Simplifying Life

I’ve come across a lot of people seeking simplicity in their life lately and seen various books/articles on the topic in passing. Here is one article that I came across multiple times and recommend — becomingminimalist. 

We live in a fast-paced world, and it’s easy to get caught up in the chaos. Simplifying life looks different for everyone, and it all depends on what you are seeking. For me, simplifying life falls on two things.

The first has been important to me all my life and involves having less. With less stuff, less clutter, I have a clear mind and I’m more at peace. This is one reason why I am a Professional Organizer; organizing has always been a part of my life. But it wasn’t until we moved to the city with a growing family that living minimally really became more important to me. We don’t have the space for “stuff” and it can overwhelm me, so I make an effort to minimize daily.

There’s been more focus on buying the essentials + functional items (seems to be all baby focused these days). I try not to buy items that will only collect and accumulate. I’ve been actively donating and selling items in prep for another baby to arrive. If I bring something in, I usually take something out. It’s truly an on-going process.

The second way that I seek simplicity lies in my family’s daily + weekly schedule with a focus on doing less. This means being aware of what we are doing and eliminating what we can to make it calmer. It involves methodically planning our time, following our daily schedule and always seeking those slower + quieter moments in the day, whether it is only 10 minutes or an hour. I aim to be intentional with our time and dedicate certain portions of the day to certain tasks such as housework, playgroup, work, nap, playing, talking one-on-one, running errands, being outside, etc – aiming for some sort of balance.

Doing less involves knowing our limit and sticking to it; not being afraid to say “no” to anything that will run us thin (rundown and over-stimulated toddlers are no fun). There are so many activities that are offered for children these days and I try to be conscious of how many and when we’re involved in them. One of our favorite activities is loading up the stroller and heading outside without a plan to just explore for a bit. Free play is so powerful!

Every day is different and there are hiccups – that’s how life goes, especially when you’re taking care of others, but having a goal and working on it daily truly helps.

We will have to find our new rhythm after the baby arrives in a couple months. It will take time to develop but as I continue to focus on having less + doing less we will gain our momentum again.

I was previously a third grade teacher and one of my favorite parts of teaching was managing the class – managing all those bodies with all those different emotions + needs while keeping them engaged and calm was so interesting to me. Kept me on my toes! So, adding another family member and having to figure it all out excites me.

Stay tuned for more ways to simplify life while managing the home + family. I’ll share ways we manage the on-going toys (anyone with kids knows how quickly we can acquire them), organize certain spaces within our home and handle our wardrobe. If you are looking for other ways, let me know! Also, I’d love to hear how you seek to simplify your life, so please share!