What does it mean? How do you get it? Do you want it? How much does it cost? Does it come in Rose Gold? Are there any benefits? …

This is a hot topic right now and it seems that so many places I go it’s being discussed in its various forms. People have views. People have ideas. Some have questions. It means different things to different people. Type in # and pretty much any variant of simple, simplified, minimalism, authentic living, slow living, downsizing .. you get the idea, and you’ll be flooded with images. Yoga. Food. Homespun DIY crafts. Cooking. Meditation. Gardens. Organics. The outdoors. Beautifully curated homes. Happy, smiling singles, couples, families, often in sparsely furnished homes, beautiful nature scenes or stunning holiday destinations. Mention your simplifying to people and watch the floodgates of conversation open. Much of our society seems to be feeling overwhelmed and dissatisfied at the moment. Looking to find a better quality of life. Is this part of the answer?

Simplifying, ironically, is not a simple subject. Purely because it often involves so many facets of a persons life. If we are overloaded and overwhelmed in one area, you can bet cold hard cash that we’re overloaded and overwhelmed in others. The answer is usually going to be found in addressing multiple areas and subjects. Some easy. Some hard. The things we have collected along the way and fill our cupboards, homes and storage sheds but also money, health, mindset, habits, relationships, coping mechanisms to name a few.  It is not always clear cut which is going to be easy and hard but it is possible in every single case either by yourself or with help from others.

We all have an Achilles heel generally. Usually multiples. It is the rare Unicorn of a human who does not.  None of us is immune to clutter or bad habits or overwhelm. When they negatively impact our lives though, it’s time to address it. Simplifying your life and home, ridding yourself of the excess and unnecessary is a good place to start.

What is a simple life though and how do you define what that is for you?

You can start by answering these questions.

• If I could wave a magic wand over your home and life for you, eliminating the things that increased your stress levels, what would disappear? What and or who would be gone from your house and life?

• What would be left? What or who brings you joy, love, fun, connection, stability, peace?

• Picture in your head your current home and an average day. Your current reality. Now write down how you’d ideally like it to look. Your dream day. For example. No clutter. Everything fits in my cupboards. My bills are all up to date. The only thing on my dining table is flowers. I am on time to work. We’re making good progress on paying down our debts. I’m doing that course I wanted to do. We have home cooked meals most nights. That leaking tap is fixed. I get a decent nights sleep etc

This is just a starting point to help you find and address your answers and see if there is any value for you in simplifying either part or all of your home and life. I choose to do this for both work and for fun with overwhelmed friends because I love it and it makes peoples lives easier. I can help you of course (see contact details to work with me) but more importantly, you can do this yourself. How?

Simplifying is just a process. The same as so many other things in life are. It can be learned and implemented one step at a time. It doesn’t need to be overwhelming. There are huge amounts of resources our there to help you and give you ideas. It can be lots of fun and it doesn’t need to happen all at once. Taking action and watching your life get easier is deeply satisfying. You usually start in one place, which for many is downsizing their belongings and end up somewhere entirely different. The results can be life-changing. Freeing up your home and life gives you time to explore what you really want to fill it with. When you hit a roadblock. Search out someone to help you get past that and keep going.

Ultimately choosing to simplify or not is a personal decision. If your current daily reality is much different to your ideal day though I’d suggest that there is definitely value in this idea for you. Little or large changes ?? Make that decision and start.  Make the effort. If you feel you don’t have the time to look at this – that is a clear indicator that you absolutely need to asap. Clear out of your life and home that which does not serve you anymore. Hire a coach to help you or grab a friend and work together. Start by looking through the site for tips – The E.R.A.S.E series is a good place to start. Sign up and be notified when new tips, blog posts or offers go up. Or check out one of the dozens of others sites or books and start the process yourself or with your family. Start small and see where it leads. The benefits accumulate for every little thing you address so no effort is wasted.

Are going to simplify? I’d love to know where you’re starting. Join the community, leave comments or if you have any questions we’d love to hear from you in the comments.