If you want to live a simple life each day, it’s more than just organizing, decluttering, and self-care.
Living a simple life is a lifestyle. And yes, while it should start with simple baby steps, it should never end there. To live simply, you need to change your actions and your heart.
After years of trying to do everything, be everything, and pursue the wrong things, I have come to really enjoy a simple and beautiful life.
I don’t have it all figured out, but I would love to help you know where to start in your 20s so that it’s not a hard habit to reverse later down the road.
Let’s enjoy the journey of simple living together with these tangible steps…
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Intentional Living
Simple living requires intentionality.
If you want to live a simple life then you have to put in the work. Just like anything else, you need to be intentional about each decision you make.
But, don’t let that overwhelm you. You’ll never be perfect. I make mistakes all the time where I clutter my life with something that really isn’t that important and regret it later.
A simple life is founded on the decisions you make and choosing the right ones. If you don’t choose intentionally to live simply then the craziness of the world will quickly win.
Let’s talk about what you can do right now to get started!
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Slow Pace
A slow pace means saying no.
With so many people and things demanding our time and resources in today’s culture, we have to learn to set up boundaries.
Boundaries are a vital habit to establish in life, and the sooner you do it the better.
My blog is all about helping 20-somethings set up the right habits for success. One way to easily start is to read this book called Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend and begin learning to say no to anything that demands too much time and energy.
Related Post: 17 Steps To Saying No In Tremendous Ways – Part 1
Additionally, make sure you are taking time for yourself. Self-care and recovering from the busyness of life looks different for everyone. However, I think most people would agree that a bath, a glass of wine, a good book, a warm cup of tea or coffee, and some time alone can certainly be refreshing for the soul.
Be intentional about scheduling a time for this each month.
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Consider Each Area
Let’s face it, simple living can begin in one area of your life but for it to be effective, it needs to translate into every single area of your life.
Here are some quick ideas to simplify each area:
Food – the fewer items you have, the easier cooking can be! Get rid of anything expired, or that you will never eat. Organize the food in your fridge so that only fresh items are on display. Re-arrange the pantry so that no items past their expiration date remain. Make sure you use each item you have as you buy it. Don’t let things pile up. It’s not only wasteful but clutters your life. You may also find yourself eating healthier when you have a simple food storage solution.
Clothing – get back to the basics. Have you heard of a capsule wardrobe? Only keep and purchase items that can go together. Make it easy and simple. When you open your closet in the morning, you should be able to mix and match nearly everything. That makes getting changed quick and easy. Also, make sure you love each item in your closet. If you don’t love it, you won’t wear it.
Supplies – get your cleaning supplies and household items all from one place. Don’t run around town for each item you need. Instead, choose a safe company that can deliver everything to your front door. That’s why I love Young Living. They have everything my family needs from conditioner to laundry soap, to household cleaner and it’s amazing knowing that it is all safe, natural, and made from essential oils. They also give 25% back on your monthly purchase, which I haven’t heard of any other company doing. Don’t hesitate to reach out to me to get started! (info@goodpointgrandma.com) Choosing to purchase all my supplies from one place has been one of the most relaxing and simplifying things I could have done for our family.
Hobbies – what you choose to engage with can have the strongest impact on if your life is simple or not. However, I truly believe that when you have the right mindset and are intentional, any hobby can become a way to live a simple life each day. For example, I have several chickens. Caring for them could be stressful. I could worry about finding the time to feed them or care for them. However, instead, I look forward to the moments I can spend with my chickens. I squat down and get at eye level with them. I talk with them and laugh at the funny things they do. To enjoy my chickens, I have to slow down. It is so worth it when I do.
Mind – your mind needs to be simplified. Apart from learning to say no, you need to know how to change a thought when you realize it is cluttering your life. This has taken me quite some time and I for sure have not mastered it; however, I do have a solution. For my family, it is having a positive morning and evening routine with quiet time. We don’t let outside activities disrupt this time in our day and we consider it sacred. We are intentional about choosing to live a simple life each day through these quiet moments.
Exercise & Get Outside – the great outdoors are simply breathtaking. We spend far too much time inside and that is often why we feel so confined, cluttered, and overcome by the busyness of life. Inside, your phone beeps for your attention, the TV runs in the background, and the chores demand your time. Inside can have wonderful places to relax, but even then it is usually not a sacred retreat, but a place you come crumbling to each night for some much-needed rest. Instead, take a walk. The great outdoors have no walls. Hike, bike, swim and simply play. You’ll find that you come alive the more time you spend breathing fresh air.
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Become A Handyman/Handywoman – learn some skills to help you get through life. Instead of always buying something new, ask your neighbor to teach you how they fix it. Youtube is the best way to get something done. The path to living simply is to make things work for you for less. That means less time, less energy, and fewer resources. Sometimes, I’ll admit, it’s not realistic. But almost always, there’s a way to make it work. It may not be as pretty, but it likely is functional! That’s the theme of our life and so far, we’ve found that it forces us to slow down, appreciate what we have, and be joyful in the skills that we learn along the way.
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Affirmations & Scripture
Another key to how to live a simple life each day is to have affirmations and Bible verses memorized that you can repeat to yourself often.
You can start this by picking a word of the year. This book was an extremely enjoyable read for me at the beginning of last year. It revealed to me that having a word to focus on throughout the whole year can help guide your decisions and keep you aligned toward your goals. Last year, my word was “grow” and this year it is “cultivate.” It’s amazing that God guided my thoughts to pick these words, as they truly have described my years.
Do you have a word for the year yet?
Next, memorize some affirmations and scripture passages. I like keeping Psalm 73 in my head to keep me grounded when I feel like picking up again. I can repeat to myself “God is continually with me.” And verse 26 says, “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”
What verses or affirmations can you say each day to remind you of living simply in the Lord?
And lastly, it is so vitally important to be grateful to live a simple life each day. My husband and I are able to achieve this by saying five things we are grateful for each night before we go to bed. It helps keep our minds on what we already have and away from the desire for more.
When we look around, we truly are so extremely blessed. And we shouldn’t recognize this on just one holiday of the year! Gratefulness needs to be a daily activity.
Do you have a gratitude journal? Start one today and write down each day five things you are grateful for. Your heart will begin to change and slowly become more and more focused on simple living.
Drop Everything And Go Big
If you haven’t stumbled upon our homesteading updates yet then you don’t know our full story. My husband and I have always desired a simple life. A life in pursuit of good and lovely things.
When we were dating, we talked about moving up north to our dream piece of land and settling down to raise a family away from the craziness of the world. For us, we don’t see the joy in the rat race. Pursuing more things doesn’t satisfy you.
There will always be a need for more. Making more money and climbing the corporate ladder won’t satisfy you.
Instead, our main goal in life is to serve the Lord. We want a family life that pursues Christ and nothing else. For us, that looked like settling down up north in a quiet area, where our future children could run free outside and explore God’s beautiful creation each day.
The speed of life in the city, where most people pursue the things this world promises will fulfill was not where we saw ourselves serving God and living life for His glory.
So recently, we’ve found 80 acres in the UP of Michigan. Lord-willing, this property will be ours very shortly and we can start building a simple family life.
We desire to be self-sufficient, growing, and raising our own food. We strive for our homestead to be a place where we can cultivate our God-given skills and do our best to be good stewards of the time, talents, and treasures He has given us.
However, we certainly know the value and importance of being a part of a community and we can’t wait to start getting connected with others in our area. It will be a joy to serve others and grow in love together.
What does a simple life look like for you?
It may be small baby steps that you take each day. Or, it may be like us where you go for it! You give up your life in your over-priced city apartment and you jump headfirst into a new adventure.
Share with me in the comments below: How do you live a simple life each day?
Kelsey at GoodPointGrandma
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I’d love to have a simpler life…but saying no sometimes is hard.
It is hard but it is so worth it! You got this!
Such a lovely post full of useful and simple tips to follow. It so much resonates with me. Loved it.
So glad to hear it Hina, thank you!
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