Renew Your Vibe using the "empty sink" method
For inspiration, kindness mindset, and keeping promises to ourselves
Note: This page includes content from an earlier post, adapted here for a new purpose.
Waking up to an empty kitchen sink is an unwavering life goal for me. Rather than leave you to guess how often the sink was empty in the morning, I’ll share some history from days of yore (pre-COVID):
What I said: I will wash the *@&%* dishes before going to bed.
What I did: Feel bad about myself. Hate the sink.
How the kitchen fared using this goal-setting method: Nothing changed.
Fast forward to during-COVID when I had more time at home yet still couldn’t get my act together:
What I said: I wash dishes before bed.
What I did: Run the dishwasher in the evening (at first). Feel annoyed (daily). Hate myself for not getting this done (on failure days, which was mostly).
How the kitchen fared: Short-term change, then back to the usual stacks in the sink accompanied by self-reproach.
In October 2025, I celebrated real progress (pictured). Here’s why:
What I said: I enjoy the feeling of waking up to a clean sink.
What I did: Focused on the feelings I want in the morning: love, gratitude and momentum. (Yes, momentum is a mood.)
How the kitchen (and Lori) fared:
Sustainable change in (my) mindset and a happy sink.
Momentum for washing fresh produce, appreciating clean water from the tap, and rinsing bean sprouts cultivated in the kitchen for salads. (Sprout rituals are so pleasant when the sink is fresh and available.)
Noticeable improvement in nearly all areas of life!
So … really … what made the difference?
Love. Gratitude. Focus.
Love. Gratitude. Focus.
My intention focused on what I WANTED (vs. reluctant tasks).
I wanted the FEELING of an empty sink in the morning.
Positivity mattered. When in doubt, I visualized what success looked like / felt like.
Morning was my beloved coffee and thinking time. It was worth protecting. (Still is.)
The intention statement was written in present tense. I loved my soft mornings lived in the moment. I was grateful for this time. Positive and present tense made the difference.
The “sink love” gratitude mindset was new to me. IT WORKED. And it’s still working! Each day, I interact with my kitchen sink with gratitude:
This clean sink is where I wash berries in the morning (never ever happens in a dirty sink).
This clean sink is where I polish my pots and pans (I love shiny stainless.)
The water that flows through the tap is clean and appreciated. I rinse my sprouts with this water. I brew tea with this water. I love this water.
Author’s note:
My empty sink is a kept promise to myself. There are days that lapse … deadlines and life happens and I treat myself with kindness when compromises are needed. And that’s the point: for me, sink care is self care. Sink love is self love.
Took me a jillion years to get to this awareness. Some things have their own pace.
I am grateful.
Also, Renew Your Vibe is on the road!
The Renew Your Vibe workshop on May 21, 2026 in Bryson City, NC was intimate, productive, and fun! A recap of the May session is coming soon, as well as plans for June’s workshop. Stay tuned for more.
Always, be kind … to yourself and others. (I’m playing around with tag lines.) Thank you for reading. I am grateful.