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This post is all about the first two (2) things you need to do to simplify your life\u2026and they have nothing to do with decluttering.<\/p>\n
I know, I know!<\/p>\n
You are anxious to follow along, ditch your stuff, and create a more minimalist life for yourself. You\u2019re going to have to trust me.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve done this.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve had time to reflect on this.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m pretty sure that if I knew then what I know now my decade-long journey to minimalism and financial freedom could have been much shorter.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s what I want for you. The shortcut!<\/p>\n
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My journey to minimalism was very accidental. At the age of 39 I found myself separating from my High School Sweetheart after 20 years together – more than half my life!<\/p>\n
I had two little girls (aged 9 and 10) and was suddenly solely reliant solely on my own paycheck.<\/p>\n
Anyone who has been through the break-down of a marriage knows it is very stressful.<\/p>\n
My decision to simplify my life was one-part practicality, and one-part survival instinct.<\/p>\n
On the practical side of things I was starting over and I just didn\u2019t have much stuff, nor did have much money to add to my stuff.<\/p>\n
On the survival side, I just couldn\u2019t cope with anything more than what was happening in that moment. I needed things in my life to be a s simple as possible.<\/p>\n
I truly hope your decision to simplify your life isn\u2019t motivated in the same way mine was, but for better or worse (pun intended), I was certainly very motivated!<\/p>\n
Although looking back I feel like I took the long-road, not even a decade later I had simplified my life, eliminated my debt (and there was a lot of it!), and found true contentment.<\/p>\n
\nLiving a simple life has led to less stress, no debt, more happiness, more time in nature, more adventures, and more job contentment.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
It took me 10 years. Your timeline can be much shorter because I\u2019m giving you the heads up on where to start, and where to go next.<\/p>\n
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What Areas Of Life Will You Simplify?<\/h1>\n
Before we get started with the first two things that will jumpstart living a simple life I want to talk a little about the areas of life you are trying to simplify.<\/p>\n
Any area of life can be simplified.<\/p>\n
Generally speaking we want to simplify all areas of our lives. However, it is useful to focus on one area or perhaps a few at a time.<\/p>\n
Your Stuff<\/h2>\n
When we think of simplification we often think of the household in general and our stuff specifically.<\/p>\n
And why wouldn\u2019t we? We spend a lot of time at home.<\/p>\n
Of course we want it to be a happy, calm, simple space to be in.<\/p>\n
The reality is there is generally a lot of chaos happening there.<\/p>\n
A messy kitchen, dirty dishes, piles of stuff to be put away on any (every?) flat surface including the floor. A heaping laundry pile. Children and pets running amuck. Groceries to be put away into an already crammed refrigerator. Sound familiar?<\/p>\n
Our society is based on consumerism.<\/p>\n
We have too much stuff and we know it.<\/p>\n
\n
- Clothes.<\/li>\n
- Kitchen gadgets.<\/li>\n
- Sporting equipment.<\/li>\n
- Toiletries.<\/li>\n
- Food.<\/li>\n
- Books.<\/li>\n
- Toys.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
One of the first places to make changes is your stuff. But it\u2019s not the first place!<\/p>\n
Your Work<\/h2>\n
Apart from being at home, most of us spend the majority of our time at work.<\/p>\n
People often don\u2019t think about their work as a part of their life that can be simplified.<\/p>\n
We view ourselves as \u201cstuck\u201d in our careers, whether we like them or not.<\/p>\n
Jobs can come with a lot of complications. Poor schedules, long commutes, toxic environments, crazy clients, insane deadlines, too much workload, not enough supports, poor project management, crappy software, constantly changing processes, and the list goes on!<\/p>\n
Even if we like what we do there is room for simplification around work. Different hours, less commute, a company more aligned with your values, an improved office set-up, ditching unnecessary tasks.<\/p>\n
We won\u2019t be getting into it in this post, but I promise we will in later ones.<\/p>\n
Start thinking about the fact that the place where you spend most of your daylight hours, work, can be simplified and become a place you look forward to going every day.<\/p>\n
Commitments<\/h2>\n
How\u2019s your calendar looking?<\/p>\n
Lots of space to rest, relax, and restore? Probably not.<\/p>\n
For some odd reason when people ask us how things are we like to say \u201cbusy\u201d.<\/p>\n
Just like we fill up our homes with stuff, we fill up our downtime with commitments.<\/p>\n
We plan:<\/p>\n
\n
- BBQ\u2019s<\/li>\n
- Vacations<\/li>\n
- Shopping trips<\/li>\n
- Volunteering<\/li>\n
- Play-dates for the kiddos<\/li>\n
- Softball league<\/li>\n
- Family dinners<\/li>\n
- Oil changes<\/li>\n
- Spa appointments<\/li>\n
- Massages<\/li>\n
- Doctor and dentist visits<\/li>\n
- Drinks after work<\/li>\n
- Home improvement projects<\/li>\n
- Concerts<\/li>\n
- Movies<\/li>\n
- Trip to the library, zoos or art galleries<\/li>\n
- A day at the beach<\/li>\n
- Weekends at the cottage<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The list could go on forever.<\/p>\n
There is nothing wrong with doing any of these things. Many of them aren\u2019t even optional, they must be done.<\/p>\n
The problem is with doing ALL the things.<\/p>\n
If you have an overly-committed life where will you find the time to focus on things that really matter to you most\u2026like simplifying your life?<\/p>\n
Your Money<\/h2>\n
Most people feel like their finances are in a mess; at least to some extent.<\/p>\n
\n
- It\u2019s hard to keep track of paying bills.<\/li>\n
- There are a lot of recurring subscriptions showing up on their credit card statement every month.<\/li>\n
- They have debt they want to pay off.<\/li>\n
- They have to finance big-ticket items like new cars or children\u2019s educations.<\/li>\n
- They run out of money before they run out of month.<\/li>\n
- They aren\u2019t saving for retirement (or anything else).<\/li>\n
- They don\u2019t have an emergency fund.<\/li>\n
- They can\u2019t seem to get the credit card balance paid off.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Does any of this sound familiar?<\/p>\n
Unless you are debt free with growing savings it is hard not to feel some financial stress.<\/p>\n
Simplifying your finances can eliminate all these issues.<\/p>\n
Your Relationships<\/h2>\n
By this I mean friends, family and romantic interests.<\/p>\n
This one seems harsh, but a lot of us have people in our lives that do not add to our well being.<\/p>\n
Friends might be too negative or attract a lot of drama.<\/p>\n
Maybe we just don\u2019t see eye to eye or get along very well with certain family members.<\/p>\n
Perhaps your and your love interest don\u2019t bring out the best in one another.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s okay.<\/p>\n
It doesn\u2019t mean they aren\u2019t good people, they just aren\u2019t a good fit into your life right now.<\/p>\n
Sorting through relationships so that you can focus on spending time with people who make you feel energized, that you share interests with, and that you enjoy being around is part of simplifying your life.<\/p>\n
Any Area Of Life!<\/h2>\n
There are so many other things you can simplify.<\/p>\n
Interests, wardrobe, diet, habits, cleaning, shopping, laundry, or meal prep.<\/p>\n
\nAny area of life where you spend a significant amount of time, money, or energy is up for grabs when thinking about areas of your life to simplify.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
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The First Step<\/h1>\n
It doesn\u2019t matter which area of life you are planning to work on first, this is the first move you make.<\/p>\n
Cancel your TV subscription.<\/p>\n
Seriously.<\/p>\n