Make a Fresh Start | Live Simply

 

This is the time of the year that we evaluate our lives and the things we wish to change about ourselves. It is a new year. A new year means a fresh start.  What are you going to do with this opportunity? 

I am challenging myself to live simply in the new year. 

Living simply doesn’t mean giving up all of my belongings.  It doesn’t mean only eating vegetables.  It doesn’t mean changing everything about my life.  However, what it does mean to me is living my values, eating good food, buying less, purging things that no longer have value to me, strengthening my body, and volunteering more. It means living with less stress, less worry, and less of what makes me unhappy.

I feel that living with less would reduce the amount of time I need to spend putting all of those little things away every week.  It would be less to dust.  It would be less to maintain. It would mean more time for myself and my family to spend relaxing or having fun together.

I am not going to be able to simplify every aspect of my life just by saying it.  This is going to take some work.  Here is my plan:

1. Set realistic expectations for myself. I have issues with this.  In fact, I have very intense issues with this.  I am going to need to work on this.  I am not quite sure what that is going to look like, but I am taking it as a to do.
2. Donate, gift, sell, or throw away items that no longer have value to me.  I am going to start in one closet and keep going until I have worked my way through the entire house.
3. Strengthen my body. I enjoy exercise, but don’t make the time to do it routinely.  I will get in a groove for a six weeks or so, and then work gets busy.  I stop exercising in order to keep up with other aspects of my life.  And then the cycle starts all over again.  I want to find something that I will really stick with, no matter how busy work gets.
4. Volunteer my time for others.  I do not have much time available, but I do feel the tug in my heart to give.  Since high school I have volunteered my time for a few small projects a year.  Over the last couple of years, this time has dwindled to nearly zero.  I am going to find a few projects that need someone with my skill set and volunteer my time.  I am going to make this happen.
5. Try new healthy recipes.  I wish to eat healthier than I have in years past.  I would like to finish my 30’s strong, not with health issues.

I am really looking forward to what this is going to mean for my life and the positivity it will bring me.  This year is going to be a great adventure.  It is going to be fun sharing the details with you.  I encourage you to think about how you can live simply and how you can make a positive impact on your own life.