How to Simplify in 2021
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How to Simplify in 2021
I’ve been thinking a lot about how to simplify in 2021.
Are you a word-of-the-year kind of person? I am. I’ve actually shared about it several times on this blog, words like JOY, HAPPY, IMAGINE & PERSIST. Narrowing in on one or two words for the year has turned out to be a great way for me to focus and grow.
2020 became a year none of us expected, didn’t it? We all faced a lot of surprising and disappointing things. In our family that included the loss of our main source of income, my mom being sick and ultimately passing away from cancer, and my father-in-law rapidly declining with dementia. We still have many unknowns in front of us, like many others do. Our heads have been spinning a bit with the emotions, details, and decisions we need to make to move forward.
That was likely a big influence in my choice of words for 2021 – SIMPLIFY.
How to simplify in 2021
I’m writing this blog post for me. And you. I’ve decided on the word “simplify” for the year ahead, and now I need to walk it out. But I don’t want simplifying to be complicated because that would totally be counterproductive! I don’t have all the answers yet, but I have some things I’ve decided to do as I’ve been thinking about how to simplify in 2021. Here are a few. I’ll most likely be back in another post with some more.
Plan ahead
When I was in college, I got pretty good at juggling a schedule that included a ton of deadlines. Because my college experience included a ton of rehearsals, performances, and practice time, I really had to be on top of all the academic stuff. I used a system where I gave myself early deadlines so that I’d always be ahead of schedule. It worked.
Then life happened, with marriage, jobs, kids and volunteer stuff. And somehow I forgot how to use a planner. Maybe this is just me, but somehow I had a disconnect between school life and real life. I’m way in deep now to adulting, and I’m on the struggle bus trying to keep track of all the things now in my head. So I’m becoming a planner girl again. I found Day Designer, and love what they have, especially because some of their planners are undated so I can start partway into the year. I’ll keep you posted on how the transition back to a planned-out life goes.
Do you depend on a planner??
Simplified shopping
The only things I enjoy shopping for are clothes and gifts. Beyond that, I’m not a huge fan. So I’ve been working at simplifying how to shop for the necessities in life. I’ve combined a ton of my normal items into my monthly subscription box from Young Living, and I’ve started to LOVE using Shipt to get my groceries delivered. There is something sooooo freeing about creating an order in the evening, and having it on the doorstep first thing in the morning. (I really love practical packages on my doorstep, friends!) I save time and money by using a subscription box and a grocery delivery service…simple!
Time to pare down
It’s time for me to start to pare down on some things. The truth is, we will likely be selling our house in the next few months, either to move elsewhere or simply downsize – who knows? (the super long transition, right?) And downsizing in square footage means downsizing in stuff too. One of our sons will soon get his own place, so I’m setting aside things for him to take with him. After that, I’m going to create sections of “stuff” to sell, donate, or discard. These things include:
- Furniture
- Clothes and shoes
- Home decor items
- Books, books, books
I could use some suggestions in this arena. Do you have a tried and true method for paring down in “stuff”? Please tell me in the comments.
Focus on Purpose and Legacy
This is a big one for me right now, partly because we are facing so much unknown as far as where we will end up, but also partly because of the journey I was on with my mother in 2020. Legacy and purpose have become so much more important to me
I have narrowed down several things that I love:
- I love helping people pursue health and wellness
- Writing my story and sharing joy is my jam
- I want people to know that freedom and joy are reality
- It matters to me that people feel valuable and at home
- I love helping people turn around and multiply
So, as I think about how to simplify in 2021 while we stare into the unknown, I know this: I will continue to invest in people’s joy and wellness by sharing Young Living, I will write strategic things to help people move toward lasting joy, and I will take steps toward my dream of hosting people at a Joy Let Loose lakehouse.
What about you?
Are you in a “simplify” mode? I’d love to hear how you plan to go about it! Share in the comments!