Alex Hyde Personal Trainer and Coach

119 days until I turn 40.

The last time I posted one of these, there were 156 days to go. 😬

So clearly, the decluttering-my-life-before-40 series has been going brilliantly. 😂

But actually… this feels pretty relevant to the whole point.
Because being nice to myself is more important than keeping up with an Instagram series.

And I get to decide what consistency looks like for me.
Consistency doesn’t have to mean doing something every day, every week, or never missing a beat.

Sometimes consistency is just coming back.

No guilt.
No “I’ve ruined it now.”
No deciding there’s no point because I haven’t done it properly.

Just… starting again.

I think we abandon so many things that matter to us because we’ve broken the imaginary rules we created around how we were supposed to do them.

So here’s your reminder (and mine):
You haven’t failed because you stopped.
You can just come back.

119 days until 40.

Still decluttering. Still figuring it out. Still very much not doing it perfectly.

Not what would be sensible.

Not what everyone else needs.

Not what you should want.

Not what will cause the least amount of inconvenience.

What do you actually want?

If you haven’t got a bloody clue, you’re not alone.

Sometimes we’ve spent so long considering everyone and everything else that we’ve stopped checking in with ourselves.

You don’t need to immediately have the answer.

But maybe it’s time to start asking the question.

DM me about Reclaimed and start reconnecting with yourself!

A slightly annoying truth:

The person you’re pi**ed off with didn’t actually do anything wrong.

They asked.

YOU said yes.

And now you’re quietly furious about the thing you agreed to.

I’ve been there!

Resentment is really useful information, it’s showing you exactly where you’ve said yes when you wanted to say no.

The alternative isn’t becoming selfish or never doing anything for anyone again.

It’s learning to pause and to tolerate the temporary discomfort of saying no, rather than the much longer discomfort of resentment.

We really get into the weeds of this in RECLAIMED.

Dm me for info. X

If you’ve decided you DO need a coach, send me a DM. I’d love to chat.

If you’ve decided you DON’T, that’s absolutely ok too.

Here are a few things you can do to help yourself work through life’s challenges:

• Brain dump everything onto paper before trying to solve it.
• Ask yourself, “What would I tell a friend in this situation?”
• Focus on the next smallest step, not the whole staircase.
• Notice what you’re feeling before deciding what to do.
• Challenge the story you’re telling yourself. Is it fact, or is it fear?
• Give yourself permission to make a choice instead of waiting for certainty.
• Talk it through with someone you trust.

The truth is, coaching isn’t about giving you answers you couldn’t find on your own.

It’s about creating the time, space and accountability to actually find them.

If you’ve changed your mind and do want to chat, dm me.

Today’s mission: the Tupperware drawer.

You know exactly the one I mean.
Lids with no containers.
Containers with no lids.

The takeaway tub you’ve convinced yourself might come in handy one day.

So today I gave myself permission to let it go.
Not because I’m trying to create the perfect kitchen.
Because I’m trying to create a lighter life.

I think so many of us keep things because they might be useful, because we paid for them, or because getting rid of them somehow feels wasteful.

But if it’s been sat there unused for years, is it really serving you?

Sometimes reducing isn’t about having less.

It’s about making room for what you actually use and enjoy.

So, if you need it today...
This is your permission.

Throw away the lid with no tub.
Recycle the cracked container.
Donate the things you never reach for.

Your home doesn’t have to earn points for keeping things “just in case.”

It gets to work for you.

147days until 40.
Less stuff.
Less searching.
Less stress.

A little more space.

What’s the one cupboard or drawer you’ve been avoiding?

I almost didn’t post this because I thought, “No one wants to hear about me being ill.”

But that’s not really what this is about.

It’s about the guilt so many of us feel the moment we stop being productive.

Why is it that we’ll happily give everyone else permission to rest, but struggle to give it to ourselves?

Recovery isn’t something you have to earn.

Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is listen to your body.

If you’ve ever felt guilty for slowing down, I’d love to know I’m not the only one!

156 days until I turn 40.

This week, I tackled a job I’d been putting off for ages.

Under the bed.
The skirting boards.
The corners of the windows.
All those places that are easy to ignore until you suddenly notice them and can’t unsee them.

Was it a perfect deep clean?

No.

But it was done.

And honestly, that’s what felt good.

I think a lot of us spend so much time thinking about what needs doing that we don’t realise how much energy it’s taking up.

The thing sits on the to-do list.
We see it every day.
We feel a little guilty every time we walk past it.

And yet we still don’t do it.

Not because we’re lazy.

Usually because it feels bigger in our heads than it actually is.

Then one day, we finally get started and wonder why we spent so long avoiding it.

I’m learning that “done” is often far more valuable than “perfect.”

Not just with cleaning.

With difficult conversations.
Life admin.
Looking after ourselves.
Starting things we’ve been talking about for years.

156 days until 40.

A little less dust.
A little less mental clutter.
A reminder that sometimes the hardest part is simply beginning.

What’s something you’ve been putting off that would feel amazing to finally get done?

160 days until I turn 40.

(It’s actually 159, but I forgot to post yesterday.)

This week, I’ve been making small trips to the charity shop with bits and pieces from around the house.

Nothing dramatic.

Just the stuff that’s been sitting there for months (or years) because dealing with it never felt urgent enough.

And it got me thinking…

How much of our lives are filled with things we’ve been meaning to sort out “one day”?

The clothes we don’t wear.

The paperwork pile.

The cupboard we avoid opening.

The unfinished projects.

The things that quietly take up space in our homes and our heads.

I used to wait until the clutter became overwhelming before doing anything about it.

Now I’m trying something different.

A bag for the charity shop.

A shelf cleared.

One small decision.

Because maybe the goal isn’t a perfect home.

Maybe it’s creating a little more breathing room.

What could you let go of this week that would make life feel just a little lighter?

In 163 days I turn 40, and I want to be lighter!

No, not weight loss, lighter in clutter…

I’m not trying to become a minimalist overnight, and I’m definitely not adding another daily thing to my to-do list.

I’m simply choosing, when I can, to let go of things that no longer serve me.

Today’s target was the drawer of doom.

You know the one...

Old chargers, mystery cables, random wires, phones I haven’t switched on in years.

Did I clear it all?

No.

Some things were easy to let go of. Some things weren’t.
A few old phones and bits of tech felt too difficult to decide on today, so I left them.

Years ago, I’d have seen that as failure.

Now I see it as wisdom.

Because perfectionism is sneaky. It tells us that if we can’t do it all, we shouldn’t bother starting.

But that’s how we stay stuck.

Progress isn’t about clearing the whole drawer.
It’s about clearing some of it.

It’s about making one decision, then another, and trusting that they add up over time.

163 days to go.

No pressure. No perfection. Just a little lighter, one small step at a time.

Where in your life could you let go of the need to do it perfectly?

167 days until I turn 40… and I’m on a mission to go into this next decade lighter.

Not weight-loss lighter.

Life lighter.

Over the next 6 months, I’m decluttering everything that feels heavy, draining, or no longer fits the life I’m creating.

First up: my wardrobe.

Today I’m saying goodbye to clothes that don’t fit, don’t feel good, or simply don’t get worn.

My inner critic keeps whispering:

“But you’ll have no clothes left…”

But let’s be honest…

Are clothes I never wear actually useful?

No.

They just take up space, create decision fatigue, and get in the way of the things I genuinely love wearing.

So out they go.

167 days. One step at a time. Less clutter. More space. More me.

Who’s with me?

What’s one thing you need to let go of before the end of the year?