in touch, I invite you to sign up for my weekly newsletter, Hello Friday. You go to angiemizzell.com/subscribe, and find the box to sign up. It is a weekly dose of inspiration and encouragement and it keeps you updated on what's happening with me and my projects that I'm working on; all of this is a gift to you and also a way to share what I'm up to in a no-pressured way.

I encourage you every day to do what you can to live a life that feels more like you.