At the end of the month, I want to be honest with you in an update about how my goals to live more simply have been going. Success or fail, this is really how January turned out…
At the beginning of the month, I laid out what my 2021 New Year’s Resolution would be: A Year of Simple. I wanted to declutter the things that were keeping me from truly enjoying my life.
This comes in many forms: from the physical clutter taking up space to the behaviors that clutter my life and steal my peace. It includes excess debt, stuff, expectations, micromanaging, and stress.
I’ve never sought happiness because that’s a feeling that comes and goes. It’s unsustainable. I crave peace. Contentment. And there are a lot of things that I’ve gathered around me in 2020 that are keeping me from feeling peaceful and content now.
So, here’s a breakdown of my mini-goals in my year of simple and how I’ve been doing so far. I’m also including any corrections I’m taking for those missteps in the coming months.
What’s the point of making a mistake if you can’t learn from it?
UPDATE: My Year of Simple – January
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No Spend Year
Not spending a dime outside carefully-allotted budgets is a daunting task. And I admit, I made some missteps. Here’s how I plan to correct:
- Overspending my grocery budget by $70 – Next month, I’ll balance this out by spending $530 on groceries for February. I will also make a more detailed meal plan and order my groceries online to avoid impulse buys.
- I spent 20% of my homeschool budget already – This wasn’t really a mistake so much as a warning that it’s easy to spend when it comes to my kids. In future, I need to be more frugal and see what I can find second-hand.
- All of my credit cards and other payment options were deleted from online accounts – This is a huge help when I feel tempted. I’m considering taking out all payment forms except a little bit of emergency cash from my wallet when I go out, but still undecided. (This makes me nervous because I would take the gold in the What-If games.)
Simplifying the Clutter
Whoa, Sally. This one has not gone well. I’ve committed myself to getting rid of 2,021 belongings by the end of the year.
- I gave away exactly zero – I know that January is a crazy month as we all come back to work and school. To keep myself on track, I am setting aside 15 minutes a day to work on this, and longer on Saturdays.
- I deleted about half my apps – I’m going to continue to look at which ones don’t really serve me anymore, or waste my time. But I’m already happier having so many useless ones gone.
Less Micromanaging
This goal was tough. It requires me to hold my tongue, which I’m not always good at. I’m going to be general here because there were many instances where I did nothing of the sort. But this goal is really important to simplifying my days because it stresses me and my family out a lot!
- I spent half my evenings reminding the kids of the time so they didn’t lose their end-of-the-day screen time – I don’t know why I do this since it’s not me losing screen time and I’d be happy with them skipping it. Next month, I want to focus on pointing it out once and then letting the natural consequences play out.
- Yelling in general rather than speaking to someone in person – I do this a lot to save time and because I can be lazy. But yelling means I don’t know if they hear me, I don’t really communicate well, and it sounds angry even if it’s not. Next month, I am going to remind myself to look everyone in the eye when I speak to them.
- Reminding about chores because I hate the mess – My nagging doesn’t work, so if I want it done I need to find another way. In future, I’ll make it clear that the chores are done (entirely) before the reward is given. I have to be consistent with this, no matter how much I want to throw my hands up.
- Letting the kids do their best and accepting it – I haven’t always been good at this, but I am improving. If they do their best, it doesn’t have to be my best. Perfection is the enemy of progress, I’ve heard.
Living a Life of Less Hurry
I give myself a B+ on this one. Slowing down, doing less, and leaving things undone is really hard for me.
- Working late – In February, I want to simplify my schedule by setting aside certain days for certain tasks to make me more efficient. I’d also like to quit work at dinnertime instead of bedtime.
- Overcommitting and filling my schedule – Even if I’m not going out anymore, I still let myself get sucked into constant busyness. Next month, I want to open up margin time throughout my day for unexpected and enjoyable things.
- A day of rest – This is the highlight of my month and something I will continue. Sundays are my day of rest. No cooking, no email, no real clothes (I wear lounging pajamas all day), and have no other commitments except virtual church.
When I started this Year of Simple goal, I did it with the intention of getting rid of excess. But I also wanted to make room for the things that really matter to me.
Better places for my money. Time to devote to my faith, family, and things I really love. A more sustainable lifestyle to better care for our natural world.
Each day I make a choice with how I spend my time, money, and mental energy. I hope by the year’s end, I will make those choices without intentional thought. That the simpler thing will become my default.
Let’s see what February brings…
How have your 2021 goals been going? Have you kept them or lost your footing? And how have you found your way back to them after a stumble? I’d love to hear in the comments or on social media!
Interested in more posts on goals and simple living? Check out some of these:
7 Ways to Make Time for Your Goals
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