Day #30 of 30 Days to a Simpler Life --- Get a Little Help from Your Friends

Your task for today is to call three friends and ask, "What are some ways you have simplified your life?"

(30 Days to a Simpler Life, p. 183)

In this final chapter of 30 Days to a Simpler Life, the authors included pages of tips from all their friends.  I enjoyed reading them, and I'm sure you will too!  I checked out another book from the library during this process called Life's Too Short to Fold Fitted Sheets.  It has a lot of household and organization tips in it too, but I found its value to be more in the author's sense of humor.  I couldn't leave day #30 without giving you this quote from that book:

Take a look at your life---do you like what you see?  Live every day like it's the last one.  Find a passion, not an OCD.  No drama allowed.  Don't worry about all the toys; just hold your kids and smooch them on their perfect little heads.  Embrace the chaos.  Quit trying to keep up with the Joneses and tell those jealous bitches to suck it.  Give yourself some credit.  Do less and enjoy more.  Wave your hands in the air like you just don't care.  Put down the glue gun and step away, ma'am.

(Life's Too Short to Fold Fitted Sheets, p. 160)

So while I'd love to think that I'm now the maven of simplicity (ha ha), I have a long way to go baby.  Just because I know lots of hints and tips now doesn't mean I'm going to be motivated to apply them everyday---  and that's okay.  I think what I got out of this process is the knowledge that I can do it!  It might not happen as fast as it does on HGTV or TLC, but it can happen.  I just need to commit to getting one thing done and just do it one step at a time.  One of my college friends used to always say to me, "You can't eat an elephant in one bite."  I always found that quote a little gross (visions of eating a pachyderm raw---ick), but she was right.  One step at a time is the only way to get anything done.  So I'm putting down my glue gun and I'm looking forward to a fun Easter weekend with the family.  Next week I'll be back to business, but until then here are five recurring themes that the authors of 30 Days to a Simpler Life experienced when they asked their friends how they simplified their lives:

• Drop perfectionism and the guilt it produces.
• Learn to say "No!" right away.
• Make a commitment to your health---eat well, exercise, and get adequate sleep.
• Edit negative people from your life.
• Avoid shopping whenever possible.

(Page 183)

Wow---imagine how much easier life would be if we could just do those five things!  How have you simplified your life?  What's your best tip you can share?  Thanks everyone for coming on this journey with me!