Join millions as they embrace “Simplify Your Life Week”. We’ve all heard of “spring cleaning” and kicking off the New Year with goals of being organized. However, embracing the idea of back-to-school organizing with late summer simplifying makes more time for outdoor fall fun! Cool weekends and crisp evening air will be here before too long and you will want to be outdoors, not cleaning for holiday company.
In today’s world, distractions are all around us. Use August as the time to simplify your home inside and out. You will be thankful you did with back-to-school, Friday night football, festivals, and tailgating all only a month away!
Let these tips encourage you! There are memories and moments ahead, and you will want to be relaxed and ready to enjoy them.
Home office or home work area. Look at this area of your life. Does it need simplifying? Commit this week to these areas and get rid of the fifty pens/pencils you do not need. How many hands do you have in your family? That is how many pens/pencils you should keep. Do you have books and mail stacked all over your desk? Find a home for the mail. Keep it consistent and let everyone in your house know where the mail goes. Look at the books and magazines covering your peaceful workspace. Decide to cancel subscriptions to magazines you haven’t read and catalogs that are encouraging you to buy more stuff. Do you really need to keep those books? Compartmentalize your “things”: bless others, recycle and trash.
Closets and drawers! The upcoming season change is the perfect time to bless others with clothes you haven’t worn in a year. If you haven’t worn it or don’t love it, pass it on. Same goes for shoes! Inventory what you have on hand and what you plan to buy for fall wardrobe pieces to compliment and interchange with what you already own. Less is more in your closet. Try wearing the same thing twice in one week and see if anyone really notices. An organized closet and dressers will give everyone in the house the gift of simplicity. This one simple tip also reduces morning routine chaos.
Meals! There are so many blogs offering recipes for every type of diet. Schedule a family day of cooking each week. Plan your meals ahead of time and grocery shopping list. This is a hard habit for some to embrace. Once you start bulk cooking for the week and meal planning, your budget and health will thank you! There are many benefits to meal planning, including decreased stress. Family time is increased because you are cooking together. Other commitments are not entering your schedule, because your family’s budget and health are a high priority. This also means you are “planning” on eating together. Studies have shown, families who eat together have an overall lower divorce rate. There is an abundance of reasons to plan your meals. This one tip can also decrease your grocery bill.
Apps, Inventions and More. This may sound counterproductive, however, many inventions have been created throughout history that make our lives more simplified. The sewing machine and a light bulb are excellent examples. Look around for the inventions that allow you more time without adding more stress. If you manage a few Facebook pages, the Facebook Pages App is a perfect tool allowing you to be productive without distracting you with all Facebook has to offer. Google Calendar App allows you to create and view your calendars online. You can add soccer practice, football games, important meetings, family vacations and anything life brings your way. Your schedule is organized, color coded and available.
Prioritize. This sounds like a simple task. Today, we are being pulled in many directions. If you say your significant other or family is your highest priority, look at your calendar. Does it reflect your words? If not, prioritize and commit to making your dreams a reality. If you want to have family dinners together, look at your calendar. Do you have time scheduled for family dinners? You may not be able to eat together seven days a week, but if it is a priority, put it on the calendar. When a family member is trying to make plans, they will be able to view the week and realize family dinners are a priority and nothing else will be scheduled during that time. Do a self-check to make sure your commitments match your priorities.
Distractions are all around us. Even when we lay our head down at night, we are thinking about the upcoming day or revisiting the events from the past few hours. This week, put a simple plan together to declutter one thing in your mental, social media, and physical space. Just removing one item from each area will inspire you to make other changes to simplify your life. Give yourself the gift of time and simplify your stuff.
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