The way we deal with the concept of simplicity can be strange indeed. Those of us who desire simplicity in our life can make it a very complex process.
We decide to declutter so we read books and blogs about it instead of simply getting on with it. We think about simplifying without actually doing anything about it. Surely that’s making a simple process more difficult than it actually needs to be.
One way to simplify is to become free of addictions. If you’re addicted to nicotine or alcohol, you can’t simplify in that area. You can’t decide not to use that product . You need it. You have to think about it. Plan for it. You must go to the shop so you don’t run out. The product, then, is your master. If you’re a hoarder, your things own you, not the other way around. If you’re addicted to sugar, the cravings overcome any knowledge you have about the subject and you find yourself having to eat something (a lot of it, usually!) you know is not healthy.
If you’re not addicted, you can drop something effortlessly simply by deciding to do without it, leaving you with extra time and often extra money. When nicotine, alcohol and sugar no longer hold dominion over you, you are free. Free and happy, because there is no conflict between the thing and you. The thing ceases to have importance. When things you no longer use are not left around to make your house a cluttered graveyard of the past, cleaning is quicker and the visual effect of your home gives you satisfaction instead of angst. It makes life easier. You have space for the important things.
Simplifying food can be a good idea. You can have easy, uncomplicated meals that take little preparation yet give you lots of nutrients. Finding simple food and simple preparation styles helps you overcome the desire for fast food for reasons of convenience. You increasingly realise that food can be just as convenient to prepare at home and that you are in control of the timing of the delivery. It’s just a case of buying a little differently during your weekly or monthly shop. You might have stores of tinned chickpeas and butter beans to help make easy salads or stews or put whole potatoes and huge pumpkin chunks in the oven to roast while you’re busy doing other things. It’s really just a case of thinking about it anew, rather than doing things the same old way you’ve always done them. Simple.