What does living a simple life mean? Begin the process

Thoreau said many things, perhaps most comprehensibly, “simplify, simplify.” He knew what he was talking about, as he lived in a one-room cabin at the time. When you have a smaller space, the quantity and quality of your belongings comes into focus. You have to evaluate everything you own—is it really worth the space? And by “space,” we don’t just mean physical space, because anything you’re holding onto in the material world is having some kind of effect on your emotional life.

Living a simple life means different things to different people.  For me it will mean making sure that the things that are most important to me are my main priority.  So I have to begin eliminating the non essentials that have been taking up a lot of space in my home and in my life.

I know that this change will give me a renewed sense of peace and serenity. Right now I have a house full of clothes, furniture and other accessories that I have collected over the last 40 years.

I addition, I need to clear my offsite storage unit, which frankly, I'm not even sure what I have stored there anymore. Mostly when I buy something and find that I am running out of space, I take something to my storage unit.  All this must change if I am to make a successful move to an apartment 1/2 the size of the one I reside in now.  Not to mention that getting rid of the unit will also free up some extra cash which I can put toward the cost of that new apartment.

I will be left with only that which gives me value.

Make a list of your top 4-5 important things. What’s most important to you? What do you value most? What 4-5 things do you most want to do in your life? Simplifying starts with these priorities, as you are trying to make room in your life so you have more time for these things.

Here are some more tips I found which may help you begin the process

    * Have a small, but comfortable home. Less clutter, more space to move, breathe, and do the things you really care about doing.

    * Learn to live with less. Buy less, savor quality more, and put the spare money in the savings account for a rainy day or a reward vacation.

    * Rent rather than buy a home or items you need to use. Then the repairs, rates, and dry rot are someone else's problem, not yours.

    * Trade your car for a smaller one. Find something that works for your family but is make it smaller than an SUV.

    * Own fewer items but make sure that what you do own has greater versatility. Objects able to do double, triple, etc., duty are the most desirable to have around. Remember that working to pay for objects is not an ideal approach to living happily; review your priorities.

Getting to simplicity isn’t always a simple process.

Let go of the self-imposed need to be perfect.

 It’s a journey, not a destination.