Let's face it. Life is complicated. I think most of us are searching for ways to simplify our lives. Whether we are looking to reduce the number of possessions we own, commitments we have, or level of mental anxiety, we all want to simplify at least one area of our lives. A few years ago, I purchased the book, My One Word by Mike Ashcraft & Rachel Olson. However, my life was so un-simplified that I never actually found the time to read it. In the coming year, I plan to read through the book as I focus on the word "simplify ".
We have heard time and again that life is short. Although the days may feel long at times, the years go by quickly. Our lives are filled with small, simple moments that combine to make up our life experience as a whole. I want to have the time and energy to enjoy these special moments, rather than rushing, stressing, and worrying. I want to simplify all areas of my life, so I am better able to appreciate the most important things life has to offer. Although there are many areas I want to simplify, I am focusing on three specific ones this year: possessions, routines, and goals. Let's look at each of these areas individually.
1. Possessions
I think it goes without saying that an aspiring minimalist would seek to simplify his or her physical possessions. Although I have already removed approximately 50% of the items in my home, I still feel very overstuffed. Don't get me wrong. I can tell a huge difference in the way my home feels and in how much easier it is to clean, tidy, and organize. Yet, our house is small for four people who live, learn, and work from home. I still feel there needs to be many more items removed from my house before I can truly let out a sigh of relief that my home is decluttered. Although decluttering is an ongoing process, the initial declutter is so important. Decluttering a significant number of items will give you the motivation, experience, and time to simplify your possessions even further. This will also allow you to keep up on daily and weekly tasks without so much clutter in the way. I am looking forward to simplifying my possessions even further so that only the things I truly love to look at and use on a regular basis are left.
2. Routines
While we may homeschool and work at home, our routines could really use an overhaul. I am consistently spending too much time meal planning, shopping, cleaning, decluttering, and organizing. I want to create routines for each of these areas that are streamlined and easy to manage. I also want to create a meal plan rotation so that I have a few meals everyone loves that I can make every couple of weeks or so. I already utilize grocery pickup, which has been such a blessing! I hope to streamline meal planning and grocery shopping more so I am making even less trips to the store. I would also like to create a cleaning schedule so I do a better job keeping up with random tasks, such as washing mirrors and scrubbing the shower.
3. Goals
I have always been an avid list maker and goal setter. While creating New Year's resolutions is kind of taboo these days, I really appreciate the opportunity to sit down and create a list of goals for myself. It feels so good to wipe the slate clean and start fresh on a goal you want to pursue. Sure, you can start a new goal at any moment or day. But there's just something about January 1st of a brand new year that gives me a sense of hope and renews my commitment to creating a better life for myself.
The problem is that many times I create too many goals at one time. Many of those goals are also too complex. In the coming year, I want to create a short list of goals that are really important to me. I want these goals to be specific, while still encompassing everything I want to do and be. One of my goals is to track my eating and workouts every day as much as possible. This goal is specific, yet simple. It doesn't involve losing a certain amount of weight or staying within a specific caloric budget, although I do want to do these things. I am simply requiring myself to keep track of what I eat and the exercises I do. These are simple, yet very important tasks to aide in greatly improving my health. I created a goal setting worksheet that you can download below for FREE.
Click here to get my FREE Printable Goals worksheet. The sheet includes 5 characteristics of smart goals. Goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound.
OTHER LINKS
My One Word Book: Check it out here.
My One Word Website: http://myoneword.org/
If you are choosing one word to focus on in the coming year, I'd love to hear what it is. Also, what goals do you have? I hope this post gives you some ideas on goal setting and simplifying. Thank you so much for reading!
<3 Sierra
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