Simple Organized Lifestyle was built with the goal of providing strategies, resources and support for simplifying life.
But what does it really mean to live a simple lifestyle?
Simplifying does not mean cleaning out the fridge or making another to-do list. It does not mean doing things perfectly.
Instead, it’s a way of thinking, living and working with the goal of restoring peace where there is chaos. It’s putting systems and habits into place to make everyday modern life more manageable and meaningful.
For me, simple living is the process of making things easier in order to save time, money and sanity. It’s always a work in progress. It’s a lot of trial and error. There’s no secret to simplifying but there are some clues!
Here are 5 clues to living a simple lifestyle:
Clue #1- Less means more
Simplifying is different than minimalism. Minimalism is living off of the bare minimum and it’s a great lifestyle for many people. Simplifying is learning to do things easier, and it doesn’t mean you have to get rid of everything you own. It does mean you may need to declutter so you can enjoy those things.
Decluttering is a process that requires just starting and taking small steps forward. You’ve probably heard the saying, How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time! That’s definitely true when it comes to starting the process of decluttering. You just have to start and do a little bit at a time. Focus on what you accomplish, maintain those areas, and keep going!
Turn less into more so that you can clear out clutter and focus on things that truly matter most to you. More stuff takes more time we’re already moving at the speed of life and it just keeps getting faster! Just having one area more peaceful will be encouragement to keep going on to the next area.
If I could talk to my younger self, there are so many changes I would have made with accumulating stuff. It would have saved me now from digging through all that stuff I thought I needed at the time, which quickly became junk instead of joy!
Mr. Simpol and I were talking recently about the status of our clutter. We both agree that it makes us feel overwhelmed and out of control. We agree that we’ve created the problem and it’s up to us to solve it. We are working on an area of our home a little each day and have set a goal to get rid of at least 30% of our stuff by the end of the year. Less means more!
Clue #2- Every day and every decision matters
What do we often hear day in and day out from our family, friends, and co-workers?
I’m so busy.
I don’t have enough time.
I’m overwhelmed right now.
I’m stressed out.
I’m so tired.
I just don’t believe this is how God wants us to do life. This kind of exhaustion and stress spills over to our health, our relationships, our finances, and it sucks the joy out of life.
What makes us get excited about vacation? Most people would say it’s getting away from the stress of the day to day grind and just relaxing.
What about looking for ways to reduce the stress in our everyday routines? That’s where finding ways to simplify can have a huge impact. This looks different for everyone, but it always involves figuring out what changes you can make to get the biggest ROI (Return on Investment).
An example of this with our family is in the area of finances. We were caught in the debt trap and it was having a huge negative impact on our lives. We were overwhelmed, stressed out, and it felt like we were always spinning our wheels when it came to getting ahead with our finances. We made the decision to change our systems and habits. We created a budget, reduced our spending, increased our savings, and are much further on our journey to achieving financial freedom. The ROI has already paid off, literally!
Maybe for your family it’s your morning… Do you wake up in a tailspin just trying to get everyone ready and where they need to be? If so, that’s a place where you can decide to make changes in order to gain back peace and control.
Maybe it’s meal planning, exercising, or improving your spiritual walk. Every day and every decision matters when it comes to simplifying life. Don’t overcommit to others. Instead, commit to yourself so that you can improve your health, finances, and relationships!
[bctt tweet=”Every day and every decision matters when it comes to simplifying life.” username=”Simp_OL”]
Clue #3- Slow down
Speeding can get us into trouble both on the road and at home. When you are moving so fast trying to do so many things, nothing gets done well. My mom had a not-so-nice way of saying this when I was growing up. I’d clean my room and take a few shortcuts and she would say, “if you’re going to half-ass do something, you might as well not do it at all.” This was her way of saying “quality over quantity” and it’s true of most things in life.
Moms these days are getting caught in survival mode more often than not. Recently, I had a mom tell me she was about to cut back on her schedule (and income) because she was tired of never being at home. If she wasn’t at work, she was running her kids to church, gymnastics and special activities. She realized it’s time to slow down. There’s nothing wrong with slowing down and letting go of some things in order to gain elsewhere.
I believe in slowing down to get back energy. When we keep moving at full speed all the time, it depletes our energy. Cars cannot operate on empty and neither can we! When we slow down and make time to take care of ourselves, we are better able to care for those around us.
Clue #4- Understand your why
Understand your why so that you won’t give up when things get tough.
Why do you want a simple lifestyle? What will it do for you and your family? That will define your why.
Make a list of the top 3-4 things that you value most. Simplifying should give you more opportunities for those things you value most.
When you make the decision to simplify, sometimes you have to put on blinders to what others think about it and just move forward. Not everyone understands why we would want to let go of certain things. You just have to know you’re letting go in order to gain.
I believe your friends and family will see and appreciate the changes that come with simplifying. It will mean that you can focus more and be really present instead of constantly running through your mental to do list.
Clue #5- Find your front porch moments
If you really want to focus on simple living, sometimes you have just got to silence the noise. Do you remember those Andy Griffith episodes where they were sitting on the front porch doing a whole lot of, well, nothing? It actually was a whole lot of something else… tuning out worries and just taking in a front porch moment. Remember the episode of the man in a hurry? That’s who we have all become… only there’s not a cigar in our hands, instead, it’s a smartphone!
Maybe your front porch moment is going for a walk, a drive or visiting a special person. Whatever it is, it lets you silence the noise of a busy world and just be present in the moment. It will revive you!
My front porch moments are, literally, on my front porch. Nothing makes me more at peace and content than slowing down and just taking a moment to turn off the noise.
What’s your front porch moment? What’s your why? Focus on those things to start (or stay on) the journey to living a simple lifestyle.