Live Simply

Fall is in full swing and the pace of life has picked up rapidly. Every year, I anticipate fall and the holiday season, but it is often paired with a full calendar and endless to do lists which quickly lead me to enter survival mode. Do you feel like you’re living out of a place of survival or abundance? I spent many years of my life living in a constant state of burnout, and not just around the holidays. That way of life could only last so long. Through being forced to slow down, I began finding joy in simple living.

A beautiful part of my journey in seeking an abundant life has been learning to live simply. I have learned that simplicity actually leads to abundance. Crazy right? This idea that less leads to more has become evident in my life. And as I read about Jesus’s life on earth, I’m struck by His simplistic way of life. His life on earth is filled with holy interruptions, and He has space and capacity to receive them joyfully. When I am living burnout and overwhelmed, it becomes difficult to embrace the people the Lord places in my path. I’ve learned that living proactively instead of reactively and simplifying my life creates space for all the goodness the Lord has placed in my hands and is calling me to. I become more aware of His presence and leading in my daily moments. I have more space to pursue the dreams and desires He has kindly placed within my heart and love the people around me more freely.

1 Corinthians 7:29-31 in the Message Translations says, “I do want to point out, friends, that time is of the essence. There is no time to waste, so don’t complicate your lives unnecessarily. Keep it simple—in marriage, grief, joy, whatever. Even in ordinary things—your daily routines of shopping, and so on. Deal as sparingly as possible with the things the world thrusts on you. This world as you see it is on its way out.”

I love this! There are so many ways that we can incorporate simplicity into our daily lives. Living simply is a choice and process. I want to share some ways that I have simplified and enriched my life through living simply.

Rhythms

Soon after Daniel and I married, I became overwhelmed with managing our home. We quickly sat down and wrote out every single chore and separated them between the two of us, but it still felt all-consuming. I am learning which rhythms work and which don’t, but here are a few that have helped!

One load of laundry a day keeps the piles at bay: Laundry is one of my chores and this rhythm makes me happiest! I remember first hearing this tip and couldn’t imagine having to touch laundry every single day. I have always been the girl that let the laundry pile up and then spent hours one day a week doing it. Between working and desiring to rest on the weekends, this was not going to work anymore. I decided to give one load of laundry a day a shot, and it is the best! I usually throw a load in right after I wake up when I am pouring my cup of coffee. I switch it to the dryer around lunch time or later, and put it away before the end of the day. This keeps the mountain of laundry from growing and has been a rhythm that has given me so much more time on the weekends. A key to rhythms is tying a rhythm to a daily task. For me, starting the laundry is tied to my morning cup of joy!

Monthly meeting with myself: Yes, I have a meeting with myself once a month - and it’s so fun! I usually go to a local coffee shop or make a yummy cup at home and listen to music that fills my heart with joy. In this monthly meeting, I pull out a list of questions/to dos that come up every month, gather my calendars, and get to planning. I started these monthly meetings to alleviate stress and plan/do things at once instead of scattered throughout the month. I usually have these meetings at the end of the current month before beginning the next month. To give you an idea, I schedule all appointments, look at birthdays and what’s needed (card, gift, surprise), look at big events for the month, order anything we need (supplements, house stuff), clean out my email inbox, and schedule in some intentional ways to love the people in my life. I also use this time to schedule in some self-care for the month! This gives you an overview of how I use this time. Every month, I add something and change it, but you get the gist. I also keep a running list in my notes with a to do list for my next meeting and add stuff throughout the month that pops up. This helps me know when I’m going to address it and allows me let go of it in the moment.

Kill two birds with one stone: Ever heard this phrase? I adore this rhythm. For me it involves planning ahead. For example, taking a walk and moving my body during a phone call with someone or a lecture that I need to listen to. This rhythm includes pairing something I need to do with something that benefits me.

Sabbath: Oh how I love Sabbath. Isn’t it wild that Sabbath is one of the ten commandments? I definitely haven’t taken it as seriously as the other commandments, but I can’t help but wonder what would change if I did. Daniel and I are in the process of learning how to Sabbath in the midst of a full life. Sabbath has looked different week to week, but we are working toward a full 24 hour Sabbath, once a week, when we can. In this time, we turn off our phones, delight in the Lord and all that we love, and embrace slowness. It feels like a vacation, every week! Last Sabbath, we walked to a nearby coffee shop, took Lady (our sweet pup) to the park, and ate yummy food. It was a delightful day and a breath of fresh air to disconnect from people and responsibilities. Sometimes, I can’t have a full Sabbath but love to incorporate Sabbath moments which can be a few hours with my phone turned off and time with the Lord.

clean out

I LOVE cleaning out. Between my house and helping my family, it has become one of my favorite hobbies. I have learned that cleaning out to clear the physical clutter also clears the mental clutter and creates more space in your life! The less you are managing, the more time you have. Clean out your closet, mind, and tackle those silent stressors. Silent stressors are not necessarily in your face constantly, but they are always in the back of your mind.

Closet: Clean out your closet!! I enjoyed reading Mari Kondo’s book and watching her show. I followed her suggestion of taking everything out of the closet to clean out, and it was amazing! I had just cleaned out my closet a few months prior and after following her advice, I cleaned out another 6 or 7 trash bags of clothes to give away. Pulling it all out is definitely the best way to evaluate what you have, and just might be a little embarrassing.

Technology: Technology clutter has recently started bugging me more. Maybe it’s because I’ve been cleaning out other areas of my life and this one has felt out of control. For cleaning out your email, unroll.me is the bomb! To organize your passwords and important information, use Dashlane. It keeps your passwords and information safe and in one place - SO helpful! I am working on organizing my pictures, and began this project by going through the pictures on my phone and deleting the ones that I don’t want to save.

Leave margin

Friend, leave margin in your schedule. Margin is white space in your day and week that is not planned out. I used to schedule every moment of my day, and I often ended the day feeling resentful and frustrated. This pace of life was not healthy, and one way I changed this was by leaving margin for myself. There are moments someone will ask me what I have planned the next day, and I will respond that I am taking time to do nothing. It feels odd, and I often feel like I need to give them an answer of something productive, but creating this space for myself has been so life-giving and encouraged me to do more things that bring me joy!

say no

Let your yes be yes and your no be no. This is a continual lesson for me but one I am working on. Saying no can limit the unwanted tasks that fill your time. Ask yourself, am I doing this gladly or reluctantly? The other day, someone asked me to do something and I wanted to say no, but I blurted out yes. I immediately regretted the words that came out of my mouth. I am choosing to be more mindful in these moments, and to not feel pressure to respond right away.

Laugh

Don’t take life too seriously. The demands of life can seem heavy and sometimes they are. If you can laugh at a situation, I promise it helps! I’m trying to live light-heartedly, because every day is a gift. His mercies are new every morning, friend!

Lastly, take your time. It is okay to not implement all the changes you want to at once. Just take the first step. What is overwhelming you? What can you simplify? Set a timer for 10 minutes and just start!

My prayer for you: Whatever is weighing heavily on you, I pray you can lay it at the feet of Jesus and receive His easy yoke. Lord, I ask you to give my friend wisdom and insight into how to simplify. Please highlight what is not working and bring fresh vision and clarity for how to move forward. Let them feel Your sweet presence and nearness as they look to You for guidance. I invite You to infuse simplicity into their life and heart in this season.

Bless you, sweet friend! You are deeply loved!