3 Ways to Get Started With Simplifying Your Life Today
One of the biggest questions I get asked all of the time from my clients and my audience is, “how do I get started with simplifying my life? It’s so overwhelming to get started so I just keep putting it off…”
I totally get it. That’s real. That’s real about most things that feel daunting or that aren’t already a part of our daily habits. Starting anything new is overwhelming, and when we don’t know where to begin, we procrastinate.
You don’t have to figure this out by yourself. There are so many resources out there, paid and unpaid, that are available to help you figure out how to best simplify your life in a way that works for you and your family.
Before we go any further, let’s quickly chat about the why behind simplifying and why its the first step in the Mission Motherhood System. (To learn more about what it means to live simply, click here.)
Choosing to simplify your life is not to follow a trend. It’s also not to deny yourself of the pleasures of life or the things you love. King Solomon tells us in Ecclesiastes that it is good to enjoy the fruits of our labor and this life we are living.
However, our society has taken stuff and materialism to a whole new level. And, as moms, we have whole families and households to manage. More stuff just makes it more stressful.
More stuff means more mess to clean, more items to take care of, and more items to lose.
On a deeper level, when we are constantly filling our homes with “things” are we really being good stewards of our finances and our belongings? Are we practicing contentment? Are we practicing intentionality? Are we asking ourselves if the items we are filling our homes with are serving us and our family mission? Or are we purchasing just to fulfill a fleeting desire?
What are we showing our kids when we make constant purchases of material items a norm?
How much is all of the stuff in our homes affecting our mental health? Are we trying to keep up with the Jones’?
I truly believe that when simplicity (and minimalism) are done with intentionality, they are amazing ways to glorify God. When we choose to be intentional about everything that enters our home, making sure it serves the purpose of raising our disciples, the atmosphere in our home shifts.
Simplicity helps us cultivate peace, joy, intentionality, and time.
A few things to keep in mind:
Simplified living and minimalism are ever-changing. ⠀
It’s not a one size fits all sort of thing. What’s a necessity for me won’t be a necessity for you and vice versa. What’s a necessity in this season may not be a necessity in the next season. You will have to re-evaluate and reassess every so often as you and your kids grow and change.⠀
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Three tips for getting started: ⠀
1. Schedule a quarterly date with yourself and your household and begin making a list of what you see in each room that’s a necessity and what’s not ⠀
2. During that date, make a list of things you are going to need soon (are the seasons changing? kids growing?)⠀
3. Grab stuff to donate during this time and fill a donate bag or two. Anything that’s not a necessity anymore goes, unless you know for a fact it will be a necessity later (such as hand me downs for the kids and seasonal items)⠀
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The goal here is to get started. Take it slow. Step by step. If you need more help in creating a step by step action plan for getting your entire home simplified and organized while also creating routines and systems to master your time and run your home with ease, then my program, the Mission Motherhood Project, is perfect for you. Click here to learn more and I can’t wait to see you inside!