If your new year’s resolution was to simplify your life, and you are back to mindless spending or caught up in the busyness of day-to-day life, it’s time to rekindle your love for simplicity.
Like any lifestyle change or habit, when you first discover the idea, it’s easy to find motivation and inspiration to take action. You are intrigued, committed to change, and enjoying your new love for the first few weeks and months. And then, when it’s time to dig in your heels, and the honeymoon is over, your commitment wanes and something else grabs your attention. Or like me, you’ve fallen in and out of love with simplicity over the years.
Come back to what matters and rekindle your love for simplicity. You don’t have to explain yourself, beat yourself up for quitting, or justify your decision. Instead …
Remember Why
Why did you fall in love in the first place? Simplicity promised something that you wanted. What was it? Maybe your why is …
- better health
- less stress
- work you love
- more time and space
- less debt
- more saving and giving
- less obligation
- more joy
Whatever it was, remembering and knowing your why is essential for long-term commitment to change. That why will continue to inspire and motivate you and give you great emotional leverage when things get tough. Simple isn’t always easy, and it helps to have your heart in the game.
Engage
Jump in. Show up. Be fully involved. Experiment with simplicity and be grateful for the opportunity. Get back to your beginner’s mind and be curious and excited about the possibilities that come with a simple life. Try one of these fun ways to engage …
- Minimalist scavenger hunt. Organize a scavenger hunt with your family, neighborhood, business or church. It’s a fun way to dump the clutter and connect with your community.
- Read a book. Support your simple living commitment with words from like-minded authors. Try Clutterfree
, You Can Buy Happiness (and It’s Cheap), or Simplify.
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.- Disconnect. Unplug your phone and computer for a whole day and connect to what and who really matters in your life.
- Linger. Prepare a simple, beautiful meal and linger over lunch or dinner. Get lost in the chopping, and mixing. Notice the sounds of the garlic in the pan or the smell of something sweet baking in the oven. When it’s time to sit down, remove all distractions except for gentle background music. Savor every bite of the meal you made, and every word of conversation flowing across the table.
Share
Don’t worry about convincing people to join in, but instead share your story and experience with simple living. Share the benefits and the struggles and be vulnerable enough to let people know that you aren’t perfect and you don’t have this whole life thing all figured out. I know I don’t, but when I share the stories that demonstrate that, I truly connect to people with similar struggles.
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I rekindled my love for simplicity in 2006 and again in 2010, and now I am head over heels in love. If you keep showing up, doing the work and saying I love you, your fleeting relationship will transition from “it’s complicated” to true love.
You can rekindle your love for any big change or habit with these three recommendations. Simplicity will always measure up to the test of time and help you create space in your life for everything you truly love.
