Practical ways to simplify your life
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Your life is a sacred vessel for the Divine who lives in you. Treating it beautifully often means simplifying the extraneous so you can focus on the sacred. Here are a few ideas:
Never buy an item of clothing without pockets- get pockets added to the clothes you already own.
Ditch the purse- use those pockets- or a small hip bag.
Switch to a safety razor. I promise they aren’t scary. When I do cut myself, which I still do, it doesn’t hurt nearly as badly as it did with a disposable. I don’t usually even notice until I’m out of the shower and see red.
Make rules for WHEN you do things. For example, I always fill up my gas tank when I pick up groceries. It doesn’t matter how hot or cold or how much gas is in the tank, I fill up when I’m there.
Make rules for WHAT you do. I never buy clothes without pockets. I only buy natural fiber clothing (or as close to it as I can get), used or from a small business. I always… I never… I am a person who…
Automate. What bills can be paid automatically? Can you set your savings to come out automatically at a certain time of month? Can you set up lawn care or housecleaning or whatever services you pay for to happen automatically, without having to schedule every time?
Make appointments while you are at an appointment. If you know you’re going to need another appointment in a month, or six months, or even a year, set that up while you’re there. I am way more likely to make a phone call to reschedule if needed than I am to pick up the phone and make an appointment in the first place.
Set rhythms. What is your morning rhythm? What about evening. If you can set a ritual or rhythm for just those two times, the rest of your day will fall into place.
Delegate what you can. For me that’s lawn care, grocery shopping (I love you, grocery pickup), and whatever chores my children are old enough to do on their own now.
That project sitting at the back of somewhere that makes you feel guilty? Give yourself a deadline: “If I don’t finish it this month, it goes in the trash (donation, etc.).” Don’t feel guilty about getting rid of it. Feel the relief that it’s gone and you don’t have to feel bad looking at it anymore. (If it’s a scrapbook, you don’t have to throw away the pictures. Stick them in a book or photo box and be done with it.)
Take a quick look through your bookshelves. If you aren’t going to read it, get rid of it.
Sign up for auto-delivery on sustainable basics. I love Who Gives a Crap for toilet paper and Branch Basics for cleaning supplies.
Stop living for your fantasy self. What will real you do? Will real you ever can their own food? Will real you actually read those books? Do you have somewhere to wear that dress? Will real you actually finish that project? If you will, that’s great! But if you won’t, be real with yourself and live the life you actually have, not some fantasy life that makes you feel guilty for not pursuing those things.
Try to replace (at least some of) your social media time with a book. It doesn’t have to be for learning. Fiction is great, too!
Make time for silence, but don’t expect it. Take 5 minutes to go hide somewhere (a closet is great). Pray, meditate, whatever… but do not expect actual silence from the world. To do so is to be destined for frustration. Try to silence your heart, instead.
Rethink your expectations. This one is so hard! Are you expecting your children to act older than they actually are? Or maybe the opposite: you don’t expect much from them so that’s what you get. Are you expecting your spouse to be someone they aren’t (in this case I’m thinking about quirks, not unhealthy relationship dynamics)? Are you expecting your job to fulfill you? Just think about it: what am I expecting here? Should I expect more? Or should I let go of some of these expectations?
Give me ideas, my lovelies! What are you doing this year to simplify your life and focus on the sacred?
