From Pajama Junkie to Intentional Living: How One Habit Changed My Home and Life. Struggling with clutter, overwhelm, and no direction? Learn how one simple habit—getting dressed—helped me move from living in pajamas to intentional living with a simple homekeeping system.
I Was a Pajama Junkie for Over Five Years
For over five years, I lived in my pajamas.
Not just once in a while.
Not just on hard days.
Every day.
At the time, it felt comfortable. Safe, even.
But underneath that comfort was something much heavier.
I was struggling with depression.
I felt anxious.
And I had no direction.
My home reflected exactly how I felt inside.
There was clutter everywhere.
Not organized clutter—overwhelming clutter.
So much that there were only pathways through my home.
And every time I looked around, I felt it:
Frustration.
Defeat.
And the constant thought…
“Where do I even start?”
Why Nothing I Tried Worked
I didn’t ignore it.
I tried.
I looked into cleaning routines.
I tried different homekeeping systems.
I wanted things to change.
But every system felt like too much.
Because here’s the part most people don’t talk about:
I live with fibromyalgia.
My energy is limited.
Some days are harder than others.
And when a system expects more than you can give…
you don’t keep up with it.
You quit.
Not because you don’t care—
but because it’s not realistic.
And that’s where I stayed… stuck.
The Thought That Kept Me There
There was one thought that kept running through my mind:
“Why should I get ready? Nobody is going to see me.”
So I stayed in my pajamas.
And what I didn’t realize at the time was this:
That one habit was keeping me in the cycle.
It fed the depression.
It increased the anxiety.
It made everything feel heavier.
The One Decision That Changed Everything
Then in March of 2011, something shifted.
Someone suggested something simple:
“Try getting dressed every day.”
That was it.
No big plan.
No overwhelming system.
Just get dressed.
So I took it as a challenge.
And that one decision…
changed everything.
Getting Dressed Gave Me a Starting Point
Getting dressed didn’t magically fix my home.
But it gave me something I didn’t have before:
A place to start.
It told my brain:
✔ This is a new day
✔ I’m showing up
✔ I can do one thing
And that’s all I needed.
Because when you’re overwhelmed,
you don’t need a full plan.
You need one small action.
From One Habit to Intentional Living
That one habit led to another.
And another.
Not perfectly.
Not all at once.
But slowly.
Getting dressed led to:
- Picking up a few things
- Clearing one small space
- Letting go of all-or-nothing thinking
- Creating simple daily routines
And over time, something changed.
I wasn’t just reacting to my home anymore.
I was living with intention.
How I Created a Simple Homekeeping System That Works
Out of that journey, I created what I now call:
Marilyn’s Way
A simple homekeeping system built on:
✔ Small daily habits
✔ Real-life energy levels
✔ Consistency over perfection
✔ Starting where you are
Because the truth is:
You don’t need to do everything.
You just need to do something you can repeat.
What Intentional Living Really Looks Like
Intentional living isn’t about having everything perfect.
It’s not about doing more.
It’s about choosing what matters…
and taking small steps toward it.
For me, it looks like:
- Getting dressed every day
- Doing one small task
- Keeping my home manageable—not perfect
- Giving myself grace on hard days
That’s it.
Simple.
If You Feel Overwhelmed Right Now
If your home feels out of control…
If you don’t know where to start…
If everything feels like too much…
I understand.
I’ve lived it.
And I want you to hear this:
You don’t have to fix everything today.
Start Here (Marilyn’s Way)
Here’s your first step:
👉 Get dressed
That’s it.
Then, if you can:
👉 Put away 5 things
👉 Clear one small space
And stop there.
Because that’s how this works.
From Pajamas to Purpose
I didn’t change my life overnight.
I changed it one habit at a time.
And it all started with getting dressed.
If I can go from living in pajamas for over five years
to creating a home I can manage and a life with direction…
You can too.
Next Step for You
Don’t overthink this.
Just start.
👉 Get dressed tomorrow
👉 Do one small thing
That’s how intentional living begins.
Internal Links + Next Steps
- How to Start When Your House Is So Cluttered You Feel Stuck
- Download the 5-Minute Reset Guide
Marilyn’s Way Reminder
You don’t need to do everything.
Just start with one thing.
That’s how this works.
Are You Wanting Ideas As What To Declutter?
I Have created a workbook 100 Things to Get Rid Of In Your Home that comes with checklists. You do it as you have time. Get your copy today!
