How to Live Simply
Consider what matters to you., Evaluate your commitments., Review how you spend your time., Make a list of 4 to 5 things that are important to you.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Consider what matters to you.
The first step to living simply is figuring out what truly matters.
In a highly consumerist society, you may find yourself losing track of what is important.
Spend some time figuring out what matters.
To start, write about your values.
This is a simple, free write activity in which you write down what you feel your values should be in terms that make sense to you.
Do you believe, for example, experience is more important that material goods? Do you want to do work that feels personally meaningful to you? Do you think it's important to get out in the world more and try new things? Focus on what you value and how you could potentially live up to these values through your actions.Also, consider what values you wish you had.
Do you want to be more generous? Less materialistic? Do you want to work on controlling your temper or sense of jealousy? Stating where your values are lacking can help you see where you need to cut back or change to live a more simple lifestyle. -
Step 2: Evaluate your commitments.
Many people equate business with happiness or success.
However, being busy does not necessarily mean you're fulfilled.
Spend some time evaluating your commitments and figure out how and where you can downsize.
Think about all the activities you have from one day to another.
Think about work, family activities, social activities, any clubs you're part of, and other hobbies or side projects.
What aspects of your life are most fulfilling? When are you happiest? What seems like a hassle to you? It can help to track your schedule for a single day.
Where exactly do the hours go? Are you happy with how you're passing these hours?Learning to say "No" is an important step to living simply.
You can only do so many things in a day and people often confuse want with need.
Do you need to work extra hours each week to make a little extra money? Could you just get by with the basics now and again? Many people feel competitive with others and the constant influx of media only fuels a sense of inadequacy.
Try to disengage with the "Keeping up with the Jones's" mentality as this is allowing others to control your happiness.
Instead, focus spending your free time engaging in activities you genuinely enjoy and feel personally fulfilling over activities you feel obligated to engage in., If you want to live simply, ask yourself how you spend your day.
Many people often find themselves thinking, "Where on earth did the time go?" If you're looking to live a more simple life, it can help to track your time for a single day.
Make a log of how you spent your day, writing down rough time frames for all your activities.
See what activities take the longest, which cause the most stress, and which chores and obligations you could reasonably eliminate from your routine., If you want to downsize, you need to take a look at your core values.
Making a list of 4 or 5 things that are truly important to you can help you identify how to best spend your time and resources.
What do you value most? Success, art, family, fun? Make a list of four vague concepts that are important to you as a human being.As you consider where to downsize, look back to your core values.
Say you've been a volunteer for the Democratic Party in your hometown for years.
Your parents were involved, so you got involved as a teenager.
Your list of core values contains the following: friends, family, my husband, pets, and reading.
Politics really isn't on that list.
Is being politically involved really that important to you? Could you stand to scale your political involvement back a bit? You can still vote and stay up-to-date on current events but you don't necessarily have to be a core member of the latest volunteer campaign team every election cycle. -
Step 3: Review how you spend your time.
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Step 4: Make a list of 4 to 5 things that are important to you.
Detailed Guide
The first step to living simply is figuring out what truly matters.
In a highly consumerist society, you may find yourself losing track of what is important.
Spend some time figuring out what matters.
To start, write about your values.
This is a simple, free write activity in which you write down what you feel your values should be in terms that make sense to you.
Do you believe, for example, experience is more important that material goods? Do you want to do work that feels personally meaningful to you? Do you think it's important to get out in the world more and try new things? Focus on what you value and how you could potentially live up to these values through your actions.Also, consider what values you wish you had.
Do you want to be more generous? Less materialistic? Do you want to work on controlling your temper or sense of jealousy? Stating where your values are lacking can help you see where you need to cut back or change to live a more simple lifestyle.
Many people equate business with happiness or success.
However, being busy does not necessarily mean you're fulfilled.
Spend some time evaluating your commitments and figure out how and where you can downsize.
Think about all the activities you have from one day to another.
Think about work, family activities, social activities, any clubs you're part of, and other hobbies or side projects.
What aspects of your life are most fulfilling? When are you happiest? What seems like a hassle to you? It can help to track your schedule for a single day.
Where exactly do the hours go? Are you happy with how you're passing these hours?Learning to say "No" is an important step to living simply.
You can only do so many things in a day and people often confuse want with need.
Do you need to work extra hours each week to make a little extra money? Could you just get by with the basics now and again? Many people feel competitive with others and the constant influx of media only fuels a sense of inadequacy.
Try to disengage with the "Keeping up with the Jones's" mentality as this is allowing others to control your happiness.
Instead, focus spending your free time engaging in activities you genuinely enjoy and feel personally fulfilling over activities you feel obligated to engage in., If you want to live simply, ask yourself how you spend your day.
Many people often find themselves thinking, "Where on earth did the time go?" If you're looking to live a more simple life, it can help to track your time for a single day.
Make a log of how you spent your day, writing down rough time frames for all your activities.
See what activities take the longest, which cause the most stress, and which chores and obligations you could reasonably eliminate from your routine., If you want to downsize, you need to take a look at your core values.
Making a list of 4 or 5 things that are truly important to you can help you identify how to best spend your time and resources.
What do you value most? Success, art, family, fun? Make a list of four vague concepts that are important to you as a human being.As you consider where to downsize, look back to your core values.
Say you've been a volunteer for the Democratic Party in your hometown for years.
Your parents were involved, so you got involved as a teenager.
Your list of core values contains the following: friends, family, my husband, pets, and reading.
Politics really isn't on that list.
Is being politically involved really that important to you? Could you stand to scale your political involvement back a bit? You can still vote and stay up-to-date on current events but you don't necessarily have to be a core member of the latest volunteer campaign team every election cycle.
About the Author
Nicole Rodriguez
Nicole Rodriguez has dedicated 1 years to mastering humanresources. As a content creator, Nicole focuses on providing actionable tips and step-by-step guides.
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