If you have followed me for a while, you’ve probably seen my tag line that says “Get Clarity. Choose Your Best Life. Thrive.”

I want everyone to thrive in life. Although there are surely many other pathways, I have achieved this by embracing simple living. And I know you can too!

When I ask you what simple living means to you, I don’t want to hear that you “want to slow down and simplify your life”. I want you to be clear on exactly what that means to you.

• Will you work less so you can stay home with your kiddos more?
• Will you grow your own vegetables and knit your own mittens? (I’m Canadian – we need lots of mittens!)
• Will you sell your home and live in an RV full-time?
• Will you clear the clutter and start eating whole foods?

What does simple living mean to you?

Details Please!

Why does it matter? Because until you have clarity on what simple living means to you it is REALLY HARD to achieve it.

• If you’re not clear on what simple living means to you it’s easy to get distracted.
• If you’re distracted, you’re not getting what you want.

(These words of wisdom came from the note Get Clarity on Your Life Purpose if you want to dive deeper into how to get the clarity you are seeking!)

Create Your Simple Living Map

Life is big. To simplify things (and isn’t that what this blog is all about?) let’s use the “wheel of life” to split your life into 8 areas.

This will make it easier to figure out what’s meaningful to you, and and ensure you capture it on your map.

The wheel of life, if you’re not familiar with it, is basically a circle that is divided into 8 sections (or categories) essential for a fulfilling life. It’s a handy little tool to help determine priorities and create a roadmap aligned with your core values.

Before I go into the 8 categories on the wheel, remember that simple living looks different for everyone.

Simple living looks different for everyone, because it is about paring down life to what’s meaningful to you.

As you go through each category on the wheel of life ask yourself:

1. What do I find meaningful in this area of life?
2. What would living a simple life look like for me in this area of life? (Specifically, how would you envision yourself living? Daydreaming takes full reign here!)

(Want more clarity?  Check out my upcoming 6-week course to write your own Personal Mission Statement.)

Wheel Of Life Categories

1. Friends & Family

Write down the things you do (or envision you would do) that feel good to you in this area of life. This list could look like:

• Make a pot roast and host Sunday dinner for your parents and your siblings every week
• Homeschooling your children, including planning epic field trips for them
• An annual family ski vacation in the Rocky Mountains
• Reading your favorite bedtime stories to your children when you tuck them in at night
• Baking your famous 3-layer chocolate cake for your best friend’s birthday and surprising her with it
• Inviting friends to go camping for the weekend at your (secret) wild camping spot near the river
• Hosting a New Year’s Eve party for everyone you know

Remember, your version of a simple life is driven by what is meaningful to you. These are just examples. Capture what feels right to you.

2. Romance

Write down the things you do (or envision you would do) that feel good to you in this area of life. Some of the things on my list today would look like this:

• Saturday morning coffee dates with my Sweetie so he can get his favorite sticky buns
• Creating new snowshoe trails to enjoy together on weekends
• Planning a destination wedding north of the Artic Circle for summer of 2025

The things you capture don’t need to be complicated or visionary, just write the things that make you happy.

3. Career

Write down the things you do (or envision you would do) that feel good to you in this area of life. This list could look like:

• A short commute to work (20 minutes or less)
• A boss who lets you take risks with new ideas and innovations
• Running your own solo business and having it earn enough to support your lifestyle
• Working on a degree that compliments your current career and will allow you to move into a new field

Remember that you are paring down life to what’s meaningful to you. This can look like anything you want it to look like.

4. Finances

Write down the things you do (or envision you would do) that feel good to you in this area of life. This list could look like:

• Making a monthly donation to the animal shelter where you adopted your kitten
• Having an emergency fund in the bank that would cover 6-months of living expenses
• Living below your means so that every month you can contribute to an education fund for your children
• Supporting your aging parents to stay in their own home (and giving yourself peace of mind) by covering the costs of a medical alert subscription service for them

5. Health

Write down the things you do (or envision you would do) that feel good to you in this area of life. This list could look like:

• Keeping annual appointments with the doctor, dentist, and optometrist on your calendar
• Doing a class at the local yoga studio weekly
• Having a collection of cook books with whole food and vegan recipes that you love to try
• Training for the 5K fundraiser for cancer held in your community
• Subscribe to a food delivery service that provides healthy meals to make meal prep easier and limit the number of meals you eat out

6. Home & Environment

Write down the things you do (or envision you would do) that feel good to you in this area of life. This list could look like:

• Enjoying time in front of the fireplace in the evenings with your family while chatting about your day
• Growing a backyard vegetable garden and making your own spicy salsa using the tomatoes, peppers and onions you grew
• Volunteering with an annual roadside clean up in your community

7. Fun & Recreation

Write down the things you do (or envision you would do) that feel good to you in this area of life. This list could look like:

• Taking a watercolor journaling class so that you can create epic travel journals when you go on road trips
• Buying a paddle board and learning how to use it (without falling in!)
• Teach guitar lessons so you have an excuse to pick it up on regular basis.
• Find a new wild camping spot every long weekend over the summer

8. Personal & Spiritual Growth

Write down the things you do (or envision you would do) that feel good to you in this area of life. This list could look like:

• Attend a self-care retreat in a peaceful and tranquil setting to explore your inner world without all the usual distractions of life
• Try an online course that interests you (I’ve done online courses for everything from conscious leadership to creating a capsule wardrobe and everything in between!)
• Meditate for 10 minutes daily

Tips to help you create a clear vision

At a complete loss? Think about people you enjoy spending time or want to spend more time with. What activities do you want to do with these people, or on your own? What have you been dreaming about doing, owning, or having as a part of your life.

Feel like your map is all over the place (or too general)? You have probably heard me say “Just Begin”. In fact it was the title of my very first note (read it here). Your map is a living document. Once you have captured a starting point, you can add, remove and tweak it. As you work with your map, your vision for simple living will become clearer and clearer.

Simple living isn’t about sacrifice. There is no “one way” to simplify your life. A simple life looks different for everyone because it is based on the things you value most. Naturally, we all value different things. The changes you make do not feel like sacrifices. They feel good. They are changes you have always wanted in your life.

The Simple Summary

Many people have the perception (I did too!) that you have to “give things up” in order to simplify. And they don’t know what to give up first.

It’s not like that at all!

Simplifying your life is about getting clarity on what you want in your life and then slowly working to eliminating everything that didn’t make the cut. The goal is to have a life that you love.

This road mapping exercise helps you figure out what you value most in life. These are the things you want to be included in your “final” vision of your simple life.

Use your road map to start adding more of these things into your life.

If you did the exercise as you read this note you have a list of 8 ideas, one for every area of your life. You can get started living your vision of a simpler life today!