In the 1970s, Melanie Cohen's dad had a PhD in chemical engineering and applied physics, doing innovative work in clean fuels. He was also dealing drugs to fund his addictions and lavish lifestyle.

His addiction to drugs and money was a continuation of his father's addiction to gambling. This inherited tendency toward an insatiable desire for "more" led to Melanie's food addiction, which we joked was a generational journey from Craps, to Crack, to Crackers.

After learning to rebuild her relationship with food, Melanie became interested in how the constant chatter and clutter of "more" in other domains, like finances, was impacting her life. By learning to apply the same tools, mental models, and practices she used to create a healthy relationship with food, she learned to clear her own clutter, live in alignment with her values, and find her greatest satisfaction in helping others do the same.

Today, as a transformative coach, Melanie teaches people how to identify and clear four types of clutter holding them back: physical, digital, mental, and financial. In this episode, she shares practical strategies like her 30-day decluttering challenge (start with one item on day one, two items on day two, and so on until you've cleared over 450 items in a month) and offers wisdom about why we hold onto things that no longer serve us. Whether you're drowning in physical stuff, digital overwhelm, or limiting beliefs about money and worth, Melanie's insights will help you create space for what truly matters.

Join the Challenge

Ready to create more space in your life? Join Melanie and me in the 30-Day Declutter Challenge, starting November 1! Join our private Facebook group to learn more.

5 Key Uplifting Lessons:

• Start ridiculously small - Whether decluttering your space or your mind, begin with manageable goals that build confidence over time
• Your worth isn't tied to your productivity - Success doesn't require working yourself to exhaustion
• Breaking generational patterns requires examining inherited beliefs about money, success, and worth
• Perfectionism can paradoxically lead to paralysis - sometimes good enough is perfect
• Living your values means having the courage to do business your way

Discover More about Melanie and her work

https://melaniecohen.podia.com https://www.facebook.com/MelanieThoughtFullyCoachingLissCohen https://www.instagram.com/thoughtfully_coaching/ https://www.youtube.com/@MelanieCohen-TFCoach2023 https://www.tiktok.com/@thoughtfullycoaching?lang=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/melanie-cohen-bb56107/

What do you think?

Please click here to complete our listener survey. It’ll take less than 2 minutes and it will make a big difference!

The Uplifters’ Web

This week’s opening is by the wonderful Kate Tellers, from episode 59 of this podcast.