It’s just a few weeks into 2013 and I’m already having trouble balancing things. Life can can get crazy and out of control so quickly. Anyone else there with me? I’m not even sure how it happens. Thus, learning to live more simply is one of my goals this year. Now before you go off and think I’m talking about selling everything I own and living in a cardboard box, let me set a few things straight. A simple life doesn’t mean boring, nor does it mean impoverished. In fact, I believe in striving for simplicity we will find a rich and full life. A lot of times I find that the things I think I need are the things keeping me back from truly living each day to the fullest. Here are 3 things I’m implementing this year in order to have a simpler life.
1. Purge the clutter
Is it just me or does clutter seem to magically appear out of nowhere? I’m not just talking about the stuff in my house here. Life is full of clutter in many aspects – social media, calendar, home, thoughts, and it goes on and on…If your goal is a simpler life, then you and I both need to analyze all aspects of life to determine what is valuable and what is merely clutter. I know I’m having to ask myself, “Am I busy for business sake?” If so, some things have to go. Let’s not forget about the home either. Go through everything, organize and get rid of clutter.
2. Purchase less stuff
You’ve heard people say “quality over quantity.” I want this to be true of my purchases in 2013. Cheap stuff brakes and wears out, which then leads to having to go and find a replacement. That does not make for a simple life. I’m trying to learn patience, as I save up for things that will last and look for bargains instead of a quick fix. You can apply this to so many areas. Maybe for you it’s starting a garden instead of getting fast food all the time. Maybe its buying one pair of good pants instead of 5 cheap fashion items. Maybe it’s learning to DIY a bit more. Maybe you need to go through your closet and reorganize instead of buying new things. I know I do. (If you’re looking for some great ideas for simplifying your closet, check out Hayley’s No Brainer Wardrobe.)
3. Pursue one passion
You don’t hear about people in history that pursued many different passions and did great things in myriads of areas. Think about it. Most of the time it was one passion, one vision and one purpose. If they had divided up their passions and pursuits, we probably wouldn’t know about them. I know I’m guilty of wanting to do so many different things and be good at all of them. I want to make a difference in lots of areas, but it is not humanly possible. The reality is that I must simplify and put my energy into one thing if I ever want to go anywhere with it. My mind and body can only handle so much. I have to come to grips with that this year. I can either choose to be all over the place with a million different projects or I can simply and go after one thing…or maybe two. (I’m taking baby steps here.)
What do you want to simplify in your life this year? Where can you simply your passions and pursuits?
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