Monday, January 18, 2016

Simplifying-a January follow up

So, in a follow up to my last two posts, how am I doing on simplifying and my resolutions? Not too badly.

We did keep it simple for the holidays. I did not send out lots of cards. I did just enough decorating for me to feel festive. We limited the presents we purchased. This allowed us the freedom to visit our family in two different areas-California and Nevada. It was lovely to see everyone and nice not to have to worry about trying to juggle too many things.

I set some goals for myself every year. Some remain, others change. this allows me to reflect back on progress I've made or lack thereof.

Combining the resolution and the simplifying, I decided to tackle a de-cluttering and organizing project this month. Unfortunately, shortly after starting, I got out of commission with a cold. However, once that passed, I got back on track.

There are a number of bloggers who have some great suggestions about tackling clutter. The fact that these exist suggests that this is a very common issue for many of us. One that is helping me this month is from Overstuffed Life at http://www.overstuffedlife.com/2014/10/a-place-for-everything-31-days-of-less.html.

As I considered why I clutter, I know that at least one reason for some of it is that I need visual reminders of things I need to do. Unfortunately, they pile up and I lose the reminder. To fight this tendency, I am using more of the features of my smart phone for reminders.

Looking at the list of areas to tackle, I am pleased that some of those were habits I already improved in the past. Others are sadly apparent in my life. I am pleased to say that I have made a great deal of progress and have some hope that I might maintain this change in habits and thus enjoy the freedom that lack of clutter brings.

One result of all this industry is that I have managed to rid myself of a lot of paper. I also have a pile of things to take for donation which should be going this week. I have switched from paper to digital for a number of items, but I still had a lot to shred. As more becomes digital, I see this chore decreasing.

One thing that is nice is that all this work on my de-clutter project is not taking a lot of time each day. I am allotting from thirty to sixty minutes each day for the task. This way, it does not seem overwhelming, and I can see definite progress each day. In the areas of I have already finished, it takes only a few minutes to maintain the sense of order.

De-cluttering might not seem like simplifying, but for me, it is a first step in moving to a simpler life. In some ways, simpler means less complicated. In others, it is less commercial or processed. I think in some ways, I am simply old-fashioned even though I made a living in high tech.

Some of my choices are not easier, but they simplify in one way or another. For example, I make homemade yogurt about every two weeks. I do so because it is relatively easy, takes only a little time and some milk, and creates a product without any artificial additives. We use yogurt in our smoothies every morning, so we consume quite a bit of yogurt, and besides giving us fewer additives, makes the cost very reasonable. 

I also make my own laundry detergent and have for many years. this allows me to decrease chemical exposure and again cost. This has been very effective for us.

We eat very little processed food. I make most of our meals from real food-fresh (sometimes frozen), often locally produced. I find it satisfying to create a comforting and healthy meal for our family. I am lucky that my husband enjoys most of my quirks in this area although he does not like ethnic food quite as much as I do. However, we both agree on choosing to eat healthy, real food.