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How I Simplified My Life

Just a few years ago, I never would have thought that I would be adopting a minimalist lifestyle. I had to transform my mindset and focus on the journey (instead of just the destination).

To me, minimalism means living with intention and it’s about consuming less, but enjoying more. During the past couple of years, I’ve been focusing on ways to simplify my life.

I can’t pinpoint a moment where I made the decision to simplify my life, it just happened naturally as I reorganized my priorities. It hasn’t been an easy journey, and there are still things that I am learning every day.

Here are some ways that I’ve simplified my life:

How I Simplified My Life

1. I stopped watching the news

There used to be a time when I would spend hours watching TV and surfing the internet. Trying to keep up with all my TV shows and watching YouTube videos was the ultimate time waster.

I didn’t gain anything from these activities and it certainly wasn’t improving the quality of my life.

After reading The 4-Hour Workweek, I also made the decision to stop watching the news. That’s right, for the past two years, I have stopped watching the evening news and reading the newspaper.

I used to constantly watch the news. In fact, my old workplace had a TV with the news channel turned on all day. We would also get the newspaper delivered each morning, which I would also read over breakfast.

Watching the news all the time was depressing and there was rarely anything positive on the news. It made me feel anxious and fearful.

Ninety-nine percent [estimated statistic] of the news is about issues that are out of my control. It was time-consuming to fill my head with all this information and it wasn’t relevant to my goals.

I thought I was being a good citizen by watching the news and staying informed. But after cutting out the news for the past two years, I haven’t missed anything important.

That’s because whenever there was something important to know, I would hear about it from my friends or family. I have simplified my life by cutting out the news and I encourage you to try going for one week without watching the news too.

2. Declutter

I’ve talked about decluttering a lot on my blog. For me, it’s one of the easiest ways to start simplifying your life. I even wrote a whole post about what I’ve learned from decluttering here.

Once you’ve simplified, you’ll want less. This means less things to clean, maintain, take up space, and I’ve learned to appreciate the things I do have a lot more.

Less really is more.

3. Build a minimal wardrobe

As a former shopaholic, this was one of the toughest areas of my life to change.

I went for an entire year without buying new clothing, which was pretty extreme (I know), but it taught me a lot about my previous spending habits.

Now I focus on purchasing items that I need and items that I feel good about wearing. Instead of buying trendy pieces, I opt for timeless items which can be worn for many years to come.

Simplifying my wardrobe was one of the best decisions I’ve made.

4. Focus my time on the things that bring me joy

It’s easy to get distracted in today’s busy world, but it’s important to make time for the things that make you happy to be alive. The key idea here is to focus on the good, and not be afraid to let go of what’s holding you back (or bringing you down).

This includes a number of different things for me:

  • I started this blog. Blogging has changed my life and it’s allowed me to make money doing what I love.
  • I stopped experimenting with beauty products. Instead of trying the latest trends, I stuck with what worked for me (which saved me both time and money).
  • I surrounded myself with positive people. I don’t have a large circle of friends, but I have a few close friends who support and encourage me. Recognize when it’s time to let go of relationships that are not supportive.
  • I hit the unsubscribe button. I used to have so many magazine subscriptions and receive hundreds of daily emails in my inbox. Most of these subscriptions didn’t add value to my life, and it was so freeing to unsubscribe from them.

5. Spend more time outdoors and exploring

I used to spend my weekends shopping at the mall, but now I enjoy spending my time outdoors.

There is something so calming about being in nature — I feel at home when I’m exploring a trail. Even if time is limited, it’s nice to take a quick walk around the neighborhood after dinner.

6. Stop multitasking

Trying to juggle everything at once usually leads to getting nothing accomplished. In fact, if you think you’re good at multitasking, you probably aren’t.

Focusing on one task at a time has streamlined my work flow and made me more productive. It’s been a great way to simplify my life.

7. Shop with intention

I used to shop out of habit, but now I only go to the mall when I actually need something.

This allows me to save time, money and prevent impulse purchases. I wrote a whole post about how to ditch the habit of impulse spending here.

I’ll admit that my shopping habits are more flexible when I’m traveling. I always set a shopping budget for myself though and remember to enjoy the experience.

8. Automate my savings and banking

I have always been pretty good at saving money, but I didn’t start learning about my banking options until I got my first full-time job.

Once I started automating my bill payments and banking online, it has saved me so much time and I never have to worry about missing a payment.

I also have a portion of my income deposited automatically into my savings account each month. It allows me to save money without much effort at all. I wrote a whole post sharing my tips on how I saved up $35,000 in less than two years (on an entry-level salary) here.

9. Make homemade meals with real ingredients

You may be wondering how making homemade meals has simplified my life. I understand that it takes more time to cook meals, but it’s much healthier to eat at home. You can control both the ingredients and portions.

I don’t mind paying the convince cost to dine at a restaurant sometimes, but I don’t like paying when service is poor or the food is low-quality.

Instead, I find it relaxing to open up my favorite cookbook and make a delicious meal at home. It brings my family together and I like knowing what goes into my food.

10. Practice gratitude and self-acceptance

Practicing gratitude and self-acceptance is one of the biggest ways I’ve simplified my life.

I used to be shy and self-conscious as I was growing up, but going to University and working at my first corporate job really pulled me out of my shell.

I can’t say that I have my entire future mapped out, but I’ve learned to be honest and transparent with myself. That’s the key to living with intention.

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Over to you – what are some ways that you’ve simplified your life?

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. I totally agree with number 1! Every morning before I went to work I would sit and watch the news! I never turn on the news anymore because some of the stories kind of creeped me out! And I used to get tons of magazines as well! Now there is dust one that I am subscribed to. Great post!!

  2. Hi Eden, I stopped watching or reading the news over 10 years ago for similar reasons. I am in a profession where maintaining a positive attitude benefits both me and my clients.

    As far as shopping, that wasn’t hard for me to restrict as I hate shopping and only go when I really need something. Good Blog!

  3. Wow it’s been a long time I didn’t go to your blog !

    Great article I think it’s super important to focus on simple thing.
    A few years ago I used to feel bad if I didn’t go shopping once a week and now I just decided to focus on simple things like traveling and reconnecting with myself and it feels soooo good !

    Great post 🙂

    Kenza from http://travelwithkenza.blogspot.co.uk/

  4. Great list! I especially agree with #5. Time outside is so beneficial. Keep up the great work here and live unstoppable!

  5. I agree with not watching the news but my hubby keeps buying the Sunday papers and here in the UK there are tonnes of supplement magazines with them. It takes me ages to read them, I know I shouldn’t bother!

    • I used to have a subscription to the weekend newspaper and a lot of magazines too. It ate up a lot of my time though, I agree. Thanks for reading Suze 🙂

  6. I rarely watch the news too. It’s all so depressing and a lot of it is blown out of proportion and fear mongering. I do think it’s important to stay informed on the issues going on in the world, especially as a person of color, but I know that there are other ways to that besides tuning into the evening news. I also unsubscribed from a variety of things a while back but I think I need to detox my inbox again since it’s starting to feel a bit cluttered in there these days.

    -M

    Violet Roots || Instagram || Twitter

    • Yes, even though I don’t watch the news, I still stay informed on issues that may concern me. I usually see headlines on social media or hear about things from family and friends. Thanks for reading Monika!

  7. This is a great list! I have to admit there are some things I am willing to give up, but not everything. Like I generally enjoy reading the news and staying up on current events. For my blog, I tend to buy a lot of new beauty products too. But only if I WANT THEM. So not just because everyone is buying them to test out because it’s the latest trend. All the other things you’ve listed are great ways for me to also simplify my life. Things I never really thought about! I am still taking the steps to eventually automate my savings and checking accounts. It’s hard, but I really want to get there! Your blog and lifestyle gives me so much inspiration. 🙂

    -Emily http://www.coatandcoffee.com

    • Yes, it’s good to not fall into the trap of buying things that every other beauty blogger is reviewing, then nothing becomes original. Thanks for stopping by Emily 🙂

  8. Simplifying explained simply! Lovely post! I’m trying to spend more time outdoors and doing exercise but I could certainly improve in some other points you mentioned 😉

  9. Wow Eden this is the best blog post I’ve read in a while. In such a busy world, it is so difficult to withhold our temptations to want to receive information (sometimes useless and disturbing) and waste money on things we don’t necessarily need. I’m glad you found a lifestyle that works for you and makes you happier. Keep up the good work!

    xoxo, Christina

    Stray Birds and Lavender

  10. Number 3 is a great point! This is also about growing up, being more conscious and self-efficient. I feel like I am being on this stage now, when I am looking to all those trendy (and now trash-y) peaces that my cupboard if full with lol. Hunting new trendy items that you probably won’t wear that much takes too much energy and does not bring that much back to you.
    Or.. We are getting older, haha
    🙂
    x

    • Yes, I have had a lot of purchase regrets, and I now realize that it was silly to buy trendy items when they only stayed in style for 1 or 2 seasons. Thanks for reading Inna 🙂

  12. Love this post. I’ve already started working on a bunch of these already, but I need to get back to decluttering my house and cooking at home.

  14. Hi Eden, I’m so happy I found your blog and this post! I completely agree with your list. I have a similar story; I came upon the Marie Kondo books this past spring and they have changed my perspective. It sounds similar to your decluttering post – keep items that truly spark joy and get rid of the rest. This KonMari Philosophy helped me begin my new petite fashion & style blog, focusing on investing in quality over quantity and items that truly spark joy! I agree, once you put aside things or activities that don’t truly bring positivity to your life you feel calmer and more productive.

    ~Jessica | http://www.petitestylescript.com/

  15. This is such a great post! I’m currently in my third trimester with our second, but I’m looking forward to building a minimal wardrobe when I’m my normal size again. I definitely need to spend more time outdoors too. Thanks for sharing!

  17. This was such an inspirational post. So often I feel that my life is crazy and I am barely keeping it together. I want to bookmark this (I tweeted it too!).

  18. Great list! Declutter…I know the importance of it, but I don’t set aside the time to make it happen. The little steps I take aren’t quite enough! I will be heading over to read your full post on decluttering. 🙂

    I love that you included automating savings on this list. Very wise and not often included!

  19. All great tips ~ and I’ve been trying a few of these myself. For instance, I also stopped watching the news. For the reasons you mention and also because we have a very corrupted media here in Brazil and, as a journalist, I felt sick every time I watched a pre-fabricated piece of news. My days are much lighter now, for sure.

    • Each news outlet here is very biased as well. I remember taking a course in University called Psychology of the Media, and it was a real eye opener to how the media works. Thanks for reading Camila 🙂

  20. I love this post. I agree, living a simplistic lifestyle can really keep the mind at ease and just make everything easier and more productive. Love the point about not watching the news, I always find it depresses me and is in no way benefiting me to watch, because I can’t do much about any of it.

    I really like all these points and even though I like to think I do a few of them, there’s a few that I’d definitely like to implement more into my lifestyle – such as self gratitude and a minimal wardrobe (currently attempting to exercise this one); credit to you for going a whole year without any fashion buys!!

    Josie

    JosieVictoriaa

    • Yes, creating a minimal wardrobe took some time for me to create and it’s still a work in progress, but I am much happier with how my closet looks. Plus, it’s easier to put outfits together each day. Thanks for reading Josie!

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