With Labor Day Weekend behind us and school starting up everywhere, autumn will be upon us soon. Here comes the season that launches a whole new gamut of celebrations, commitments, and obligations that vie for our time, money, and attention. If we aren’t intentional about it, this season has the potential to fill us up and overwhelm– leaving us exhausted and over-committed just in time for the holidays.
Chaotic seasons come in waves, but busy-ness can make itself at home in our lives without any signs of leaving. If your goal, like mine, is to live simply and purposefully, then we need to guard against the notion that busy-ness is just a normal way of life.
Attending to various commitments is not inherently bad; it’s committing without purpose that can make us feel out-of-control. Autumn is when most of us start expecting busy-ness to come knocking, but I think that if we choose to, we can still keep our priorities in sight. Just because the seasons are changing does not mean we have to get lost in it.
[Tweet “The seasons are changing but we don’t have to bow to chaos. 7 steps to simplify your life this fall via @daisylinshih”]
The truth about simple living is that sometimes you and I have to make unpopular choices. In a world where most everyone bites off more than they can chew and then proceed to barely come through, we must be different in order to achieve different results.
This fall, I’m continuing to simplify various areas of my life. I believe that our careers and achievements matter less than our purposes and priorities. Because even if we haven’t reached our goals yet, or if we find ourselves in an otherwise less-than-ideal circumstance, we can still choose intentionality. We can still live by our core commitments.
Want to simplify your life with me? Here are 7 steps I’m taking.
7 Steps to Simplify Your Life This Fall
1) Simplify your priorities: set attainable, measurable goals. Limit to 5.
When we’re faced with urgency, we struggle to see the difference between what’s pressing and what’s actually important. Setting goals based on a few of your biggest priorities can help with that– as long as you limit those goals to a small handful and make a concrete plan for achieving them.
Related: 10 simple ways to prioritize what you love
2) Simplify your friendships: communicate, serve, and socialize with purpose.
Why do some of us get entangled in “drama” so much more than others? Evaluate your friendships based on the purposes behind them: are you friends with someone for encouragement, companionship, accountability? Be intentional about the time you spend with them. Communicate clearly, and steer clear of situations that will only bring down everyone involved.
Related: 10 things to avoid during an argument
3) Simplify your media: consume only what you need and enjoy.
Whether you like to read, watch television, or scroll through social media feeds, the words and pictures you consume can clutter up your mind. Take this opportunity to throw away any media that hasn’t been good for you. Choose the things that motivate you to further your goals; there’s not enough time in the world for much else.
4) Simplify your schedule: commit carefully and choose wisely.
It’s easy for those of us self-employed individuals to equate time with money. I’m learning more and more that time and money are not the same. Regardless my hourly rate, how I choose to spend any particular hour can be priceless– and there’s no price tag on good relationships or my mental and physical health.
Whether we commit to an event to make money, expand our influence, or connect with others, we must be protective of our priorities first and foremost.
Related: 5 benefits of unstructured free time
5) Simplify your work: seek efficiency and evaluate each task.
If you have control over your task list– or even if you don’t– spend some time going over it and make sure everything you do has a purpose and a measurable outcome. Work is rarely easy, but it should be purposeful; otherwise we’re all just working to keep busy.
For me, responding to email is part of work. Instead of letting them pile up for later, I tackle them during a designated chunk of time and close my inbox when I’m on a different task.
6) Simplify your spending: determine the destination of your earnings prior to spending.
Do you know where your money is going? The good thing about using a debit or credit card is that your expenditures are recorded for you– that is, if you choose to look at them. If you’re struggling to save money, perhaps it’s time to go on a shopping ban. Once autumn is in full swing, marketers will stop at nothing to get you to buy something new for the new season; not long after, they’ll be reminding you that the holidays are “just around the corner.”
If like me, you’ve spent years throwing money every-which-way, spend some time going over your budget and tracking all of your expenses. Make a plan and stick to it.
Related: 6 ways to stay focused and achieve your short-term goals
7) Simplify your nourishment: choose seasonal home-cooked meals over extravagant dinners out.
Eating simple, healthy meals daily does wonders for my mentality. We subscribe to a box of fresh organic produce from our local CSA, and we eat mostly at home. Simple meals remind me that what I need is different from what I might like to indulge in; and while there is a time and place for the latter, what I really need is nourishment, not extravagance.
The bottom line: be true to your convictions
More easily said than done, isn’t it? We all carry convictions about what really matters, and what our lives should really be about, but our daily habits don’t always reflect them. Sometimes in the fury of determination we pursue our goals with zeal, only to lose momentum as soon as something less important presents itself as more urgent.
You and I are easily distractible creatures with a need for structure and a desire for purpose. So if we don’t stand firmly for what we love most, we’ll be swept away by the waves of obligation and temptation that come rolling in these next several months.
[Tweet “7 steps to simplify your life this fall via @daisylinshih #minimalism #simplify”]
These are all such great reminders! I love the feeling of freshness and newness at the start of each school year xo
Thank you for reading, Sharon! You are so right about social media– there are so many things in our feeds that don’t really need to be in our lives.
Thank you for reading this, Melinda! Money is such a strange thing– I think we all struggle with it, whether we admit that or not.
Learning to detach myself from the love of money has meant giving up lots of things, including the need to look good all the time! I’ve found freedom in this, and so can you! 🙂
Aw thanks Jennifer!
I completely agree about choosing what we desire vs. giving up certain things we might covet. Making that positive step towards what matters to us is so much more significant to saying no. Saying no is just the first step, being intentional is the next– and more important– step!
Thank you for these tips! I’ve been trying to cut back on social media. It tends to stress me out with too much information I don’t really need in my life. And I’ve put myself on a small shopping ban!
Oh, Daisy, money is my big bug a boo!
I need to learn better budgeting skills.
Important and urgent are not always the same, for sure!
Melinda
YES, YES, YES! I love this post, especially the bit about being true to your convictions. One thing I did that really helps is to define my values and then record them in a few places that I see daily (my diary, my phone).
I feel like the more I focus on my values and what I really want out of my life, it’s easier to stick to my convictions, because it’s not about giving things up, it’s about CHOOSING the things I really want more. In other words, not shopping is not about willpower, it’s about choosing to have the freedom to travel and work less instead.
A blogger after my own heart 🙂
Aw thanks Kaelene!
You always have the best tips!
Thanks for reading, Jo-Anne!
So true! There are still things in my inbox, my feed, and on my computer that I neither need nor appreciate. I’m also chipping away at the sense of “hurry” that seems to come with this season. Thanks for reading, friend! 🙂
Thank you so much Gina, you are so so kind. I’m learning these lessons myself as I go!
Thank you Zelle! Intentionality is easy to say and harder to do!
Thank you so much Lauren. 🙂 Yes, leadership can be so demanding relationally– there is so much to keep track of. And your point about listening to music when you cook is one I’m going to have to steal!
Yes I agree! Since I sometimes work through dinnertime, Aaron and I have been intentional about eating a good breakfast together and spending quality time in the morning.
Yes absolutely! I don’t like to eat out unless I really love the food, since it really is much more expensive.
Thank you Sara! And yes– so many of my friends were unbelievably busy in college, and it often seemed to lack purpose. I’m glad you’re thinking wisely about how you commit your time!
Thanks Shannon! Fall really does bring an onslaught of commitments and invitations!
Nice!! Fall is such a good season to enjoy, and it’s amazing that you already got a head start on holiday shopping. That’s amazing!
Thank you Alyssa! This really is a great season for relaxing and enjoying the changing weather– not for running from place to place!
Yes, soooo many sales… I actually need to go to the mall in the near-ish future and am dreading it slightly! I think limiting social media is a really good thing. I consider most social media time to be “work” so when I’m not working, I stay away from it.
Thank you Marcella! You are so kind and I appreciate you reading!
Yes yes yes
I’m sure you could guess that I love this SO much! I think the changing seasons are a great time to reevaluate and simplify, but there’s something about fall that makes me want to pare back even more than in other seasons. Coming out of summer, I’m ready for a slower pace of everything. I’ve been working on simplifying my media recently. I found myself scrolling Netflix and watching shows I didn’t even like that much, which meant I was then scrolling my phone and watching, and I never felt relaxed. So I’m quitting TV for a while and giving that time to reading, which actually does fill me up!
Such needed words today Daisy! You are full of tips and inspiration, and it’s truly a blessing to me everyday! Needed to hear the ones about friendships, work, and schedule. Thanks so much for sharing!!
Love these! I really need to be better about simplifying and doing more in the things I keep around.
xoxo
So good! This year I’ve been learning to simplify my relationships and give myself some grace. We lead a church small group and sometimes it feels overwhelming to pursue and spend one on one time with all the girls in our group. I’m learning to give myself some grace in those relationships and trust that whatever time I can spend will be time well spent! Same thing with media…I’m trying to limit how much time I spend just watching random shows and instead spend that time reading or listening to music as I blog, cook, etc. So many good reminders here! I love your heart to have a life that’s simple and focused on the things that matter!
I am really careful about over-scheduling my nights. Cooking dinner is really important to me and if Jordan and I are away from each other more than two nights, it better be for a good reason!
Dinners out are always the kicker. Being over engaged in events or social gatherings (like we have been lately) has meant serious over spending on meals out. They are supposed to SAVE time, but COST money… so it’s really a lose.
These tips are so wise! I’m especially drawn to #4 as a college student!
Always so inspiring! The last part of the year is always such an exciting time that it is easy to get caught up in everything. You always have great reminders to keep focused on what’s REALLY important!
Shannon
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Because of your posts in the past, I’ve actually deleted so many forms of social media from my phone. It’s refreshing to cut out all the unneeded attention. Fall is actually the only time of year I’m not stressed out. Especially this year, because my fiancé and I started Christmas shopping back in May as a way to cut down on costs closer to the holidays. We made lists, set budgets, and buy things as they go on sale instead of all at once. I can’t believe how much stress it’s taken off our shoulders!
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Such a great post! I absolutely love Fall and figure it will be even better if I am able to avoid overcommitment to enjoy the season even more. Thanks for the tips!
I’m trying to simplify my life by limiting social media, getting more organized about work, and reducing my spending on clothes and such. Working on building a capsule wardrobe helps a lot to keep me on target, but the sales are still getting to me!
An inspiring post as always 🙂 Thank you for sharing these great tips!