A simplified life is a content life. So often, we complain that we are stretched too thin, with too much in on our calendars and too much clutter in our hearts. What better way to start the New Year than to take stock of the parts of your life that need simplified and make a few simple changes to kick the clutter in your life and mind.
Simplifying can seem daunting, especially when we have a lot of things going on, but its really easy to implement simplicity into our lifestyle! All it takes is some consistency and willingness to be open to change.
I’ve listed 10 ways for you to simplify your life in the new year so that you can put the energy and time towards making memories and actually enjoying the life God has given you!
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I’ve found that I work best when I invest in a good planner, take some time with a hot cup of tea to plan things out, and then actually use it! Yes, we have calendars. We even have apps on our phones to help us organize our time, however, there’s nothing quite like writing things down! When we write things out, it’s another level of accountability to which we hold ourselves. It also helps us get all of the things rolling around our head out in one space. And, we get the pleasure of crossing things off our daily to-do lists. It’s such a satisfying feeling!
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At the top of the year, I made a mental list of all the rooms in my house and what I needed to toss from each one! There’s just something about having de-cluttered space at the top of the year that gives us a clean slate in our lives overall. One of the things my husband and I do to keep the clutter at bay is this: whenever we purchase a new item, we toss an item. So for instance, if we buy a new shirt, we find a shirt in our dresser or closet and donate it. This helps us to maintain our wardrobe instead of cramming more into our closets.
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Meal planning isn’t my favorite thing to do. It takes time to sit down and plan out the meals for my family for the coming week. However, I have found that the benefits of meal planning definitely outweigh the cost! Not having to think about what to eat every night definitely simplifies your life, because it’s one less thing that you have to worry about.
If you don’t do this currently, start and keep a running tally of the meals your family tends to enjoy the most. This may take a few weeks to a month to gather, but once you’ve done so, you can turn that list of meals into a rotation of meals for your family to simplify your meal planning even further!
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It’s so hard to simplify when we don’t have any order to our finances. When our finances are in disarray, that can spill over into other areas of our lives. The easiest way to simplify your life in the area of your finances is to create a budget that works for your family (there are tons and tons of resources where you can find free budget tools online) and. Work. That. Budget! Also, be sure to review your budget monthly to account for any changes that may come up like birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, etc.
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Sometimes, distractions can slip into our lives without us really even noticing them and they can cause our lives to become anything but simple! One of the best ways to curve distractions is to set some time aside to actually look at what things in our lives are serving as distractions. Because distractions can enter in sneakily, we have to go through our days with a fine-toothed comb and really find the culprits.
What are some common distractions we all face? Social and draining relationships are big ones. But what about things like day-dreaming, or dreaming in general. We can find ourselves doing do more dreaming than actual doing! Take the time to uncover the distractions, and then cut them out so that you can live more simply.
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One of the things that helps me simplify my life is creating a rhythm, or a routine, for myself. This doesn’t have to be a routine for your entire day, but I find that even if we can create a rhythm for ourselves for the morning, the afternoon, or the evening, we feel a lot more in control of our time. Wake up a little earlier than you normally would in the morning and make yourself a yummy cup of coffee or tea. Or step away from whatever you’re working on in the afternoon to listen to your favorite podcast or go for a quick walk. Rhythms in our lives help us to be ready for the random, unplanned things that pop up, so that we can handle them with grace.
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Identifying areas of confusion in our lives is important because the more confused we are about a certain thing, the more time we will spend on that area and we won’t get anything accomplished. This is definitely an area where the Holy Spirit can help us! As we know, God is not a God of confusion, but of peace (1 Cor 14:33). When your life is at peace, things are simplified, even if you have a lot of moving parts to your life. Things are just more simple when peace is present.
What is preoccupying your thoughts these days? Maybe you need to to be reconicled to someone you are at odds with. Maybe you need to seeks clarity on a topic that is breaking your heart. Maybe you’re preoccupied with trying to figure out your child’s current need. Whatever it is – set aside some intentional time to actually pray through and troubleshoot the issue and come up with a working solution, not just dwell incessantly on it.
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How many times have you worked on something on your computer and saved it there, and then needed it at a later time, but you were nowhere near your computer? Part of simplifying your life is giving yourself better access to the things you need when you need them. No, I’m not telling you to go out and buy all new Apple products so that they can sync together! I’m saying that if you can save something on your computer and need to be able to access it on your phone, or have pictures on your phone that you want to show someone on your tablet, you should be able to do that! Amazon, Google, Dropbox, and Apple, just to name a few, all have cloud based systems to help you simplify your gadgets! For all the ways technology can hinder us, this is actually a wonderful way it can help.
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Simple doesn’t necessarily mean getting rid of things that you love. It just means find better ways to use the things you love, and if possible, doing so in less steps. One of the things that I love to look for are items that will serve several purposes in my life! A great example of something that is multi-use is a capsule wardrobe. If you can purchase one or two dresses that you can use in all four seasons vs purchasing four different dresses, think about how much more simple your life would be! Less clothes to look for, less clothes to wash, less money to spend in the long term. A wardrobe capsule is definitely an example but this concept can be applied to any area of your home or office!
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I think we can complicate what it means to simplify our lives. Sometimes, all we really need is to close our eyes and breathe. Go for a walk. Take a drive. Removing ourselves mentally, physically, or both, from the daily grind that can be our lives, can have a huge impact on how we handle things. Take time daily to remind yourself to simply breathe and to thank the Lord for the life you have!
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Britnee is a free-spirited, Old Navy-wearin', coffee-shop lovin', wife and momma. She serves in the worship ministry with her husband at their home church in Glendale, AZ and writes with the sole purpose of pointing others to Christ. You can catch up with her on her blog or via social @b_brdshw!