“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication,” penned Leonardo DaVinci. I think he’s onto something there.
There’s a cultural movement nowadays to live a simpler, more sustainable lifestyle. I believe that living an outwardly simple lifestyle makes me inwardly plentiful. My decision to live more simplistically began about a year or two ago. Here’s how I did it.
First off, I reduced a ton of clutter in my home. I have three children, several pets, and a husband who could be featured on a TV show called “America’s Top Hoarders.” I began by asking this question: Have we used this item within the past year or two? If the answer to that question was “no,” I donated it. There were boxes and boxes of goodies ranging from my first daughter’s bibs to my husband’s track shoes from high school. There were boxes of knick-knacks that sat and collected dust week after week, board games squished onto the laundry room shelves, pairs of dress shoes that were pretty but hurt my feet, and too many stuffed animals to count.
Then my de-cluttering frenzy took me to junk drawers. You know, those drawers that hold nothing but paper clips, pens that no longer work, Post-It notes from six months ago, old AA batteries, expired coupons, and pieces of junk mail from the last several weeks.
I created a filing system for my monthly bills. I even set up automatic banking withdrawals for the majority of my bills. I labeled folders for my personal business’s tax receipts, one for medical expenses, and one for receipts for tax write-offs.
Next was a weekly chores list. This way, we’re not scrubbing the home for five hours every Saturday. Besides my children having daily chores, so does my husband…which he’s not too keen on, but hey, it works! Keep your daily chores simple and concise. We each spend 20 minutes to ½ hour daily washing or folding laundry, wiping down sinks and countertops, or mopping floors and swishing out a toilet or two.
Cutting out all unnecessary spending was next. Do you have a satellite TV? Cancel it and read a novel or popular magazine instead. Better yet, get moving and get outdoors. The average person watches 2 – 3 hours of television daily. That’s insane! Think of the extra pounds you could shed by walking 45 minutes every day…or the bonding time you and your children can share in by playing a board game.
Eliminate excessive after-school activities that cause more stress than joy. Who says your child has to be involved in karate, ballet, and piano lessons? Pick one…okay, two…activities that your child likes best and eliminate the third. You’ll spend less time carpooling your brood around and have more time for family fun.
Finally, schedule time to relax and be alone. Take a quiet walk while your spouse bathes the toddler. Take a 20-minute nap on a Saturday afternoon. Enjoy a good novel while you eat your lunch in the shade of a tree.
Living simply…enjoying your days…making time to unwind and relax…it’s good for your body and soul.
