What is required to live a simple life? Start by being aware of what you require to be at your best and what is unnecessary and perhaps even detrimental to creating your best life. You aren’t simply getting rid of stuff; you are designing the life that is right for you. You can find your own ways to lead a simpler life and create more time, energy, and resources for pursuing the things that matter. You can be free to be you.
Title Photo by Karolina Kaboompics
What Is Required for a Simple Life?
“To pursue our dreams could mean great gain, but it could mean great loss and pain. So, much like a rushing river whose power cannot be fully harnessed, we build walls to contain it, often without even knowing we are building them. We go through life bumping up against things, like the expectations of others, fear, and rejection that lead us to quietly start laying bricks, just a few at time, until one day we wake up and realize we have walled ourselves off from our own heart. We are no longer living from our true selves.” ~ from Free to be You by Elizabeth Gunter
One of my favorite authors, Dr. Wayne Dyer, once said, “You can’t get enough of what you don’t want.” You and I (well, “I” anyway) frequently end up somehow with too much to do, too many demands on our time and energy, and our living spaces, our calendars, our lives filled with things we don’t want or need. In a survey by The Harwood Group, 82% of respondents agreed that we buy and consume far more than we need and a full 93% agreed that we produce too much waste. Further, more than half (66%) of respondents reported they would be better satisfied if they could spend more time with loved ones. [The Harwood Group] But you can’t get enough of what you don’t want.
Are you building walls of possessions in an attempt to contain your life and protect against the feelings of loss and pain? If you feel you are spending too much time, money, and energy in acquiring things or experiences that are not adding to your well-being and perhaps are even hindering your ability to live a joyous and meaningful life, then perhaps you want to start looking at ways that can help you be free to be you.
What is required to live a simple life? Does it mean giving up all luxuries? Going “off the grid”? Giving up your job? Cleaning out your possessions? It could mean that and it does for some people. But it isn’t the only way. You can find your own ways to lead a simpler life. And you can create more time, energy, and resources to pursue the things that matter. You can be free to be you.
The Art of Simple Living
To be free to be you, become aware of what you require to be at your best and what is unnecessary, even detrimental, to creating your best life. Designing a simpler life doesn’t only mean getting rid of stuff. It’s not a life of having the least amount of possessions, it’s designing the life that is right for you.
“You don’t have to get rid of things just for the sake of getting rid of them. You remove what you don’t need (in your home, in your thoughts, in your schedule) to make room for the life you want to live.” [Wilkins]
It may help to adopt the motto: less is more. As the writers from CoachU said: “If less is more, then nothing is everything.” [CoachU] Clutter, whether it be the physical stuff, activities, or other peoples’ demands consumes our time and complicates life. To be free to be you, you need some breathing space, time for yourself and your family. Take back your time and your life by reducing the time you spend on unrewarding activities and the money you spend on unnecessary possessions.
Choosing a Simple Life
“I think the most wonderful thing about voluntary simplicity is that it means different things to different people. There is no one way to do simple living right. Everyone has a different concept of how they want to live, what is most important to them, and what they need to make them happy. Trying to live someone else’s idea of simplicity will never work.” ~ from “There Is No One Way To Do Simple Living Right“
A life of voluntary simplicity has many benefits: more time, less debt, less stress, better health, and better diet, to name a few. You don’t have to completely upend your life, quit your job and move to the country, or join the minimalist movement to enjoy the benefits of living more simply.
You can choose to make a few choices to simplify any area of your life. Once you experience the benefits, you may choose to make changes in other areas. The ways to live a simple life are as unique as the people who choose to live a little more simply.
Finding Freedom Through Simplicity
Rather than measuring success by the possessions we accumulate, finding freedom through simplicity is a refreshing change. It’s an opportunity to reconsider the value of what we own and how it impacts our lives. Simplicity isn’t about deprivation. It is a deliberate choice to divest from the unnecessary, both materially and emotionally, and focus on what truly matters. The pursuit of simplicity presents an alternative path, freeing us from the grip of consumerism. It encourages us to question the necessity of each possession and embrace a life free of excess.
Choosing simplicity over excess isn’t merely about decluttering our physical spaces; it’s about unburdening ourselves emotionally. It’s about detaching our happiness and self-worth from material possessions. By reducing our attachment to things, we open ourselves to the richness of experiences, relationships, and personal growth. This deliberate choice to simplify is an intentional step towards freedom — a state where joy isn’t measured by the volume of belongings but by the depth of connections and the richness of experiences life offers.
Simplicity invites us to realign our focus, to direct it away from the accumulation of belongings and toward a deeper sense of purpose and contentment. It’s a pathway to reclaim our time, our thoughts, and our energy, and ultimately lead us to a more authentic and meaningful life. And to freedom.
Steps to Embrace Simplicity
The act of simplifying your life can impact all areas — work, home, finances, relationships, hobbies, spaces, time, electronics, gadgets, etc., etc. I suggest we begin by selecting one area or one practice and stick with it until we’ve mastered the practice and simplified that area. Then, and only then, we move to another area or begin implementing another practice. When you are ready to begin the journey to a simpler life (and it is a journey), here are some steps to get you started.
“The first step in crafting the life you want is to get rid of everything you don’t.” ~ Joshua Becker
To get us started on thinking of ways to simplify our existence, let’s consider these five areas: physical clutter, digital clutter, time, activities, and attention (aka “mental clutter”).
Physical Clutter
Usually, an easy place to begin is to address the physical clutter in your home, office, bedroom, closets, garage, anywhere you need more order.
To get started, pick an area and try my “a PLACE for everything and everything in its PLACE” method.
P = Purge. When you start a decluttering project, first get rid of anything that is obviously trash.
L = Like with like. Know where each object lives and keep it in its home when you aren’t using it. Keep like things together.
A = Access. Keep items you use frequently close at hand. Store items you use only occasionally further away or in those difficult-to-reach areas.
C = Contain. Find ways to store items that make them easy to see and identify. This could include using a clear storage bin to contain items, file folders that are clearly labeled, and drawer dividers that keep small items in place.
E = Evaluate. Before you begin organizing, take time to plan the space. The purpose of organizing is to give space to the objects you use most and to clear out the clutter. Without a plan, you’ll end up merely re-arranging the mess.
It may help to know your “clutter archetype”. This idea comes from the book, New Minimalism: Decluttering and Design for Sustainable, Intentional Living by Cary Telander Fortin and Kyle Louise Quilici. They identify four “archetypes”, or typical examples, of different reasons for holding on to stuff. [Fortin and Quilici] Where one person sees an item as clutter, another might see it as useful, another as expensive, and another as having sentimental attachment. Understanding the different archetypes can be helpful as you declutter your life.
Connected – If you have a difficult time letting go of gifts, cards, souvenirs, ticket stubs, programs, and other memorabilia, this archetype may describe you.
Practical – Practical folks find it hard to get rid of old arts and crafts supplies, electrical cords, and scrap materials of all sorts; things that might come in handy “someday”.
Energetic – If you have many different projects going on or countless interests you’re involved in, this may be you.
Frugal – If getting rid of anything is painful for you because it has, or had, monetary value, this archetype may describe you.
You can learn more about the different archetypes plus six of my favorite decluttering techniques here.
Digital Clutter
When you simplify your digital life, you are freed to go about without your phone and put your family ahead of staying “connected”.
In the same way you declutter your physical space, extend the process to your digital clutter as well, organizing and streamlining your digital files, emails, and social media presence.
Get rid of all the stuff you don’t need in your digital world, then implement a “digital sunset” (a term I got from Brian Johnson). Select a certain time each day, for example, when the sun goes down, and turn off all electronics (PCs, cell phones, iPads, etc.). In a world where you can be contacted 24/7, it can be liberating to disconnect for a short period. You begin to learn that your world won’t end if you are not available for a time.
Time
Simplify your schedule. Look at all your commitments and prioritize activities that align with your values and bring you joy.
Once you have your priorities identified, learn to say “no” to anything else, no matter how entertaining or easy or quick it may appear. For most of us, when we’re asked to participate in something, we automatically answer “Yes”. We don’t think until later (too late?) how we’ll fit this new opportunity into our schedules (which, remember, are already too full.) Change your default answer to “No”. If that seems too hard, at least let your answer be “I’ll think about it”. You may find it is something you do want to do, in which case you can then decide what to give up for this new activity. More often than not, though, you can go back later with a “No”.
Reduce drains on your time. Examine everything you have committed to. For each activity, ask yourself, “Knowing what I know now, would I still make the same decision to take on this commitment?” If the answer is no, begin to take steps to end your involvement in that activity.
Activities
Start your day by identifying and tackling your most important task for the day. Use the Focusing Question provided by Gary Keller in The ONE Thing: “What is the ONE Thing I can do such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary?” [Keller]
Instead of mindlessly performing a task or chore in the same way you’ve always done, pay attention. Are there steps you can combine to streamline the process? Are there steps that you don’t need to do anymore? Maybe they were important at one time, but over time they’ve lost their meaning or importance. Then consider this: Do you even need to perform this task or chore anymore? Can the entire task be eliminated?
Do what is necessary and no more. Realize that not everything has to be 100%. Many things are fine at 95%, 90% or even 80%. Understand and use the law of diminishing returns. Will it be worth the extra time it takes to get that last 5 – 10% perfect? Don’t spend time doing things that nobody values. (If you don’t know — ask.)
Use routines and habits. Use the power of habit and routine to simplify aspects of your life, particularly in the area of self-care. Create an energizing morning routine to get yourself up and moving. Create a relaxing evening routine to get yourself relaxed and ready for a good night’s sleep. Set up other routines to help you complete daily or weekly tasks. Routines followed again and again over time become habits. Habits allow you to accomplish with a minimum of effort or even thought.
Attention
Practice digital detoxing. Set aside specific dedicated times each day and each week to disconnect from all your screens. Use these breaks to engage in mindful practices and connect with the present moment. Designate specific times or even whole days for digital detoxes where you disconnect from your devices and engage in activities that promote relaxation and mindfulness.
Turn off things. By some estimates, many of us spend more than 2.5 hours per day on social media. Add in other pursuits, such as e-mail and texting, and you see how cutting back on technology can be an improvement. Disconnecting from your technology on a regular basis can free up time and mental energy.
Limit TV. Television easily adds to the clutter of your mind. Make your TV watching intentional. Choose the programs you want to watch and only turn the set on during that time. (Or record it to watch on your own schedule.) Set a limit on the number of hours you watch each week.
Overcoming Challenges
An obstacle to simplifying is unnecessary complexity. Think about assembling a computer, or a car, or the motherboard of a smartphone. These are complicated items with hundreds, even thousands, of parts, requiring the work of many different people. But when these and other complicated products are assembled in a specific order, not deviating from established routines, the end result is predictable. [Ashkenas] In complex matters, there can be lots of inputs, but they vary and there are no routines, or the routines are not always followed. Results, in this case, are unpredictable.
So, to contrast the two, complicated = lots of parts but a predictable result, while complex = no prescribed routine and unpredictable results. Computers are complicated. Human beings are complex.
Complexity costs money and valuable time, tries our patience, and undermines trust. Unnecessary complexity can be avoided or corrected, however. Keys to simplifying complexities include focusing on the practical and efficient, being open to feedback, and asking for help when you need it.
As you consider areas in your life that you may want to simplify, remember this. A routine may be complicated, but if it has no more steps than necessary, and always yields the same result, it is probably not overly complex. Look for areas that are not consistent in the results they provide. These are likely candidates for simplification.
Living a Meaningful Life
Simplifying your life often becomes a path to more meaning as simplicity brings clarity, presence, reduced stress, authenticity, freedom for creativity, personal growth, and sustainability. Here are things to look for.
Clarifying your priorities. By removing unnecessary distractions, clutter, and commitments, we gain a clearer understanding of what truly matters. This clarity aids in focusing time and energy on what brings genuine fulfillment and joy.
Embracing simplicity encourages mindfulness and being present in the moment. When life is less cluttered with distractions, we can fully engage with the people, experiences, and tasks at hand. This presence leads to deeper connections, richer experiences, and a greater sense of fulfillment in daily life.
Simplification often results in reduced stress and overwhelm. By streamlining commitments, possessions, and obligations, we experience a lighter mental load. This reduction in stress fosters a calmer mind and allows for increased mental clarity, which can enhance overall well-being.
A simpler life often leads to greater authenticity. We more readily align our actions with our values and beliefs when we’re not bogged down by external pressures or excessive materialism. This authenticity brings a deeper sense of purpose and meaning to daily life.
Simplicity creates space — both physical and mental — for creativity to flourish. With fewer distractions and less clutter, we can explore our interests, hobbies, and passions more deeply. This freedom often brings personal growth and self-discovery, leading to a more fulfilling life.
Embracing simplicity often aligns with more sustainable lifestyle choices. By reducing consumption, unnecessary waste, and environmental impact, we are contributing to a more environmentally friendly existence and fostering a sense of purpose and connection to the larger community.
Make Room to Dream
Sometimes dreams represent themselves, Thomas Leonard, the “father” of life coaching wrote, and “sometimes they represent other wishes in disguise.” [Leonard] But what if you don’t even have time to dream? What if you are so inundated with stuff and commitments and obligations that you feel tied down and stuck in place, smothered?
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, it might be helpful to take steps to free up your time, your space, and your energy.
Often, we must get rid of something old to make space for a new thing. Sometimes, we stop one activity to have time to engage in a new activity. And we may need to give up an old goal or dream to have the energy to pursue a new and better goal and dream.
Sometimes, we need to simplify and make a clean sweep. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, rushing about but making no progress, or smothered by too many things and too much to do, making a clean sweep can help you clean up old messes and make room for new endeavors. What might you need to quit, change, or give up to embrace your Excelerated Life™?
Add, Not Only Subtract
As we have seen, a lot of these ideas deal with removing things from our lives, letting go of those things that no longer serve us or bring us joy and fulfillment.
But simplifying is not just about letting go. It’s not only subtracting. It’s about adding more as well. More free time, more me time, more family time. Simplifying is about having more peace of mind and peace of heart.
You don’t have to embrace full-blown minimalism or voluntary simplicity. Taking even one or two of these small steps can begin your journey to a simpler life and a life of well-being, meaning, purpose, and Service.
Free To Be You
What is required to live a simple life? Start by being aware of what you require to be at your best and what is unnecessary and perhaps even detrimental to creating your best life. You aren’t simply getting rid of stuff. You are designing the life that is right for you.
Look at simplifying your life in all areas: work, home, finances, relationships, hobbies, spaces, time, electronics, gadgets, and any areas where you feel overwhelmed. To get started, look at these five areas: physical clutter, digital clutter, time, activities, and attention. Choose the practices or activities that stand out to you as most helpful at this moment. Then DO the practice.
Of course, there will be challenges; little of what is worthwhile is accomplished without overcoming obstacles. But keep the end in mind: a life of more meaning with clarity, presence, reduced stress, authenticity, freedom for creativity, personal growth, and sustainability.
So make room to dream, room to become all you want to be. Clear out the clutter of too many things, too much to do, too many meetings, and things that are no longer meaningful or important. Become free to be you. That is embracing your Excelerated Life™!
Where are you bogged down by unnecessary complexity?
What is the first small step you can take to begin simplifying in this are?
Share your comments by leaving a post below.
Excelerated Simplicity™ — freeing yourself from unnecessary complexity — is one practice for creating your Excelerated Life™, a life of flourishing and well-being, and a life of meaning, purpose, and service.
Read more about the Excelerated Life™.
Resources:
Ashkenas, Ron. For Stronger Leadership, Cut Through Complexity. Duke Corporate Education. Duke Corporate Education, September 2013. Web. November 28, 2020.
https://www.dukece.com/insights/for-stronger-leadership-cut-through-complexity/
The Harwood Group. Yearning for Balance – Views of Americans on Consumption, Materialism, and the Environment. Sustainable Consumption & Production. IISD Reporting Services, a division of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), July, 1995. Web. December 26, 2023.
https://enb.iisd.org/consume/harwood.html
Coach U, Inc. Coach U’s Essential Coaching Tools. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2005.
Fortin, Cary Telander and Kyle Louise Quilici. New Minimalism: Decluttering And Design For Sustainable, Intentional Living. Seattle, WA: Sasquatch Books, 2018.
Leonard, Thomas. The 28 Laws Of Attraction. New York: Scribner, 1998.
Wilkins, Melissa Camara. “How to Design a Simple Life”, No Sidebar. No Sidebar, June 1, 2015. Web. December 11, 2023.
http://nosidebar.com/design-a-simple-life/
This blog post includes research information and suggestions provided by ChatGPT, an AI language model developed by OpenAI. To learn more about ChatGPT and its capabilities, you can visit the OpenAI website.