S I M P L I F Y
Photos c/o Emily Scott // Blouse + Jeans: AYR // Shoes: Freda Salvador // Cardigan: Vetta // Purse: This is Vele
One of my sisters works at a high-risk urban school. Her days are filled with decisions that impact hundreds of teachers and students. When she leaves, the thought of making another decision—no matter how small—feels exhausting. Because of this, she has been simplifying her life by removing small daily decisions. For example, every day for a year she had an espresso and protein bar for breakfast. It was one less thing she had to figure out when she was at the grocery store. Learning this about my sister was fascinating. And it made so much sense. It made me wonder if that’s why my mom did pizza Fridays when we were growing up. She ran a house of 8 human beings, and a tight ship at that. Perhaps knowing that Fridays were for pizza was an easy way to have one less decision to make. Though I don’t work at a high-risk school, or have a husband and six kids, I have my own set of circumstances that can make everyday life feel daunting.
Research says the average adult makes around 35,000 decisions a day. (I had to read multiple articles about that, because it stressed me out just reading the number). Running two businesses and managing a team can leave me fried before dinner time. I’d rather focus on the people and things I really care about than be distracted by the little things.
When tiny decisions are already made, we can have more energy and mental space for our fast-paced lives.
Over time, I have begun to simplify my life. One way I have done this is through a lean wardrobe.
I’ve wasted so much time lamenting over what I was going to wear, so last year I got rid of 75% of my clothes. There’s no fluff in my closet, and not a ton of options. But what I have I love. And I know that anything I put on fits me well, can easily be mixed and matched, and is comfortable. Not only do I save time getting ready, I also save the hours I used to spend each season wandering aimlessly around stores, buying and returning things. I have a list of things I need and want, and I don’t deviate from it. Which means each season I might buy one or two things, and that’s it.
Simplifying my life has been a process. At the beginning even the thought of it felt overwhelming. It seemed like just one more thing vying for my time.So how do we even begin to decide which everyday decisions to simplify? I think we start small. What if we opt for a slow and steady wins the race sort of approach. We can choose to be patient, see what works for us, and try a few things for a while and see how it feels.
What about you? What is one small way you can simplify your life?
XO,
Kat
