Knowing that you have no debt, that you can pay your bills, and that you have money in the bank to spend…but you won’t…is a special kind of freedom.

It comes from downgrading your life, instead of upgrading it.

It is about sorting and sifting through all the wonderful things life offers us and selecting only those that bring us real joy and meaning.  Not the things we are told will bring us joy (by advertisers, influencers, and peers).

Successful simplification of your life doesn’t leave you feeling like you are missing out.

• Simplicity leaves you with a life that is full to the brim.
• Simplicity leaves you with time to play, explore and have adventures.
• Simplicity gives you the resources to take risks like moving to a new city or quitting your job to take one that excites you but might not work out.
• Simplicity means you can splurge guilt free…because you paid cash!
• Simplicity brings peace of mind.

How do you narrow life down to the things that bring the most joy and meaning?

I can only speak for myself, but I did it by getting clear on my values.  Crystal clear.  Then I used that knowledge to develop my life mission statement.

My Life Mission Statement: I am a life-long learner who likes to explore opportunities and live simply.

Developing a life mission statement might sound daunting, but it really wasn’t, and I would recommend it to anyone as the best starting point to simplifying your life.  

Not decluttering.  Not downsizing your possessions.  Not moving off-grid.

If you want to simplify your life begin by developing your life mission statement.

I went to Chapters and looked through the books they had on life purpose, values, and mission statements.  Today I would probably go straight to the internet, but this was more than a decade ago.

I bought two books, but the one that really resonated with me was Life Purpose Boot Camp: The 8-Week Breakthrough Plan for Creatin a Meaningful Life by Eric Maisel.

Eight weeks later the real work began…downgrading my life so that I was living my mission statement.