How to Simplify Your Life

I think we’ve all figured out that life is incredibly complicated at times. These days a lot of us are asking the question “how do you simplify your life?”

After all most of us have a million and one things going on at any given moment. Trying to stay on top of work, family responsibilities, keep up with house stuff, and getting together with friends seems like a rare treat.

The end result is feeling overburdened or overwhelmed. How are you supposed to find the time for the things you really want to do? Well ~ there’s good news, you are on the right track, there is an ante dote simplify!

Simplicity is all about removing the excess from your life and clearing space so that you have time for the things that matter most. It’s about taking control of your life rather than allowing others or the things you possess to direct your time.

However, knowing that you need to simplify your life and knowing how to simplify your life are two different things. Simplifying your life is not easy. The truth is it takes effort, but I promise you that effort is worth it.

Here are 10 practical ways to simplify your life that will allow you to see an immediate impact.

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1. Know the Reason You Want to Simplify Your Life

First things first, simplifying your life takes work. None of us want to work if we don’t have a reason to do so. For this reason, knowing why you want to simplify is important!

You see whenever you want to make a real change in your life you need to have a compelling reason to make it stick. Change is hard and without a compelling reason it’s just too easy to give up. (You can read more about how to make a new habit stick here.)

This compelling reason is your “WHY” it is the reason you want to simplify your life.

To get clear on your why, ask yourself some questions and write down the answers:

What do you wish was different about your life right now?
What do you wish you had more time for?
How will simplifying your life help you achieve these things?
What are the benefits you will receive from simplifying?
What will it mean to have a life that is easier to manage, more peaceful, and filled with the things that matter most to YOU?

Answering these questions will help you determine what your WHY is. I want to encourage you to take some time to figure out why you want to simplify your life. Once you’ve determined your “why”, write it down on paper and keep it in a place you will see often.

2. Simplify Your Home

The second place to start simplifying your life is to simplify your home. Over the years I’ve learned that the state of your home is a reflection of the state of your life.

If your home is filled with clutter or a disorganized mess, I’m quite confident that the rest of your life is also.

Our homes are the center point of the rest of our lives. It’s the place we retreat to for releasing the stress of the day. Without having a place to go where we can truly relax, we hold onto that stress.

Instead, when your home is simplified you’re more equipped to deal with all the other complicated things going on in your life.

So to begin simplifying your home, start by decluttering the excess. Eliminate those things you neither use nor love.

Next, create some basic routines. Have a regular routine for cleaning, meal planning, and laundry. Create a regular evening routine and have a weekly planning session. These simple things will have a dramatic effect on simplifying your life!

Make your home a priority and you will see the positive effect it has on all areas of your life.

If your home feels complicated make sure to check out the archives, which are filled with tips, tools, and inspiration to simplify your home!

3. Refocus Your Thoughts

Our minds are amazingly powerful, and our thoughts have a lot to do with the way we see our lives. When we focus on hard things, life feels complicated. But if we focus on the positive or the good things we have, life feels much lighter and simpler.

To successfully simplify your life it’s pretty simple, focus your thoughts.

Put yourself in the correct mindset to simplify your life. This means believing that by minimizing all the excess in your life you really can clear space to have those things that truly matter to you. Focus on the truth you deserve a life you love!

Honestly, what complicates life is emphasizing how hard or difficult things are. But turn that around, start speaking the truth to yourself, emphasizing the amazing benefits you are gaining by simplifying your life. As soon as you do, you’ll see things begin to change.

For me, I have certain scriptures that I go to and speak to myself. These include Matthew 17:20 “if you have faith nothing is impossible” or Romans 8:31 “if God is for us who can be against us.” These simple affirmations remind me of the presence, support, and help of God when I’m trying to accomplish hard things. They compel me to continue to move forward.

So take some time this week to sit down and make a list, not of the factors against you, but of those that are for you. Direct your thoughts to affirm YOU can have a life filled with abundance, peace, joy, and overflowing with those things that matter most to you!

4. Minimize Expectations

I can’t tell you how many times I have placed unreasonable expectations on myself based on what others say or do. In this social media-driven age, it’s so easy to look at our Facebook or Instagram feeds and feel like everyone else seems to have these fantastic lives. There’s always some new post showing off their latest purchase, the delicious dinner at the hip restaurant, their kids’ sporting events, or their latest adventure. In no time, we begin to think we should be doing all the things.

The problem is nobody can do all things. When we compare our own lives to what we see others doing we create this unnecessary burden on ourselves. To truly simplify your life keep your focus on YOU and YOUR life.

Stop looking at or listening to what other people say you should be doing. Instead, focus on what you are able to do.

This is your life, the whole purpose of simplifying your life and minimizing the excess is to allow you to maximize those things that matter most to you in YOUR LIFE not what other people are doing.

Plus, I have news for you, what you see on social media is not an accurate reflection of people’s real life. How much debt someone is in because of all those new purchases or dinners out, is not posted. The hurried rushing out the door to get the kids to all their events and the piles of laundry or dishes is not posted.

Make this journey about you! Focus on your why, what living an intentionally simplified life will do for you.

4. Create Motivation

Anytime you seek to change some part of your life or create new habits there’s going to come a time when it gets hard. These hard times will make you want to quit. We all do it.

Now that you know this, you can find ways to head off the temptation to quit. Find something now, that will keep you motivated and inspired to simplify your life when the going gets tough.

Don’t make it complicated, there are simple ways to maintain your motivation. Creating Pinterest boards and filling them with inspiration for simplifying your life is a great motivator during those hard times. You can follow my Pinterest Simply Living Board here.) Keep reading blogs on simplicity or follow Facebook pages that focus on simplifying your life.

Each of these are simple ways to maintain your motivation on your journey to simplify your life!

If you find your motivation waning read this for some simple ways to regain your motivation.

5. Plan to be Uncomfortable

As I said initially simplifying your life is not easy. It requires change and change is uncomfortable.

Not only that, but the further along you move on your journey to simplify your life, the harder decisions become. It’s important to realize that you’re going to have to make some hard decisions when it comes to determining what’s essential and what’s not. You will also find that much of the familiar is gone as you focus on what is essential.

Planning for these uncomfortable days is important. Take some extra time for self-care. Be proactive in creating a peaceful and relaxing environment in your home.

This doesn’t have to be elaborate, some beautiful fresh flowers, a pretty new plant, a wonderfully scented candle, or even a special mug with your favorite tea.

Having a plan in place to push through those tough days could make them a whole lot easier.

6. Identify Temptations

As you move along in the minimizing and simplifying process, temptations are going to come up all of a sudden.

I remember when I first went a month without stepping into a store. Which was probably the longest I’d gone without shopping in forever. Even though I didn’t need anything I just wanted to go shopping. I was so tempted to do what I’d always done – shop. And unfortunately, I definitely gave in to the temptation.

For a while, especially in the beginning, I had to avoid certain stores and activities which were tempting me to self-sabotage all my hard work. However, once I learn to identify my specific temptations I was able to create positive substitutes.

Some ideas to get you thinking are to start an exercise routine, read more, take up knitting or painting. You can even do what I did and start a blog. The key is to identify the temptations that will interfere with your desire to simplify your life before they arise.

7. Don’t Get Rid of Things Just to Get Rid of Them

A lot of times people fail at simplifying because they overdo it. Simplifying your life is about getting rid of those things that are not serving you. There’s no reason to get rid of the things you use and love!

Think about the things in your life that are causing you stress and not leading you closer to your goals, those are the things you want to minimize as much as possible.

But, keep the things you love. If you love to craft it’s OKAY to have a room full of craft supplies that you use. The point of simplifying and minimizing is to have those things that are useful and lovely in your life and get rid of everything else.

8. Make Your Own Rules

One of the best parts of simplifying is that there really are no rules. It’s about what feels right to you, you get to pick and choose what you want in your life and disregard the rest.

It’s so important not to obsess over the details and the amount of stuff you’re keeping or getting rid of. When people do this, they miss the point of simplifying. They really accomplish nothing because life still revolves around their stuff. Plain and simple, when you do this, you’re allowing things to still rule you and you are just as enslaved as if you eliminated nothing.

Don’t let your stuff be a central focus. Keep your focus on the value being added to your life by eliminating the non-essentials, that’s it!

Your focus belongs on making time for what matters in YOUR LIFE. Keep your focus on your “why” and minimize what feels right for you.

9. Practice Gratitude

Here’s the thing with gratitude — it makes you want less –.

When you choose gratitude it creates contentment with your life right where it is. By learning to be thankful for what you have in your life right now, you are not seeking something you don’t have.

It’s super important to realize that discontentment is a form of bondage. There is no satisfaction, you are trapped constantly searching for more, for something else. Gratitude frees you from this bondage, it allows you to fully enjoy your life.

In fact, did you know that materialism is strongly connected to reduced well-being? We live in a culture that generally encourages materialism. However, the minimalist movement has shown that materialism makes people feel less content and reduces feelings of gratitude.

When you are overwhelmed with the stuff you reduce the ability to appreciate and enjoy the good in life. Rather than being grateful for what you do have, the focus becomes on what you don’t have.

On the contrary, gratitude will cause you to focus less on things that don’t matter, and more on the things that do, like your family and other relationships.

Make it a habit to practice gratitude by jotting down at the end of each day a few things that you are grateful for.

10. Slow Down

So many of us are rushing through life, trying to get a million things done at once. At the same time, we are on information overload.

Take a few minutes to think about the areas of your life where you’ve been rushing, and come up with a plan to slow down. Simplifying your life is about rejecting busyness for the sake of busyness.

Instead, seek to live a calmer and more peaceful life.

Simplifying your life is not nearly as hard when you keep these 10 steps in mind. It is about living intentionally so that your focus is on those things that matter most to you! It’s about creating a life where you can say “it’s my favorite day”, every day.