There’s not one person out there that doesn’t want to create the home of their dreams. We all want to feel safe and secure but also want the home that is pretty and pleasing.

We download and save the pictures in our “Home” folder on Pinterest…

We scour the magazines to find the perfect couch, dining table, or chairs…

We watch all the HGTV shows there are about home renovations and design (um… I’m totally guilty here!)

But y’all, I have to be 100 percent completely honest with you guys…

I live in an apartment suite…

Not just any apartment suite…

I actually am living (with my husband and our kids) in my MOTHER’S basement apartment suite…

There… I’ve said it… now you know my little ‘secret’

It was actually something that I was holding back from you all for some time, purely because for the longest, I never was happy with where I was living.

My husband and I chose to sell the home that we had because of financial reasons.

I went on back-to-back maternity for two years (yes y’all…it is ACTUALLY possible lol) and being on maternity leave, your regular pay is definitely cut in half.

Not only that but during this time, my husband’s work hours were decreasing with the company he was working at which caused a bit more financial strain on us too.

It caused so much stress on me…

And it caused so much stress with my husband and our little budding family…

The only person I knew that would help us out during this time was my mother. I presented the idea to her of us moving into her basement apartment suite, and without a doubt, she welcomed us into her space.

At first, living there was VERY different and took a lot of getting used to. I used to have so much space to move around, I had more than ONE bathroom, not including all the other benefits of having a home compared to living in a basement apartment.

I realized that in order for me to stop thinking of the negatives, I need to start changing my MINDSET about my living situation and embrace my environment that I have been blessed with.

So I’m here to share with you the 5 mindset shifts you need to create the home of your dreams.

1. Get Rid of the Scarcity Mindset

Did you know that your mental actions stem from a place of lack? You may have never thought of this but your mental space is letting your belief system think there is never enough.

I’ll give you an example from my life.

I always thought there was never enough space, never enough room, never enough bedrooms or washrooms… the list goes on.

“The first step towards discarding a scarcity mentality involves giving thanks for everything you have - Wayne Dyer”

Here’s the thing guys… we need to stop thinking there’s not enough and remember that we DO have enough!

Have you caught on the trend of people selling their homes to attempt at “tiny living”? Trust me, people, this is s BIG! There is a growing community of people who leave their possessions behind to show their family, friends, and themselves that they do have enough.

Personally, I’ve realized with my own family that we have built a better connection and we have grown more as individuals.

I value the simple things now, and I value our simple living.

I’m more present at the moment with my husband and kids - this is what matters the most!

One thing I definitely have learned is if I get into a disagreement with my husband or kids, guess what? There’s nowhere to go! We just can’t escape each other to seek refuge, like we would do if we lived in a big home. We better work it out!

Another thing the scarcity mindset will do is keep you from seeking new opportunities.

If I was so focused on ‘keeping my home’, I would never have fallen in love with home design and DIY…

I would never have found this new community of people who are like me…

I would never have tried new things out to know what I’m capable of…

This is how I came to the realization that I wanted to start a blog…

It’s how I learned to do DIYs & use power tools…

It’s also how I discovered my true creativity and passion for learning, teaching, and motivating others.

You see where I’m going with this? The scarcity mindset wants to do just that…keep you scared.

If you continue to live this way, you won’t reach your higher self, personally or professionally.

2. Avoid Comparisons

We all love social media, at least, I’m assuming we all do, one way or another… how else would we have connected?

Social media tends to have so many amazing accounts & inspirations. We see others with their gorgeous homes - this can cause you to overspend your resources just to “keep up” with others that you don’t even know.

Guess what I’m gonna tell you guys today?

Stop looking at what others are doing!

To move the needle in your favour, keep your blinders on and stay focused.

What I’ve had to do in the past is unfollow some social media accounts as I could feel that ugly, sneaking feeling of jealousy creeping in.

Sometimes, you just have to clean up your list of who you follow in order to stay grounded in what speaks true to you and the life you’re trying to live.

It’s similar to cleaning up your home, or removing yourself from the company of others if you feel they are not in alignment with you anymore.

I know for a fact that comparison is a killer, and I don’t want to play that game and make things harder for myself and my family.

What I’ve noticed since I’ve stopped comparing myself to others is that I inadvertently start to focus on things that makes me happy!

What makes me happy you?

Do you love coffee? Art & design? Cooking or baking?

Show it off!

Honing in on your crafts will 100 percent alleviate the comparison. Trust me…

3. Invest in Yourself

Have you ever heard of the saying “You have to spend money to make money”?

I’m sure you have somewhere along the way. What this quote means to some is, in order to make a return on their investment, they have to spend a bit of money to get there.

But, I like to look at the quote in a slightly different way.

What that quote means is investing in yourself will cost you something.

Whether it’s not going out with your friends to save money, waking up early to go to the gym, therefore, losing some sleep-in time, or picking up extra night shifts to meet your financial goal of saving x amount of dollars a month.

Either way, you have to put in the hard work in order to reap the rewards you’re wanting.

Want some ways to invest in yourself?

• Try reading biographies. Learning about how someone made it through adversity will teach you about resilience.

• Listen to uplifting podcasts (my favourite thing to do) that actually teach you something.

• Try exercising! There’s tons of research out there referring to the positive effects exercise has on your mindset.

In my opinion, this quote by Beyonce says it best:

“I don’t like to gamble, but if there’s one thing I’m willing to bet on it’s myself”

— Beyonce

Mic drop right here…

You’re welcome, everyone…

4. Clean up your space

This one may seem silly, but it couldn’t be truer.

Getting organized, you instantly feel better. And when you feel better, you change your outlook on life and others.

Abundance thrives in organization and order. When you clean & declutter, your mind can relax and not focus on the pile of clothes that’s giving you anxiety.

If you need help getting started in this area, head to my resource library “The Design Dose” and download your free copy of a checklist I created for you to refresh and organize your home.

5. Appreciate & Applaud others

If you see someone who has success, good friends, a good-paying job, a beautiful home, an amazing artistic eye, etc., send them some love! Tell them how happy you are for them and wish them well and really mean it.

What this means is that it’s possible for you to obtain this in your life too!

You can have the amazing DIY skills like someone you admire or have the ability to take great photos like a true photographer.

The more we appreciate others, the more positive vibes will come your way, guaranteed.

I hope you found this post helpful in how you can have a positive mindset to create the home of your dreams. You can take some things I’ve practiced for myself and try it out in your life too! I’d love to hear from you.

Got questions? Leave a comment! Let’s chat.

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