Today I want to share more ideas from 5-Minute Retreats for Moms. Today’s tips deal with easy ways you can simplify your life.
One of the easiest ways we can simplify our lives, according to the author, is to stop multitasking “to the point of ridiculousness.” Other simple things we can do include:
tidying up our house at night before we go to bed,
investing in a haircut that suits your face, hair texture and lifestyle and does not require a lot of brushing and styling,
doing as much shopping and banking over the phone as you can,
ordering from catalogues as much as possible, and
having a gift shelf in your house to avoid last minute trips to get birthday presents or other gifts.
Another step we can take to simplify our lives is to overcome busyness. We need to decide exactly how we want to spend our time and what it is we really need, and can realistically, accomplish in a day. We also have to think seriously about those things we can put on hold.
We also have to learn to just say no and to apply the KISS ( Keep It Sweet and Simple) Principle more often. We should also make a conscious effort to make things easier for ourselves by cutting back, condensing, decreasing, minimizing and shrinking items on our to-do lists.
Or better still, how about making a “not-to-do list”? Include on your list those activities and things you can stop doing that would mean you would have more peace and harmony in your life.
Finally, consider starting a cooking club. The author recommends that you find three friends with the same taste in food and the same approximate number of family members. Then get together and plan menus and make out your shopping list. Then once all the ingredients are secured you get together, each one making their family’s favorite dish. Once all the meals are prepared, place them in freezer bags or aluminum pans and cover with foil (include cooking instructions). Each member then takes their dish along with one dish from each member for a total of 12 meals. Add a salad, veggies, etc. and you have 12 complete meals for a minimum amount of work. Plus, you get a chance to spend time with your friends.
Again, as you can see these are pretty simple ideas for busy moms. When you can manage to simplify your life you will open up more time to spend with not only your family but most importantly , you will also have more mommy time. Don’t go too far, more retreats to come.