Choose Simple

Life is complicated. As a child I longed for the day I would be all grown up, now I wish for the simple life of a child. No bills to worry about. No people depending on me. The most complicated things were math and my plans for the next time I saw my friends. “It’s been crazy,” and “things will slow down soon, then I will…” are phrases that we hear, but life never slows down, never gets less crazy, never gets simpler, unless we make conscious choices to simplify. Society admires the overbooked, overworked, owners of giant homes, and enormous clothing collections. In theory, we like simplicity, yet our purchasing habits and constant pursuit of money exposes our belief that ‘bigger is better.’ I buy into the admiration of overachieving when I feel validated by the exclamation “I don’t know how you do it!” I bask in the warm glow that I can handle more stress, pressure, and exhaustion than the other person.

Why? Why is insanely busy a good thing? Why is a big house and lots of clothes more enviable than being out of debt? Why are we enthralled with everything that is the opposite of simple? Perhaps because we are primed from childhood to work hard, achieve the most expensive lifestyle possible, and live it…even if it means living on credit. This path brings stress, exhaustion, and ill health. 

But we don’t have to. We can reject more and be content with enough. We can choose simple.

Simple Home

Large expensive homes are beautiful. They are (or at least can be) elegant. They are status symbols. They are also more space to clean, more space to air condition, and they often represent a sizeable mortgage payment. Homes are simplest when they are proportional to our needs. For some that will be a standard three bed/two bath, for others it will be a much larger home, or maybe a tiny home. Growing up in a large family we felt the pinch of insufficient space. As a married adult I find less space preferable to more cleaning. What is your simple? It is balanced between what you need, what you can afford, and what you can comfortably care for. It is unique to you and your family. A stressful mortgage is not simple. Overwhelming cleaning responsibilities are not simple. Take a moment to envision what simple looks like for you.

Simple Clothes

Clothes are a very personal expression. They send the world a message about you before your mouth opens. We are judged by what we are wearing (or not wearing.) We dress up for interviews and dates, dress down for yard work, and we all have our comfort clothes. How can we choose simple in this complex area of life? Start by eliminating clothes that are always passed over for a different option. Donate all the someday-it-will-fit-again clothes. Carefully consider each new purchase, evaluating if they will fit in with your current go-to collection, and if you really want to allot it a portion of your valuable closet space. Cut down a little bit at a time, limit new purchases, and eventually you will have a simple wardrobe that feels good and takes less thought and care.

Simple Food

No one told me that planning and purchasing food for a week of meals would be exhausting both mentally and physically. I am not a batch cooking, meal prep person. Food is hard work. Who knew? Just one of the unpleasant adult realities. How can our food be simpler and yet be both healthy and exciting? I find my food is simplest when I combine a bit of meal planning with a bit of spontaneity. By planning ahead I ensure that there is enough food and I eliminate the stress of not knowing what to make. At the same time I hate being locked into Italian when I feel like tacos, so I keep my plans flexible, and always keep the ingredients for my go-to meals in the cupboard. When fibromyalgia pain and exhaustion take over I reserve the right to order take out. No guilt. This is my version of simple food. 

Simple Time

The time we give up is quite literally pieces of our life. What are we giving our life for? Another dollar? Admiration? Sometimes the dollar we chase will go toward caring for the ones we love, and that is time well spent. Sometimes the dollar will go towards maintaining an image so people will envy us. That is time wasted. Use your time to help others, to enjoy the experience of being alive, and yes, to earn the money needed to not be a burden on others. Choose wisely…once given time cannot be returned.

What does your simple look like? Leave a comment below!