3 Ways to Choose Simplicity Today

Happy Friday, Friends! 😎

I (Misti) have been visiting my family this week and helping with some spring cleaning… yeah, I know we’re all a little sick of hearing “spring cleaning” at this point, but bear with me. 

After packing up what seemed to be the 19th bin of extra stuff to sell on Poshmark, I was basically groaning, “Why do we accumulate so much stuff just to have to declutter year after year?”

This yo-yo tendency of mine to accumulate and then purge is one of the many reasons I took the extreme route of being a nomad.

I was drawn to the simplicity of just not owning anything rather than having to worry about owning so many things I didn’t really need.

Wait. Let’s talk about that word for a minute. Simplicity. 

Simplicity sometimes feels so impossible to obtain. Turns out, there’s a reason for that—the complexity bias, a common cognitive bias that predisposes us to prefer complex solutions over simple ones. 

The complexity bias is why I bought into marketing ploys that convinced me I really did need so many fancy gadgets to solve whatever specific problem I had at the time instead of just figuring out how to be resourceful with what I had on hand.

Of course, not all complications are chosen. Many times, complexity and chaos choose us.

But whatever is within our control and influence is where we will focus the majority of our time, energy, and attention.

So how do we choose simplicity?

By now, many of us know that ‘simple’ is better, but we might struggle to implement decisions and behaviors towards simplicity.

We still need a bit more buy-in and a better framework to do the work of retraining our brains, establishing new patterns, and implementing different actions.

We can start by focusing on 3 categories where simplification has a direct and positive correlation with our money management.

1. Simplify your physical space 📦

Why? When there are fewer or simpler things to maintain and use, the more capacity we have for what’s truly important. 

How? Simplifying our physical space means decluttering while also defining our ‘enough.’ This is different for every person, but without it, we will flounder to know where our satisfaction lies.

We need to engage with all the ‘too much,’ possibly finding what’s ‘too little,’ in order to eventually land on ‘enough.’

Bonus Action Step: 12-12-12 Challenge: Move through your entire home searching for 12 items to donate, 12 items to put in their proper place, and 12 items that need to be tossed. 😉

2. Simplify your schedule 🗓️

Why? We can’t manage time; we can only manage ourselves in the midst of time. When we can effectively manage ourselves and our schedules, we reap the rewards of time for ourselves, a richer connection, and better health.

How? Learn to say no, prioritize activities, and focus on one thing. We can use our priorities list to guide us in focusing on tasks one by one.

For everything from chores to debt payoff, we will be more likely to go further when we give our time, energy, and attention to one goal at a time. 🕰

3. Simplify your daily decisions ⚖️

Why? With all that is on our plates, wherever we can find room for making simpler decisions and eliminating unnecessary choices, the less likely we are to overextend our capacity. 

How? One of the ways we can live well within our limitations is by refining our routines and habits.

Catch ya later,
Misti

⭐️⭐️ P.S. Want to share all this goodness with your friends AND earn cool Frugal Friends merch?

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