Subtracting To Simplify Your Life
I have not even begun to make resolutions for the year 2024 yet. I truly need to simplify my life as opposed to making resolutions that probably won’t be kept. Instead, here’s why simplifying my (and your) life is important – and just know that everything in your life takes up space, everything!!
Starting with mental space, and then physical space, or even space on your calendar. You only have so much room for all of these things in your life. Everything you have and own, everything that you do, and everybody that you spend time with costs you your time. When there is an abundance of stuff, it costs you way more than you possibly can afford mentally, physically, spiritually and even materially.
As Inc. states, “Simplifying your life will give you more time, space, and energy. The more time and space you have, the more energy you’ll be able to devote to the things you truly enjoy.”
Here are five ways to simplify areas of your life.
Declutter your house.
The place you lay your head to rest affects how you feel physically and psychologically. Whether you waste time looking for misplaced items, or you grow overwhelmed every time you open your closet, having too much stuff wastes your resources and it can and will give you stress and possible anxiety
Having a clean, organized space can truly help you feel more productive and energetic than when you’re living among heaps of clothes, stacks of papers, and piles of dishes, too many toys, books, puzzles. It can be literally overwhelming.
When you have fewer items to worry about, you will have fewer things to clean fewer things to worry about. You’ll also have the energy to care for the items that you keep. Decluttering can be freeing.
Get rid of bad mental habits.
Bad mental habits carry a lot of psychological weight. Weight than can feel heavier than any physical pounds you could put on. Therefore, you might feel sorry for yourself, dwelling on things of the past. Giving away the power you have from within are just a few of the unhealthy habits that will drain your mental strength.
Get rid of all mental clutter and unnecessary chatter. Make room for healthier thinking habit. Habits like gratitude, self-compassion, and positive self talk. When you feel yourself engaging in toxic thinking, take a deep breath. Remind yourself you don’t need to go there, and replace those thoughts with inner positive thinking.
Cut out toxic people.
This is an ABSOLUTE must and it doesn’t matter whether it’s a sister who calls every day to complain about how unfair the world is or a negative cousin who is a narcissistic lunatic. These people can take up way to much of space in your precious life. Don’t just cut people out of your life just because they’re going through hard times, but know the difference between hard times and repeated behavior patterns. Setting healthy boundaries is important.
It’s not just time physically spent together, but also the time invested into dreading a visit, combined with the time it takes to calm down after the visit that can take a toll. Sometimes, the best thing you can do for yourself is to say NO or cut ties altogether. This frees up time to spend with the people you love most.
Take charge of your money.
It doesn’t matter how much money you have or don’t have; if you’re not taking control of your financial situation, money will occupy too much space in your life and in turn cause way to much stress and agony.
Make and design a budget. Create clear goals, and your financial decisions will become reality. This will help eliminate the mental energy spent thinking about money and help you achieve financial freedom.
Gain control of your time.
You can always make more money, yet you can never get back time. It’s your most valuable resource. However, we waste time waiting for things to happen for you, yet the only way it can is if you make happen. Don’t lose your time to social media scrolling or complaining!
To go through life being busy and passing time is not what we are here for so stop doing things that are wasting your precious moments! Arrange time to do the things that matter most to you and your family. Stop scheduling things so you are always doing something. Instead, take some time to slow down and enjoy the moment. Go for a walk, play with the kids, watch a sunset.
While simplifying your life can feel overwhelming, remember to start small. Choose the change that is most important for you and slowly make changes.
From there, start subtracting things from your life. Clear the clutter, clear the mental space, and delete things from your calendar. Make the space to feel the freedom of having less. The less you own, the less you invest in things you don’t want to. Life becomes less complicated when you’ve identified what matters most. Just breathe, take one day at time! You’ve got this!!
