The Addams Family might have lived in a dusty mansion filled with bats, bubbling potions, and spare limbs, but everything in that house had meaning.  They did not follow trends or ask permission.  They lived exactly how they wanted to, guided by loyalty, love, and a flair for the dramatic.

That is the real secret of simplicity.  Knowing who you are and living like it.

Because if we are being honest, normal these days is not simple at all.

Normal is over-consuming.  Normal is drinking to unwind.  Normal is scrolling through other people’s lives while yours waits patiently in the background.  Normal is debt, distraction, and despair.

The Addams Family might be strange, but they are also clear.  And clarity about what you value and who you want to become is the first step toward any kind of real simplicity.

(Snap snap)

When I was a kid, I thought The Addams Family was just weird.  Now I see they were wise.  They lived by clear values and made no apologies for them.  They did not chase trends or try to impress the neighbors.  They simply knew what mattered and built a life around it.

That is the heart of memento mori, the old reminder to “remember you must die.”  On the surface, it sounds dark, the kind of phrase you would whisper in a candlelit room.  But it is really an invitation to live.  It says, “Your time is limited, so make it count.”

Both memento mori and the Addams Family share that misunderstood quality.  They seem morbid at first glance, but both are about learning to live in the way most authentic to you.  When you accept that life is temporary, you stop pretending.  You stop collecting things that do not matter and start choosing moments that do.

The Addams Family understood this in their own delightfully spooky way.  Surrounded by reminders of death, they were some of the most alive people on television.  They laughed easily.  They loved deeply.  And they lived with absolute clarity about who they were. Even if they are a little creepy and kooky.

(Snap Snap)

Memento mori isn’t about loss.  It’s about presence.  The Stoics used it as a gentle reminder to live with clarity, gratitude, and purpose.  Every moment becomes more meaningful when you see it as a gift instead of a guarantee.

That same mindset sits at the heart of essentialism.  It asks a simple question: What truly deserves my energy today?  The Addams Family had their answer.  They chose laughter, love, connection, and a clear sense of who they were.  Every decision reflected what mattered most to them.

That’s what real simplicity looks like.  It grows naturally from self-awareness and alignment.  When your life reflects your values, you don’t have to chase more.  Meaning replaces excess.  Take a look at your calendar, your home, and your habits through that same lens. 

Keep what adds value to your story.  Give time and space to what brings you joy.  When your choices match what’s essential, everything else starts to fall into place.

(Snap snap)

In this section every week, I’ll give step by step instructions on how to tackle one project. It could be something simple and small like this week’s assignment, or it could be more involved. Once you take on a few of these, you’ll learn some of the common strategies that can be applied to just about anything.

My hope for this newsletter is to make it feel like a mini-coaching session with me.

So now, it’s time to…

Wednesday Addams never tried to blend in, and that’s what made her stand out.  In the Netflix series, she’s bold, observant, and completely comfortable in her own shadow.  She isn’t afraid to ask uncomfortable questions, especially the one most people avoid… Who am I, really?

This reflection helps you do just that.  It’s not about fitting in.  It’s about understanding what truly matters so your life starts to feel like yours again.

When you know what you stand for, you can move through the world on your own terms.

(Snap snap)

The Addams Family never tried to be normal, and that is their secret.  They live with clear values, strong identity, and full awareness of how short and wonderful life can be.  That is what memento mori reminds us of.  It is not about fearing the end.  It is about living with more intention while we can.

This week, carry a little of that Addams confidence into your own world.  Let your values guide your choices.  Let your quirks be part of your story.  Let your days reflect what truly matters to you.

Simplicity grows from self-understanding.  It is not about fitting in or having less.  It is about knowing who you are and living in alignment with it.

This is the first of the spooky decluttering trilogy. Next week will be focused on decluttering, and the following will be focused on developing habits to sustain.