Simplify Your Life
If you are anything like me, you might be on a constant quest for simplification. The older I get, the more I desire simplicity. I yearn for quiet nights, calm days, and an overall less-complicated life. Over the last few years, I’ve discovered some gems that I’m going to share with you.
10 Ways to Simplify Your Life
Purge
I don’t know about you, but I associate new beginnings with purging. It is so liberating and energizing to me to get rid of stuff. Last January, I wrote a post on how the Konmari Method changed my life. It was based on the book, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.”
Reading that book gave me just the boost that I needed to completely declutter our house and leave cupboards bare and my closet no longer bursting at the seams. It was wonderful. I highly recommend reading the book. You can read what I thought of it HERE. Then, go look at all your “stuff” and ask yourself, Does this bring me joy? Do I need it? And if not, get rid of it!
Go to bed earlier
Another thing I’ve grown to appreciate is the value of sleep. There are some surprising reasons why getting more sleep is important, but to me, the biggest reason is our ability to be superheroes in our day. When you go to bed early enough to get a solid night’s sleep, not only are you giving yourself the energy you need to conquer your day, but you’re fighting off disease, you’re in a better mood, and you are able to control your weight better. And all of this simplifies your life. Believe me. If you’re in a bad mood, gaining weight, sick and have no energy, your life automatically becomes more complicated. You may also use other cbd products like delta 9 concentrates.
Use convenience food when you can
Sometimes we feel like to have to do it all: Meal plan, prep ahead, freezer cook, and create multi-course meals for our families. But there’s no reason you can’t utilize some convenience foods to help simplify you’re life, without sacrificing your health. Trader Joe’s carries a bunch of great conveniently-prepped produce, including pre-chopped veggies, fruits, organic grass-fed hot dogs, salsa, spaghetti sauce…you get the gist. If you are struggling to stay on task with your food goals, give yourself some grace to use convenience foods that fit into you goals. It’ll make your life much easier! You don’t need to chop all those veggies by yourself.
Wear less makeup
This may seem kinda odd, but sometimes I think that we put too much effort into “putting on our face.” Don’t get me wrong–there’s nothing inappropriate about a little makeup, goodness knows we girls often don’t feel complete until we get a bit of mascara on. If you’re not convinced, check out these 10 reasons why you should wear less makeup. =)
Focus on quality, not quantity
I think in the American culture, we are all about getting involved in anything and everything. We think giving more gifts, going to more activities and having more stuff (see #1 above) is going to make us happy. Try focusing on quality in a few areas: give quality, thoughtful gifts during Christmas, instead of trying to shove a bunch of impersonal gifts under the tree. Focus on a few key activities and/or sports that you’d like your family to be involved in instead of constantly keeping your schedule packed full of busyness. When spending time with your kids, focus more on having quality, engaged time with them instead of hours together with them in front of a TV screen and you with your phone in hand. You won’t be disappointed, I promise! However, with the evolution of the sport has also come the evolution of sports training wear, just like this Best BJJ Gi here! This is perfect for beginners looking to start their sports journey.
Make clear goals with actionable steps
Oftentimes our best intentions on January 1st are quickly shot to the ground because of disorganization. We may make New Year’s resolutions, but we have no plan in place to keep those resolutions. Instead of vague goals with no real direction, make clear goals with small, actionable steps. For instance, instead of saying “I want to lose weight this year,” say, “I want to lose ___ pounds by the end of January. I am going to exercise 15 minutes each day doing the ______ program and am only going to eat out on Friday nights. I’m going to have _______ be my accountability partner, and we will connect once each day to make sure we stay on task.” Print yourself out a calendar and stick to it. Making challenging, yet attainable goals with definite steps in place will not only help you succeed, but will simplify things in a huge way!
Have a weekly calendar and plot out your days
This kind of ties into the tip above, but it’s a bit more specific. Each month, print out a calendar (or better yet, use a planner. I prefer a good ol’ planner-in-hand approach instead of on my phone. I love my iBloom business planner that goes with THIS book). Plot out each week with your actionable steps from above with very specific actions for each day. For example, don’t just say you’re going to clean the house on Thursday. Write out exactly which rooms you’re cleaning that day, and the time that you’re going to do it. Remember, specificity is your friend. The more specific, the simpler your life, and the better your outcome!
Spend less time fartin’ around on social media (be intentional about your social media)
Most of us in my generation waste a lot of time on social media. Now don’t get me wrong, I actually love Facebook and Instagram for a variety of reasons. I’m a social butterfly, and I thoroughly enjoy having a little peek into my friends’ lives via social media, especially if I don’t get to see them often in “real life.” However, I can also be known to waste time just scrolling through Facebook with no real goal in mind. A great way to simplify your life is to set a limit for yourself, and be intentional about your social media usage. Maybe on your calendar (see above), you can write down the time each day that you are willing to spend on social media. Allot some time each day, but stick to the allotment. Don’t get sucked into infinite scrolling so you can “catch up.”
Leave room for “life” to happen
Whether you have appointments, errands to run, or friends to visit, don’t stack them back-to-back. Leave some space between things you need to do, so you will have room for “the unexpected,” and you’ll go through your day much more relaxed. Not only will this help to put less pressure on your schedule, but it will help you be prompt and punctual, which will in turn simplify your life and stress you out less.
Let it go (don’t stress over things out of your control)
There’s very little we actually have control over in our lives. Sure, we control our behavior and how we respond to things. But many things are just out of our control. When “things happen,” just let it go. The best way to de-stress and simplify your life is to let go of the things you can’t control. You can’t make your kids be “good.” You can’t change your annoying friend. You definitely can’t change your spouse. You can’t change the weather either.
So, there are some ways you can help simplify your year. What are some of your favorite ways to simplify?
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