340: What I'm Not Carrying Into the New Year And What You Shouldn't Either
Maximized Minimalist Podcast
Katy Wells
4.8 • 936 Ratings
🗓️ 31 December 2025
⏱️ 20 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
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If you've ever opened social media and instantly felt behind — about your body, your home, or your progress — you're not alone. I share a moment like that in this episode, and how quickly one image shifted how I saw myself without my permission.
That experience sparked a bigger realization: the heaviest things we carry aren't always the ones in our closets. They're the beliefs we've absorbed over time about what progress "should" look like, what our past says about us, and who gets to decide if we're doing it right.
In this episode, I walk you through three incredibly common beliefs that quietly keep women stuck — especially when they're trying to simplify their homes and lives — and how to start releasing them with compassion and clarity.
Right now, many of us are heading into a new year with good intentions and very full plates. The pressure to do more, fix everything, or finally "get it together" can feel overwhelming. This conversation is meant to be grounding — a reminder that you're not broken, you're not behind, and progress doesn't have to look like anyone else's version to count.
Key Takeaways From The Episode:
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Your past is data, not a verdict-Previous attempts that didn't stick don't mean you can't change — they simply show you what hasn't worked yet and help you choose a better approach moving forward.
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Small progress is real progress-Five minutes, one drawer, or a single decision still counts. Momentum comes from action, not waiting for the "perfect" time.
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Perfection often disguises fear-Waiting for massive, all-at-once change can actually keep you stuck. Letting yourself start imperfectly creates movement and relief.
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You get to define what success looks like-A functional, supportive home doesn't need to match anyone else's aesthetic. Your version of "good enough" is allowed to be enough.
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Protect your definition of progress-Unfollowing accounts or standards that make you feel behind can be one of the most powerful decluttering steps you take.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | I'm Katie Wells, host of the Maximized Minimalist podcast. I escape the hamster wheel of modern day |
| 0:08.5 | motherhood, overwhelmed by clutter and buried under the mental load. Now I live in a home that feels |
| 0:14.3 | calm, manageable, and made for real life. I have margin in my days, energy for who matters most, |
| 0:20.6 | and time for slow mornings and |
| 0:22.5 | silly dance parties in the kitchen with my family. With over 5 million listens, this show has |
| 0:27.9 | helped women around the world turn their homes into their happy place. Around here, we simplify |
| 0:33.5 | for more peace, more presence, and more joy. We choose grace over guilt and progress over perfection. |
| 0:40.8 | And we believe your home should give back more than it takes. |
| 0:44.6 | I'm here to help you do the same. |
| 0:46.8 | Come along with me and my guests as we share the real stories, habits, and strategies that |
| 0:51.4 | help you lighten the load from the inside out. |
| 0:53.8 | Pull up a seat, friend, |
| 0:54.8 | and let's do this together. Ready, set, simplify. A few weeks ago, I opened up Instagram, |
| 1:04.9 | and within seconds, I felt ashamed of my body. I hadn't felt that way when I woke up. I wasn't thinking about my |
| 1:13.2 | potty at all. But one image I saw changed that in like a microsecond. And it made me realize |
| 1:20.8 | something about the invisible weight we carry around. And I'm not just talking about the stuff |
| 1:26.6 | in your closet. Here's what happened. |
| 1:28.2 | It was a normal morning. I grabbed my phone as we all do, opened up Instagram and immediately |
| 1:32.6 | saw a before and after post from a woman in the fitness space. And she was celebrating her |
| 1:38.7 | client's transformation. You might think, no big deal, right? Yay. But the before photo of her client literally looks just like my body right now today or on that day. And still two weeks later, just like that, like my brain was completely hijacked. I went from feeling totally neutral about my body to thinking, oh my gosh, |
| 2:02.7 | I guess I should feel ashamed of it. And I didn't choose it. I didn't invite this feeling, |
| 2:08.4 | but all of a sudden, there it was. And it was like all consuming for like hours. I was like, |
... |
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