In 2023, The Simple Life Does It.

“Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated. ”
- Confucius, 551 BCE

Where does the simple life start?

Let’s ask a Zen Master. Confucius?  Or maybe Felix the cat.

After all, when it comes to the latter a comfy bed, regular feeding, perhaps some amusement and friendly interactions all topped off with some chin scratches is about all that’s needed. Ok, but it's 2023. What about our need for endless scrolling of social media, and other low-dividend and often utterly thankless diversions?  Wait, stop! Felines don’t have smartphones. And neither did that famous Chinese philosopher, Confucius. 

Although even in the long-ago of 551 BC he knew that simple trumped complicated. And yes, it does.

And where the simple life begins is when you realize that the frazzled, overwhelmed, state of your being isn’t caused from within but without.

Ready to simplify your life a tad? Here are some suggestions:

1. First step – set the intent to switch chaos and rush for simple and slow.
2. Tell the friends and family (your simple changes might affect them, so they need to be onboard).
3. Bring your smartphone back to basics by removing attention-grabbing social media/streaming/news apps.
4. Create a longer day to get things done by getting up 45-60 minutes earlier
5. Bring kitchen life and suppers to a simmer by intro’ing low-prep into the mix a few times a week (i.e  avocado grilled cheese or black bean tacos.
6. Simplify your social entertainment. Game nights with pizza instead of labour intensive dinner parties, keeps things simple.
7. Urban resident? Ditch the car and use car-share instead.
8. Once a week head up to your local laundromat for one big wash instead of the multiple day home washes.
9. Have more clothes than you actually wear? Purge, pass on, and consider restocking with a neatly curated selection of co-ordinating key elements that simplifies the daily “what to wear” dilemma.
10. If possible, join the WFH or hybrid work brigade – work may not become simpler but your “commute” will be.
11. Live in a 15 minute walk-everywhere neighbourhood.
12. Life a paper trail? Buy a shredder. And while you’re at it, organizing your paperwork and accounts ends tax time scramble for paperwork.
13. Space makes life feel simpler. Remember the proverb “A place for everything and everything in its place”? Putting things back where they should be, keeps your space tidy.
14. Simple is doing one thing at a time…
15. Too many demands on your day?- Say “no” more often. (Even if it’s to yourself.)

The domestic cat of course, has a simply purrfect life – and even if you follow just a few of the above tips, you can too.