My 5 Guidelines for Simple Living

 

 

When it comes to living a life of simplicity, people always ask how I do it or what it means. So it got me thinking… how do I define a simple life or simplicity in general and how does that mean my life looks? So here are the 5 guidelines I have for living simply.

 

1. Let go of the unnecessary. 
This means I don’t keep tangible items I don’t need. I like open and empty spaces with lots of breathing room around my house. I think twice before bringing new things in. When it comes to digital life, I am also careful how many things I subscribe to or stay subscribed to in my email inbox. I also don’t download and keep every single app. My notifications are turned off for almost everything. I have let go of people that drain me and places that upset me. 

2. Finish each task one at a time.
I used to be a pro at multitasking and of course there are still circumstances where you need to do that but for the most part, I focus on each task as I do it. I savor it or just stew in the moment rather than thinking of what’s coming next. I complete the current task before I move on to the next one. Because of this I feel less rushed and my life feels less chaotic. When there is chaos and there is a rush, it’s easier to cope with because it’s not the norm state of being for me.

3. Determine what “enough” is. 
I used to start new hobbies and have to buy every single thing for it. I wanted to watch every single show or read every book. I even felt obligated to say yes to every single event invite. But now I know what “enough” looks like for me. For hobbies, it’s enough stuff that I can enjoy the hobby without putting a burden on my finances or making my home feel cluttered. I don’t need every single color of paint. I can mix my own with the primary colors if I really need to. I don’t need to say yes to every invite. Instead I commit to what makes me feel good celebrating the event. For Christmas as long as I see my family that’s enough for me. I don’t need to go to every festive event or party. I read only the books I feel drawn to and I watch only the shows that feel worth it to me. No sense trying to waste valuable time that I will regret. 

4. Coexist with people and nature. 
I don’t have to like everyone around me but I do have to tolerate them in a way that allows me to be able to thrive. We all have difficult people at work. Instead of befriending everyone, I will keep it strictly business (as much as I have to) with difficult people and try to avoid getting personally friendly with them. I don’t agree with everyone’s opinions on everything else in the world but as long as they are kind humans I can accept them for their differences. And my biggest thing is I have to be able to coexist with nature. Do I have critters ruin some things I plant in my garden? Of course I do but I don’t stress about it anymore. I now see it as me planting free goodies in THEIR turf and of course they wanted to try it and now they are in my yard more so I consider them friends and I say hi if I see them. Rather than use pest control methods that harm them, I make it my responsibility to better safeguard my plants with fencing, etc. 

5. Value time like money is valued.
For me, money is one thing but my time is worth a million bucks more than every dollar. Once my time is gone and wasted I can’t get it back. I can always make money back but time is fleeting. I age by the minute. This helps me say no to things that are a waste of my time and energy and it also allows me to enjoy the free time I have because I know I can fill it with whatever I want. I can even just sit and do nothing and that’s okay because it’s MY TIME!

When you set some guidelines on what simple living is to you, it really puts things into perspective.

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