I Read 100 Books This Year. These 5 Changed How I Declutter, Rest, and Live (Ep 290)

Reading 100 books this year reshaped how I approach decluttering, burnout, and intentional living. These five standouts changed my energy, mindset, and home, without adding clutter. Resources Mentioned: Wannabe Clutter Free on Instagram Reading used to feel impossible for me, until this year. In 2025, I read (and listened to) nearly 100 books, and along the way something surprising happened. My mindset around decluttering, burnout, productivity, and intentional living began to shift in ways I didn’t expect. In this episode, I’m sharing: The decluttering and life books that shaped my year The five standouts that genuinely changed how I live and coach Why organizing alone isn’t enough when burnout is involved How I read 100 books without adding physical clutter to my home Practical tips for letting go of books without guilt My 5 Standout Reads of 2025 Burnout by Emily Nagoski PhD& Amelia Nagoski DMA Why you can’t organize your way out of burnout and how completing the stress cycle changed everything for me. The Energy Bus by Jon Gordon A simple (yes, slightly cheesy) story with a powerful reminder: your energy affects everything - your home included. I Didn’t Do the Thing Today by Madeline Dore A refreshing take on ambition, rest, and worth, without hustle culture or guilt. How to Keep House While Drowning by K.C. Davis A shame-free approach to care tasks that gave me permission to stop tying my worth to a clean house. No New Things by Ashlee Piper A powerful reframe on consumption, shopping habits, and stopping clutter at the source. How I Read 100 Books Without Adding Clutter I listened to all of these books using Libby, a free app connected to my local library. Audiobooks allowed me to “read” while cleaning, driving, or folding laundry and I never had to bring more stuff into my home. What book has changed how you think about your home or life? Send me your recommendations because I’m already building my 2026 reading list. Timestamps: 0:00 – Why I chose books instead of goal-setting to close out 2025 2:15 – How I read nearly 100 books (and why that surprised me most) 4:30 – The types of books that shaped my decluttering mindset this year 7:45 – Burnout and why you can’t organize your way out of stress 11:40 – The Energy Bus and protecting your energy at home 14:50 – I Didn’t Do the Thing Today and releasing productivity guilt 18:10 – How to Keep House While Drowning and shame-free decluttering 22:30 – No New Things and stopping clutter before it starts 26:00 – How Libby helped me read more without adding physical clutter 30:45 – Decluttering books without guilt + my favorite question to ask 33:15 – Final reflections and building a meaningful 2026 reading list Subscribe & Review: If you loved this episode, please subscribe and leave a review! Your feedback helps me create more content to inspire and motivate you to live with less. Music: Fresh Lift by Shane Ivers⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Our Sponsors: * Check out 1-800-GOT-JUNK and use my code 1800gotjunk.com for a great deal: https://www.1800gotjunk.com * Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com * Check out Omaha Steaks and use my code BEEF for a great deal: https://www.omahasteaks.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy