How to simplify your life

Simplify Your Life ~ 10 Easy Changes to Make Now

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How to Keep Life Simple

Do you long for a simpler life? Does it seem you have too much to do, too much clutter,  and too much stuff ? We live in a busy world and keeping things simple can be hard.  Let’s talk today about 10 easy changes you can make to simplify your life.

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Clutter seems like it’s everywhere.  When we get overwhelmed with clutter, we increase our daily stress and frustration.  Remember the last time you lost your car keys?  They were probably lost on the cluttered kitchen counter or under misplaced papers, right?  Lost keys always cause me stress.  But so do lost papers, lost school forms and anything I cannot find that I need right now.

Life clutter is more than just having too much stuff, it’s also when we overschedule our time which adds stress to our lives and reduces our happiness. Have you thought about how can you make life easier and simplify your life today?

10 Tips for Simplifying Life

Decide What Stuff You Need and What You Don’t

So simple and yet so challenging, most of us never get past this step.

The first step in simplifying your life is to decide what do you really need and what you don’t. This step is probably the hardest part.  We have a tendency to love “our things” and think we need them all (even if we have not used them in years).

I have learned that sometimes it’s easier to eliminate what I don’t need in steps.  Start with what I absolutely know I can let go of, then start with things I have not used in a year, then not used in 6 months.  The more you get rid of, the easier it becomes to get rid of more.

As you start removing clutter, you will feel more relaxed when the clutter is gone.

Declutter, then Organize

Start with decluttering.  DO NOT TRY TO ORGANIZE CLUTTER!  Remove the clutter from your home and your life first, then start organizing.

You don’t have to declutter your entire house all at one time.  You can start with one room.  Say, a room that you use every day like the kitchen.  Declutter the kitchen, then organize it.

After you finish decluttering and organizing, you will probably start to notice immediately how uplifted you feel every time you go to the kitchen to make a meal because you don’t feel overwhelmed by clutter.

Set Your Priorities

We are busy moms. We have to set priorities. Once you have set your priorities, you will find it’s easier to make decisions about what you need to do and when you need to do it.  Your priorities will be your guide to keeping your life simple.

When you are creating your weekly schedule, if it’s not a priority and you feel the project or event will add too much stress to your life, you will know to say “no”.  Keep your life and schedule simple, not complex and too busy.

It’s Okay to Say No

We  cannot do everything we are asked to do. Our kids will have an agenda, our spouse might have things they want to do, the school will ask you to help, you have work requirements, and more.

Many times, we feel we have to say “yes” or we are not being a good mom if we don’t go to every birthday party our child is invited to or a good friend if we can’t chat on the phone for an hour or a good parent if we don’t help out at school.

When we try to do all these things, we overwhelm ourselves and we aren’t able to give our full attention to anyone.

We need to focus on saying to the most important things and activities and then be fully committed to them when we go and get involved.


You might also like: How to Spend Quality Time with Your Kids


Keep Your Wardrobe Simple

Have you noticed that you likely have about 10 outfits you wear all the time.  If you counted, you probably have 100 clothing articles in your closet that you don’t wear.  Why?

I have a problem with clothing clutter.  Clothes I don’t like or that don’t fit, but still I keep them.  I have a select set of clothing items I love to wear because they are so comfortable.  I need to remove and donate the items I don’t use.

Reducing the closet clutter will help make my wardrobe easier to maintain and I will stop “losing” clothes in my own closet.  Have you ever lost your favorite pants in your closet – they are hanging right in front of you but you don’t see them because of the clutter? Me too.  Of course, lost clothes are like lost keys, they cause unnecessary stress.

Use Routines to Reduce Decision Overwhelm

I love routines. I have many routines, if I skip a step or change a daily routine, I easily forget to do something important. Routines keep life simple.  We know what needs to be done and when it needs to be done.   With a routine, you will find you have fewer decisions to make.

I have found the best routines are morning routines and evening routines.  Morning routines get the day started right.  Get everyone up and ready for school and work on time.

Starting your day  with the right morning routine will change your day and how much you accomplish. In Smart Mom Smart Mornings, I’ll show you an easy to follow plan to make over your morning routine.

Evening routines keep us on track to finish dinner, complete homework, get baths done and be ready for bed.  With each of these routines, you don’t have to remember what to do next, you will just know the next step in your routine.  Routines are a great way to keep life simple.

Spend Time Reading

Reading is a very relaxing experience. Reading a great novel can take us places we have never been and helps meet new characters and see new perspectives. But many of us, don’t take time to read. Even just 10-15 minutes a day of reading will bring you calm and reduce stress.


Recommended for you: How to Plan the Perfect Evening Routine


Plan Down Time for Yourself

It’s okay to give yourself a break.  Yep, I said it.  We all need a little downtime (usually every day).  For me, I plan downtime in the evening.  I like a little time to settle down before going to bed.

Allowing yourself downtime will keep you from getting over scheduled and over busy.  Schedule a little downtime for yourself every day.

Use a Planner

Using a planner daily is the best thing I have done to stay organized and keep things simple.  My planner helps me see what days are already filled with activities and what days have some flexibility.  Using a planner will help you stay focused on the big picture.

Planners are a great way to keep your home and family organized.  You can set goals for decluttering and organizing.  You can track the activities of each family member to be sure each of your children are not overscheduled.

Reduce Screen Time

We live in a time with many screens to watch.  Computer screens, TV’s, tablets, phones, and more. And on all these devices there are shows, games, and social media that distract us and stress us.

We need to have more time for connections with real people.  Spend time with our family and friends not our latest electronic device.

We might start by thinking social media is fun and a nice way to keep up with friends on Facebook, but you might find people only share their “best moments” and that leaves us with a distorted view of our life and others lives.

When we think everyone is having a better life than us, we tend to become discouraged with our own life.  Social media is not evil, but it’s also not a replacement for interacting with real people. A few Facebook exchanges is not the same as talking to a real person.

Simplifying life isn’t hard. It’s being focused on what matters and what is most important today, this moment and avoiding the distractions that so easily pull us way.

Your turn…

How to do simplify your life?  What helps you keep life simple?

Until next time be smart

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2 Comments

  1. Love this post. My kitchen and dining room are real clutter spots. Every few months I do a big de-clutter and I’m always amazed that I still find things to get rid of. I’m quite strict about what comes into the house, so I must just be getting more ruthless as time goes on.

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