Starting the Good Life

Starting the Good Life posts by Rita Wilkins. Rita is a renowned expert in decluttering and minimalism, empowering individuals to simplify their lives through practical tips and resources, while also captivating audiences as a professional speaker and author.

Aging boomers ready to shed their possessions
Aging boomers ready to shed their possessions

Aging boomers ready to shed their possessions

In the late 1990s, Inette Miller shed almost all her possessions – house, car, furniture, clothes, even a mink coat – and moved from Portland to Hawaii to live in cars, tents and borrowed homes with the love of her love, a Hawaiian man she met on vacation. The former Vietnam war correspondent for Time [...]

By Rita Wilkins|2016-10-14T05:23:30+00:00October 14th, 2016|Aging in place, Baby Boomers, bucket list, downsizing, lifestyle, living in smaller spaces, minimalism, Renting Trend, retirement, simplify your life, Start Your Good Life, Starting the Good Life|Comments Off

The Ultimate Guide To Realistic Minimalism (What You Need, What You Don’t, And How To Break The Cycle Of Wanting)
The Ultimate Guide To Realistic Minimalism (What You Need, What You Don’t, And How To Break The Cycle Of Wanting)

The Ultimate Guide To Realistic Minimalism (What You Need, What You Don’t, And How To Break The Cycle Of Wanting)

Minimalism is more than just a pleasing aesthetic. It is a way of life, one that yields extraordinary benefits for mental and emotional health. First and foremost, since the large majority of our perception is rooted in sight, that which we consistently and repeatedly show ourselves develops and conditions us to a particular mindset (and therefore, emotional state). [...]

By Rita Wilkins|2016-10-12T03:17:36+00:00October 12th, 2016|A Peek into Your Good Life, Aging in place, Baby Boomers, bucket list, downsizing, lifestyle, living in smaller spaces, minimalism, Renting Trend, retirement, simplify your life, Start Your Good Life, Starting the Good Life|Comments Off

7 simple ways to embrace minimalism and de-clutter your life in 2016
7 simple ways to embrace minimalism and de-clutter your life in 2016

7 simple ways to embrace minimalism and de-clutter your life in 2016

This week my entire life is in the process of being whittled down into 2 suitcases that I will be living out of for the next 4-5 months while I travel and and land in my new home city, San Francisco - and uh yes, I am beyond EXCITED! I’ll admit I’ve been wondering how, or [...]

By Rita Wilkins|2016-10-09T01:35:10+00:00October 9th, 2016|A Peek into Your Good Life, Aging in place, Baby Boomers, bucket list, downsizing, lifestyle, living in smaller spaces, minimalism, retirement, simplify your life, Start Your Good Life, Starting the Good Life, travel|Comments Off

Downsizing? Ditch These Items
Downsizing? Ditch These Items

Downsizing? Ditch These Items

Consider making this decision as soon the kids are gone rather than when you're ready to retire. Even if your home is already paid for, there are still significant costs in owning more space than you really need, including taxes, utilities, insurance and repairs. Plus, it will force you to downsize other belongings, too. You'll [...]

By Rita Wilkins|2016-10-04T12:45:46+00:00October 4th, 2016|A Peek into Your Good Life, Aging in place, Baby Boomers, bucket list, downsizing, lifestyle, living in smaller spaces, minimalism, Renting Trend, retirement, simplify your life, Start Your Good Life, Starting the Good Life, Universal Design, walkable communities|Comments Off

10 Creative Ways to Declutter Your Home
10 Creative Ways to Declutter Your Home

10 Creative Ways to Declutter Your Home

“People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing.” —Dale Carnegie The idea of living a simplified, uncluttered life with less stuff sounds attractive to many. They have considered the benefits of owning fewer possessions: less to clean, less debt, less to organize, less stress, more money and energy for their greatest passions. [...]

By Rita Wilkins|2016-10-02T01:52:35+00:00October 2nd, 2016|A Peek into Your Good Life, Aging in place, Baby Boomers, bucket list, downsizing, lifestyle, living in smaller spaces, minimalism, retirement, simplify your life, Start Your Good Life, Starting the Good Life, Uncategorized|1 Comment

7 Reasons to Declutter and Live with Less
7 Reasons to Declutter and Live with Less

7 Reasons to Declutter and Live with Less

Last fall I did a four week decluttering challenge where I purged our house of over 168 things! I’ve always been more of a “stuff” person, so this was kind of a big deal to me. And while it felt like a big task in some ways (mostly because as I purged, I ended up [...]

By Rita Wilkins|2016-09-29T02:40:48+00:00September 29th, 2016|A Peek into Your Good Life, Aging in place, Baby Boomers, bucket list, downsizing, lifestyle, living in smaller spaces, minimalism, retirement, simplify your life, Start Your Good Life, Starting the Good Life|Comments Off

5 Reasons to Become a Minimalist
5 Reasons to Become a Minimalist

5 Reasons to Become a Minimalist

I don’t think it’s news to anyone that I’m a huge fan of minimalism. Minimalism has enhanced my life so much that I want to share it with anyone who will listen. It has helped me find the answers to some of life’s more important questions like: Will my life be complete without this bundt pan? and How long [...]

By Rita Wilkins|2016-09-28T13:48:34+00:00September 28th, 2016|A Peek into Your Good Life, Aging in place, Baby Boomers, bucket list, downsizing, lifestyle, living in smaller spaces, minimalism, retirement, simplify your life, Start Your Good Life, Starting the Good Life|Comments Off

11 Reasons to Own Less Stuff
11 Reasons to Own Less Stuff

11 Reasons to Own Less Stuff

I have been on a complete purging rampage in our house lately. Considering I’ve been in the process of hardcore decluttering our possessions for about a year now, I have been completely shocked by how much stuff still left that we never use. It all just keeps getting shoved into closets or my office (doesn’t [...]

By Rita Wilkins|2016-09-26T01:38:20+00:00September 26th, 2016|A Peek into Your Good Life, Aging in place, Baby Boomers, bucket list, downsizing, lifestyle, living in smaller spaces, minimalism, retirement, simplify your life, Start Your Good Life, Starting the Good Life, travel|Comments Off

How to Live Lighter: A Minimalist Decluttering
How to Live Lighter: A Minimalist Decluttering

How to Live Lighter: A Minimalist Decluttering

With Black Friday approaching (or, as it seems to be, going since sometime last week), I thought it was appropriate to share with you my views on minimalism and decluttering. Before we get into it all, I want to say that I don't consider myself a minimalist— I have a lot of stuff, at least [...]

By Rita Wilkins|2016-09-25T03:16:48+00:00September 25th, 2016|A Peek into Your Good Life, Aging in place, Baby Boomers, bucket list, community, downsizing, lifestyle, living in smaller spaces, minimalism, retirement, simplify your life, Start Your Good Life, Starting the Good Life|Comments Off

Flirting with Minimalism or Downsizing? These TED Talks May Just Talk You Into It
Flirting with Minimalism or Downsizing? These TED Talks May Just Talk You Into It

Flirting with Minimalism or Downsizing? These TED Talks May Just Talk You Into It

It remains to be seen whether downsizing and minimalism are going to be a cultural shift or just a cultural fad, but these ideas are certainly in the air and on a lot of minds. If you're feeling a tug toward simplicity and paring down, here are some excellent TED Talks to watch on these [...]