It has occured to me how complicated we can make our effort to living simply. We feel that we need to do it all and then some. We read blogs and books and feel like if we aren’t growing everything we eat and making everything we use, we must be doing something wrong. This revelation came to me when I was reading an article on how to simplify your DIY.
Or maybe I’m just talking about myself here. I know that I have a tendency to over complicate things. I have a wonderfully annoying habit of researching the pants off of anything and then trying to dive in head first. I really should remember what my goals are for changing our lifestyle.
I have a number of reasons: frugality, health, appreciating the simple things, teach my kids the importance of work and more. But, when I dream about my goals for my life, I don’t picture money in the bank, or being superfit/healthy. I picture being able to take the time to enjoy my family. Working alongside them without being tied down by the craziness of this world. Slowing down. Peace.
Now I need to ask myself, will what I’m doing lead me to that life? I’m pretty sure that, if I attempted to learn and do everything at once (garden, canning, herbalism, soap making, cheese making, weaving, knitting, sewing, building and wood working and the list goes on) that I would just burn out. We are not designed to do it all. And very few people are able to dive in head first without drowning. That doesn’t sound very peaceful to me.
So, instead of my grand plan for our garden this year, I managed to move one step further than last year. The only vegetables I planted were tomatoes and carrots. Oh, and onions because I saw an idea on pinterest and thought it would be a simple way to use up the space where I planted my chamomile (that didn’t come up). I planted in containers because I figured it made sense to have a portable garden due to our impending move. I watered with a bucket from my kitchen sink because I have no faucet on my house. And I watched and waited. I did very minimal weeding (one of my favorite parts of container gardening) and only a little bit of fertilizing.
My garden took about 10 minutes to care for every couple of days and I didn’t lose my mind. I learned a lot about growing tomatoes and carrots. I didn’t get a huge and bountiful crop this year but I did manage to learn enough to point me in the right direction for next year’s garden.
Next year my goal is small: plant enough of a garden so I don’t need to buy veggies through the growing season. If that goes well, the year after next I’ll plant enough so that we can store some for the winter.
But, for now, 10 minutes extra into my schedule is simple. Because simplifying should be simple to do.Another couple great posts that I have recently read that are great grounders when you’re feeling overwhelmed or like you’re not doing enough:
How Do you Know When You Are Natural Enough? (Cheeky Bums Blog)
dear sweet mom who feels like she is failing (Finding Joy)
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Thanks for the link-up! Great post! I’ve always been a go-getter and chronic over-achiever…which has it’s benefits, but it also means that it’s hard to simplify because “there’s always ‘one more thing'”! great post and all the best with your garden! (mine was pretty pitiful this year! 🙂 – Kelsi @ Cheeky Bums Blog
I especially loved the line “And very few people are able to dive in head first without drowning.” I am one of those all or nothing types, and I have always paid for it by experiencing a lot of stress and then eventually giving up all together, I too have learned this year the value of doing things step by step, rather than the full hung ho approach I’ve normally taken, and I’ve found myself peacefully surprised by how much more I was able to accomplish (which to my goal-oriented self isn’t much!), but is a lot more than I have tended to accomplish in the past, and I enjoyed it! I found myself really being able to have fun with it, which is truly all I wanted anyways 🙂
so funny you should post this..i have been thinking about discontinuing all my blogs i read on frugality and simplicity because i feel so overwhelmed..im not doing much at all..and fail miserably at what i do try…but i do what i can when i can and pray its a beginning..and its enough!
I like to think that, in 10 years, I’ll be one of those people that seems to have it all together. At that point I’ll remember to tell people that all it takes is one thing at a time. You don’t get to the top of the mountain with trying to jump 1000 ft up. You start at the bottom and take one step at a time. One day you’ll look back and be amazed at how far you’ve come!
I’m laughing now because I spent all day stressing out over how to make my life easier. It is HARD coming up with a logical cleaning schedule, yard maintenance schedule, and monthly meal plan. And we don’t even have kids! It sure can be complicated trying to live simply.
My other favorite paradox is how expensive it can be to live thrifty. 🙂 Haven’t gotten that one completely straightened out either!
We’ll get there, though, won’t we? 🙂
I am so glad I’m not alone in this! Did you check out my post on how to live better and my 3 step philosophy to get there? It totally is hard when you feel like there is so much that you “should” do because “they” tell you too. Who is “they” anyway and why should “they” even matter? Lol!
Yep, totally agree it should be stress free. Have not managed that yet. We moved five years ago to 10.5 acres, and live in a shipping container. Our house is almost done, but living simply is hard. Totally get how people died so young, it is hard work. Heating with wood, toting water, caring for livestock in all weather, PLUS.
Hi! I found you from Frugally Sustainable – I agree that learning to live simply is easier if you take it slowly. I’m trying, but only a step at a time. If it’s too overwhelming, it’s hard to maintain. We love our garden, but we share it and the work with a friend. Much more doable.
I so wish I had a friend to share a garden with. Would make it much easier and way more fun!