The process of creating a simple life and peaceful home is actually quite simple.
It’s a proven process that can be tweaked and set and changed again and again and again, every time your season of life changes.
While you change and the specific tasks may change, the 8 steps of the process remain the same.
Let me share them with you today.
1. Simplify Home
The first step. Seriously. You’ve got to do this. I know, I know. You’ve heard it all before. Declutter, buy less, save more, live lighter. But it’s so true!
Everything in your home requires something from you. Whether that’s cleaning, organising, maintaining or replacing. Best to get rid of what you don’t really need then!
What can you remove from your home today to free up space and time?
2. Simplify Life
A bit harder than decluttering the home is decluttering LIFE. Why? Because it usually involves saying no to someone!
This is the part where you think about commitments, projects and mindsets. You’ve got to pare these down. Start thinking about the intangible stuff in your life that is weighing you down and holding you back. Get rid of it!
What can you cull from your schedule this week to free up time and headspace?
3. Organise
Getting organised is not as traumatic as it sounds. In fact, with the right strategies, tools and support, getting organised can be fun and should always be freeing.
You can implement systems for kids chores, schedules, meals, shopping, self care, paperwork, purchases, work…
What system will you implement this week to help you simplify and streamline your home?
4. Reuse
Reusing stuff makes sense, not just for your bank balance, but also for your health and the earth, and it can even save you time.
Learning to reuse items that you purchase regularly can help to simplify your grocery shop and buying habits.
What can you do today to switch something from single-use, to reusable?
5. Reduce
The next step on your journey to a simple life is to cut back on material consumption and subtle influences. This can be a tough one, but it’s worth it’s weight in gold when done regularly and consistently.
What can you stop purchasing this week? Who do you need to stop hanging out with? What do you need to stop reading or receiving?
6. Create Inside
When you start creating things from scratch, you’ll begin to notice a mindset shift. Not everything needs to be purchased in a convenient little bottle. We do have it within our power to make things. And often, it’s easier that we first thought.
Is there something that your family uses a lot of that you could start to make rather than buy?
Hint: An easy starter is to make your own mayonnaise – it’s simple, better for you than the store-bought kind and takes about 5 minutes every few weeks, depending on how much you go through. And if you have chooks half the ingredients are free.
7. Create Outside
Even with a small amount of space, there is so much you can do to be even just that little bit more self-sufficient. And you know what, it’s the little bits – the baby steps – that add up!
Own a pot and some dirt? Why not plant some lettuce seeds this week?
8. Care and Calm
The final step in your journey towards a simple, peaceful home and life isn’t really the final step at all, but an ongoing one. It’s important to create strategies that will help you to maintain the home and life you’ve crafted so that you don’t fall off the bandwagon after a month or two. It’s crucial to spend the time forging rituals and routines that will keep you on the path you’ve chosen.
What can you do for a few minutes every day that would help you maintain the life you love? Maybe it’s a hot shower at the end of the day. Maybe it’s some extra sleep. Perhaps it’s taking the time to eat better or go for a walk or pray. Or have a cuppa, play a board game, call a friend.
Whatever it is – and it will be different for everyone – the key is to do it consistently.
Whatever grounds you, whatever calms you, whatever helps to refill you well, should be given time and attention.
I’d love to hear from you in the comments. What will you do to make a start on step 1 today?
