Simplifying Doesn’t Have to be Complicated

In this modern work a day world it can often feel like we’re running from one thing to the next, constantly needing to return messages, texts, or phone calls, and never have time to simply be at peace with ourselves and our loved ones. Many of us want a simpler, more tranquil, existence but simply don’t know where to start. Well, I’m here to tell you that achieving simplicity doesn’t have to be as complicated as we often want to make it. In fact, by focusing on a few key areas to start you can begin to make real change for a more peaceful life right now. Below, we’ll walk through four different ways to begin living your best simple life today!

Simplifying your Home

Ever heard that old saying that charity begins at home? Well, so should simplicity and there are a few reasons for that. Your home is your’s and your family’s place to unwind and relax. If your home is cluttered with too much stuff that you don’t need and don’t use, this relaxation quickly turns into a chore after chore just to keep it clean and tidy. By removing what you don’t need you also remove the need for upkeep which allows for more time to be spent doing things you’d rather be doing. In addition, throwing unneeded and unwanted things away, or recycling or donating them is a form of instant gratification that will inspire you to press on with further simplification in other areas. Starting your simplification process at home also allows you to experience the benefits that simplifying can bring before you move on to other aspects of your life.

Simplifying your Calendar

After the home, simplifying your calendar and the commitments within is an excellent second step in simplifying your life. If you find yourself staying busy for no other reason than feeling like you should or if you feel that your level of commitment has slowly yet steadily evolved without you really noticing, your overall level of peace and tranquility can absolutely be affected. Taking a deep dive into your calendar and establishing what activities can be cut can feel like a major weight lifted. Learning to say no to new commitments you don’t want to take on, guarding your time to allow yourself a certain amount each day to relax, and only scheduling activities that you feel are beneficial and detrimental to you and your family is an excellent start to simplifying your calendar and your life, and providing yourself with enough time to enjoy it.

Simplifying your Daily Routine

We live our lives from day to day and if your daily routine is needlessly stressful so to shall ye be. I learned a few simple hacks while on vacation with the family that can apply throughout our day to day lives. There is no washer or dryer in the RV that we use to travel meaning when we choose a date to do laundry we HAVE to stick to it. Making plans for the necessities in times when they can be done without interfering with other daily activities and sticking to those plans lets you know you have the most imperative work finished, letting you relax and unwind afterward. Folding laundry immediately after taking it out of the dryer doesn’t give you the chance to procrastinate and stress later knowing there is work left undone. Likewise, washing dishes while cooking is one of the best time saving hacks ever. Pre-chopping veggies for upcoming meals during your downtime, such as on Sunday afternoon, is another excellent time saving cooking hack. In addition, all of these activities can be enhanced by simply putting on your favorite audiobook or podcast!

Simplifying your Negative Self Talk

Believe it or not, one of the most effective ways to simplify your life and achieve peace is to lower the volume and rework the negative self talk that your brain keeps feeding you. These negative self talk berates you, puts you down, and, taken to the worst level, can convince you that you are incapable of achieving what you want to. One of the first steps in quelling this self negativity is to be aware when it happens and know how to rearrange the thought so that it pushes you forward instead of holds you in place. This is a habit that takes a lot of time and practice to achieve but is completely possible with being mindful of your thoughts and how they affect you. Think of it this way, would you give a friend the same advice that the voice in your head is giving you? If you would find it hateful and negative to say to someone else, it’s probably not the best thing to tell yourself either.

An excellent example of this negative self talk from my own life is my desire to write. When I first started writing I didn’t believe that anyone would ever take me seriously due to my being diagnosed with dyslexia and tending to miss grammatical errors more often than not. With these thoughts constantly echoing through my head anytime I had a writing idea for a blog or book, I’d toss it out because my brain had me convinced that it wasn’t possible. Once I identified this negative self talk I was able to deconstruct it and turn it around into a motivational expression. When my brain told me I’d never be a writer, I recognized the thought for what it was, completely false, and told myself that it wouldn’t be easy but that my unique voice could help others and with an editor I could make sure that my writing was cohesive and error free. Just like that,   I learned to turn the negative self talk into a motivation that still drives my writing today. You can do the same!

In the comments below, let me know one of your most prominent forms of negative self talk and how you’ve managed to turn it around!

Achieving Simplicity

Now that we’ve taken a look at four ways you can begin to simplify your life you may be asking where do I go from here? Simply put, anywhere you want. You don’t have to throw out everything you haven’t used in the past week to lead a simple life, but if you’ve taken the four steps above, you have probably already noticed other areas of your life where these same strategies can be applied. Do it! See how it works for you! One of the most important (and hardest) parts of achieving simplicity is accepting yourself as you are and forgiving yourself and laughing it off when you make mistakes. Work to make the best, simplest life for you, establish your own definition of what simplicity looks like and focus on achieving it. There are no right or wrong answers here, only the opportunity to live a more satisfied, peaceful, contented existence.