A Simpler Life - Habits

"It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities".  

Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

I'm trying live a simpler life, also known as a life, so there's more room for the important things - Rev T, the Tubblet, other family, friends, God, stuff I enjoy.  Hopefully this will make me happier and more content.

A fortnight ago I talked about getting our mindset right and a few of the the choices we make in relation to shopping and spending.  This week's post, and the last in the series, is on  habits.  I'm focusing on time, with a short detour into health via making those good habits stick.

Welcome to a Simpler Life Part 2 ...

Multi-tasking

Trying to build a routine, not wearing myself out by attempting to do all the things ... Sticking to the task in hand increases focus and cuts down on decisions.  I'm a team of one. Simplifying my time has made my work easier as I'm not stressing about the the stuff undone.  (But I do have a very big list!)

Online time

Reducing the amount of time I spend with my face in a screen.  Unfollowing people and avoiding sites that don't give me joy.  So I can spend it doing something else.  With actual people.  Doing actual stuff.

Changing my online habits is really hard.  I use a computer all day at work.  At home, I blog, natter on social media and play games.  Changing means breaking long-ingrained habits.

There are some small changes that make a difference.  Picking up the phone or going to see someone instead of sending an email.  Taking regular breaks.  Even if it's just to pee!  Switching devices off during the day and after 9pm in the evening.  (Oh, 9:30pm now, better get cracking with this post!)

Sali Hughes recently wrote:  "For every hour spent reading fake news, watching Videos or gazing at other people's avosmash on toast, all of which we'll almost simultaneously forget, we are robbing ourselves of an hour's worth of meaningful memories".  I know, ouch!

Eating and moving

Despite my belief that coffee is a major food group. I'm trying to be more healthy.  Eating less, moving more.  I'm not going to make a big thing about this, but it's worth considering what you eat, where it comes from and how it's made.  

Making new habits stick

Even though I know what to do, even though I want to do it, I still stumble and fall.  Making new, better habits stick is hard.  Here are few things I find helpful:

• Making time and space for the new habit.  

• Telling friends and family, writing about it on your blog or finding a buddy.  Making yourself accountable helps me stay motivated and means I'm less likely to give up.  

• Removing or avoiding temptation.  People or situations.

• Celebrate the small victories.  Most changes can be broken down into smaller tasks.  Each time you complete one, celebrate.  It helps you keep on keeping on.

• Don't give up.  One day at a time.  Today may have been a bust, but tomorrow is another day. 

To conclude ...

Having created space, what to fill it with?  What does that look like on a daily basis?  Will that change our family life?  That'll take some thinking about, but it's exciting.

Thank you for reading as always.  Hope you're having a great summer!

50 Things I Wish We Did More Of

Ai Weiwei at Blenheim Palace

During a blog tidy to get the place GDPR ready, I found my 50 Things That Make Me Happy post.  It made me think of all the things that I wish we could just get on and do.  Things that tend to get forgotten when life, jobs, school, money, chores and responsibilities get in the way.  

Adventures
Beaches
Blankets
Blogging
Books
Cinema
Colour
Cooking
Coffee
Creating
Dressing up
Drinking water
Eating out
Exercise
Explore
Family
Friends
Flowers
Focus on the good
Fun
Handbags
Helping others
Laughing
Letters
Listening
Live music
London for pleasure not business
Making the bed
Me time
Opening windows
Outside
Playing with makeup
Picnics
Reading
Resting
Saying"I love you"
Silence
Sleeping
Socialising
Stepping outside my comfort zone
Stroking and playing with the cat
Sunrises and sunsets
Sunshine
Taking a break
Tidying up
Treating others
Turning off social media
Walking
Watching a box-set
Writing

What things do you wish you do more of?  

A Simpler Life - Choices

"Your heart will always be where your treasure is."

Luke 12:34

It's August.  Rev T is on sabbatical for 3 months - which all Baptist Ministers get each seven years -  so he's having a total break from our church.  The Tubblet is off school for the summer, the last break before her GSCE's start.  I'm still at work but will be grabbing myself some free time.  There isn't going to be a whole load of blogging going on.  

Instead there will be a mini-series about the things we're trying to do to live a simpler life that hopefully will inspire others on the same journey.

Interspersed with two fun posts as there's only so much self-improvement a body can take ...

Welcome to A Simpler Life, Part 1 ...

To me, living a simpler life is about being thoughtful about the choices I make as they don't just impact me, they impact others.  Questioning the what and the why so what I do matches what I believe, reflects my values and the things that come out of my mouth ...

We're all just figuring stuff out.  There's no right or wrong way to do this.  It doesn't have to be prefect.  (It won't be!)  It's about making small changes, creating new habits, ways of thinking and then building on that.  It's one step forward, two steps back ... Some days are definitely more successful than others.

The mindset

Think about what a simpler lifestyle looks like to you and any changes needed to make that happen.   Decluttering your space, managing your time more effectively, changing your shopping habits, improving your relationships, being more healthy  ... Why you want to live that way.  Focusing on the what and why will hopefully help you figure out the how.  And help you keep going when it gets hard.

And then comes the practical bits ...

All the things ...

Stuff / clutter / things can be a distraction.  They get in the way, take up space and need looking after. Decluttering our home has made it feel lighter, happier and given us more space.

We decluttered a room at a time.  And when there wasn't time to do it all at once, a drawer or an area. Everything left is useful or brings joy to someone in the family.  There were a few things we didn't agree on, particularly sentimental items, but no one wins them all.

Coming home to a clean(ish), tidy(ish) house without any clutter is lovely and it's easier to clean.

Having less things to choose from makes choosing between them easier.  Fewer clothes makes me more creative and happier about what I choose to wear.  It also makes buying new things easier as if it doesn't go with what's already there, it doesn't get bought.    Which brings me onto ...

All the shopping ...

It's easy to get caught up in an endless cycle of want, buy, discard and repeat.  Instead, I'm trying to buy things I actually need rather than things I think I need.  Finding joy in the things I have and not worrying about being trendy or what others will think.  Stuff doesn't make you happy or content.  It doesn't make me a better or lovely person.

I'm also trying to stick to what I usually buy if I like it rather than constantly looking out for something better because I don't want to miss out.  If it ain't broke, don't try to fix it.

This is very much a work in progress.  I'm entering all expenditure on my phone app which is helping identify ways to cut back so I can save more.

As well as buying less, but better things and looking after them, I'm trying to think about what I buy and where it comes from.  I've switched to cruelty-free products and am trying to live more sustainably.  There are other things I can do. Avoiding clothing retailers that use sweat-shops, buying Fair Trade etc.  I don't know much about some of this so I'm going to have educate myself. Recommendations for places to start would be great.

And that's enough for this week ... In a fortnight's time, a Simpler Life will focus on habits.  Next week's post will be a lot more light-hearted.  Thank you for reading and I hope you're having a wonderful summer.