Simplicity ongoing

 "The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak."  Hans Hofmann

I found the above quote in my book I mentioned before - Organized Simplicity.  I'm enjoying the book, but I've gotten into the part that is actually cleaning and decluttering your house in a drastic sort of way.  And I don't feel like I can do it - with two very young children in tow - and a regular life to lead.  So I'm trying to do a section at a time.  And mostly, I'm trying to stop beating myself up about the dishes and laundry.  I have to clothe and feed them.  And every day they will make dirty dishes and clothing. 

Anyway, the one declutter project I did finish was my digital declutter.  And I can say - things I am interested in speak more often when the things I am not are gone.  It will be an on-going process to keep it decluttered.  But I like it!

"The average woman today, I believe, would do well to appraise her interests, evaluate the activities in which she is engages, and then take steps to simplify her life, putting things of first importance first, placing emphasis where the rewards will be greatest and most enduring, and ridding herself of the less rewarding activites." Belle S Spafford (Daughters in My Kingdom)

This is the next piece I suppose.  I don't want to be involved in a lot of things I don't care about or really have time for or that are not important.  A few years ago I "quit" scrapbooking.   I started cleaning out my scrapbook supplies and giving away extra papers.  I finished our wedding scrapbook and my husbands Marine scrapbook.  The only scrapbook I still work on is one that holds our childrens portraits.  So when I get a new portrait, I put it in the frame and move the old one to the scrapbook.  This works great for me and keeps the cost of scrapbooking (both in money and space) to a minimum.  I put all other pictures in a regular album and that works for me.  I'm not saying you should give up scrapbooking if that is your creative outlet.  I'm just saying hobbies don't have to be huge and consuming to be satisfying.

I am still working on evaluating my activities.  Another on-going project.


"Let us simplify our lives a little.  Let us make the changes necessary to refocus our lives on the sublime beauty of the simple, humble path of Christian discipleship  - the path that leads always toward a life of meaning, gladness, and peace."  Dieter F Uchtdorf (Of Things That Matter Most,  Ensign Nov 2010)

The reason I looked forward to Simplify so much is I'd gotten tired of feeling the choas in myself.  With little children things get a little messy - and that's ok!  It was the choas in myself that becomes hard to bear.  As much as I don't like it I know that outer order contributes to inner calm.  I know it doesn't have to be (nor will it ever be!) perfect order.  But I know it helps ME.  I hope that as I continue to evaluate my activities, my possessions, and my spaces I will be able to make room for things that are important to me and my family.  I want us to be able to be involved in things that are important to us and to be available to others!

I learned that Simplify could have been my word for the year.  I'm not finished with it.  So I hope to let it go hand in hand with the word for March:  BALANCE

Febuary Focus: Simplicity

Simplify!

This is one of the words I was looking forward to! I couldn't wait to get here because I felt like I needed it so badly!  I haven't felt able to keep up with the things I have to do daily (dishes, laundry) let alone do anything else!  So I've been feeling the need to simplify what is around me.

At the beginning of the month I started reading a book called Organized Simplicity (see also www.simplemom.net).  I'm enjoying it!  We've had talks about our family purpose.  I'm thinking about my own personal top 10 priorities.  When I have priorities and purpose, I don't need to do things that don't fit!

More thoughts are coming about Simplicity this month but for now, I'll just say - I've started unsubscribing from email newsletters and removing lots of pages from my facebook likes.  It feels good to work on the digital clutter!

I'm still behind on dishes and laundry (let alone thinking about the big move - sheesh) but I'm trying to remind myself that step by step I can journey to a simpler existence (I'm one of those people that wants to BE THERE ALREADY). And if I don't make it by April the movers are going to pack up all my stuff and haul it across the country anyway.