This year, my word of the year is Simplicity. I am purposing to be intentional about what I do and allow in my life in order to thrive and enjoy a fulfilled life. It is my desire to pursue less and achieve more by doing less so I get better results. I want to spend little time on the non-essentials and focus more on what is essential and important. In this post, I share 6 ways in which you too can embrace simplicity and enjoy a rich and fulfilled life.

#1. Determine what your priorities are

In order to ensure that you spend time on what is essential, you need to begin by determining what constitutes the essential things in your life. What areas are you willing to draw the line in the sand for and say I will not cross this line? Remember in order to simplify your life, you need to be aware of what needs to go and what must stay on your to-do list.

In my case, at this time last year, I was working from home and enjoying the freedom this brings. I determined my working hours and did my work on our children\’s schedule. This is not possible anymore since I am now working outside the home and have to abide by set hours of work.

Having more things to take care means I need to be intentional about what I consider to be of importance to me. This is a season of life I welcome and I am keeping my list of essentials in front of me and relying on them to determine what my priorities will be. I constantly have to remind myself that good is often the enemy of best when I am saying no to good things.

#2. Count your blessings every day

Each day you step out of your home, you are bound to encounter scenarios that will want to steal your joy. Top this up with social media where someone can share their highs while you may be going through a low point in your life. All this makes it very easy to drift into discontentment. I am learning that in order to fight this, I have to develop a habit of always looking out for the good in every situation. I am keeping a gratitude journal and writing three things I am grateful for each day.

When you go through the day looking for the good things to write about, it simplifies your life and helps you live with gratitude. Gratitude also tends to bring joy and abundance to your life. This is because, as you learn to count your blessings and say thank you for the small things, soon you will have big things to be grateful for as well.

#3. Maintain a clutter-free life

Whether it is physical, social or emotional getting rid of clutter in whatever form will simplify your life. Take time to consider what you purchase or bring into your life. Ask yourself whether it is necessary and is going to add value to your life. When it comes to embracing simplicity, less will always be better than more. You need to always keep in mind that having the most expensive material possessions does not necessarily mean that you will have the best life. The key, therefore, is to remember that when you let go of the desire to constantly acquire more stuff meaninglessly then you will begin your journey to simplicity and fulfillment.

As I am discovering through the words of Bill Hybels in his book Simplify; Ten Practices to Unclutter Your Soul, \”Simplified living is about more than doing less. It is being who God called us to be, with a wholehearted, single-minded focus. It is walking away from innumerable lesser opportunities in favor of the few which we have been called and for which we were created\”.

#4. Give More Than You Receive

It is not very difficult to live life as a giver. You do not have to wait until you have so much in order to give. Instead, start with what you have. Is it a kind word or a smile give it and the people on the receiving end will be blessed by your gift.

We need to remember that giving is a two-way street it blesses the giver with joy and the receiver with what has been given. It is no wonder that the Bible says \”it is more blessed to give than to receive\”. 

#5. Cut Your Coat According To Your Cloth

With all that is before our eyes today, it is not difficult to find yourself living beyond your means. Everywhere you turn there is something being marketed as a solution to your problems. However, nothing steals the benefits of embracing simplicity like living life with debt. The key is to remain clear about the resources available to you and cut your coat according to your cloth. If you do this, you will be able to enjoy the benefits of living a simple fulfilled life. I like what Bill Hybels says about simplicity and finances. \”There is no way to simplify your life if your relationship with money is out of control\”.

It is not a bad thing to have desires and wants. God has promised to give us the desires of our hearts if we trust him. The problem is not having the patience to wait until you have the means to fulfill those desires. Having a budget and a wish list are two simple tools that can help you live within your means.

#6. Do Not Sweat The Small Stuff

Do not allow small things that happen get to you and steal your joy. Sometimes you may have to let balls that have been thrown at you fall to the ground. In the same way, embracing simplicity will require that you choose to do nothing in situations where you may have responded and escalated a situation. Determine not to allow things to steal your joy and energy and avoid blowing things out of proportion.

Finally,

Remember that in order to embrace simplicity, you may have to choose to live courageously and be different from everyone around you. What is popular may not be what is right for you. Determine to be content and grateful for what you have and where you are at in life. This does not mean you do not strive to be a better person. It requires, however, that you avoid the comparison and perfection trap where you are constantly working on fixing things or wanting to \’fit in\’. The words of the serenity prayer come to mind here \”God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; Courage to change the things I can, And wisdom to know the difference\”.