Wow! 2025 has been a flurry of activity. Although we’ve been planning the sale of our house for over two years, the actual process only took 40 days from start to finish. We didn’t even get a chance to list our house on the market before the sweetest couple came along. You can read all about it here. As we transitioned from a large family home to an amazing smaller apartment, there have been a few life lessons that have proven priceless. I want to share my thoughts with you today. Here are six lessons I’ve learned that will help you simplify your life no matter where you live, how big or small your home, or what age bracket you fall into.
Simplified Wardrobe
Simplifying your wardrobe may sound daunting at first, but trust me, it is worth it! If you have ever stood in your closet full of clothes and thought, “I have nothing to wear,” it’s probably because you have too much to choose from. I minimized my wardrobe several years ago. Slowly, over time, I removed all the color and leaned into a more neutral palette. My closet consisted of black, tan, gray, white, cream, and a little denim. Occasionally I’d throw in some red, but that was generally near the holidays.
This spring, I found myself craving more fun color and purchased several new pieces. While this has been a fun experiment, I have also discovered that packing for travel has become a bit more troublesome. While I am keeping all the fun color in my wardrobe for everyday, simplifying my travel wardrobe will be a practice I continue.
When you simplify your wardrobe to just a few core pieces you love and feel good in, you know that no matter what the occasion or weather, you always have something to wear. I encourage you to really assess your closet spaces and remove anything that doesn’t fit, isn’t comfortable, doesn’t suit your lifestyle, or just doesn’t make you happy. Simplify your wardrobe and you will simplify your life!
Simplified Home
Simplifying your home doesn’t mean you sell your house, get rid of half your belongings, or move across the country. While a big move can instigate a simplified home, it doesn’t have to be the only motivator. There are always things you can declutter and discard that will make your life easier on a daily basis.
It has been very curious to me how we could move from a home with nearly 4,000 square feet of living space to an apartment of 1,200 square feet (plus an attached 2 car garage) and have more functional space than ever before. I believe that comes from the way we have simplified our home.
Over time we assessed each item and kept the best of the best. We had three sofas, we kept the best one that was most functional for us. We had two households of cooking utensils and cookware. We kept the best of the best and donated the rest. Even now that we have fully settled into our new home, I still find things every week that I simply don’t need or use. If it hasn’t been useful in the last few months, will it ever be useful to me in the future? Probably not…so I let it go with a thankful heart.
Like your wardrobe, simplifying your home will leave you with more room, less clutter, less inventory to maintain, and more freedom to enjoy daily life. Simplify your home and you will simplify your life.
Simplified Workouts
It’s time for a confession. While lounging by the pool enjoying cool beverages sounds delightful and sublime, it can add up to a few extra unwanted pounds. And let me be the first to admit that losing those unwanted pounds over the age of 50 isn’t as easy as it was in younger days!
While I loved being a distance runner, time and life had a different plan for me. Trying to pack in hard workouts that left me exhausted often also spiked inflammation and cortisol in my body. As you know, inflammation and cortisol can hinder weight loss goals.
That is why a simplified workout routine has been a total game changer! We enjoy long walks, gentle strength workouts at the gym, and even a little disc golf to get in a bit of exercise. Occasionally, if we miss a workout day, you can find us lifting dumbbells while watching television or burning off a few calories on our rebounder.
Simplifying our workouts has been both rewarding in weight loss, and in difficult workout standards we no longer want to meet. Find what works for your body and simplify your workout routine! Doing anything is better than doing nothing at all!
Simplified Meal Prep
When our children were younger and we were constantly running from activity to activity, meal planning was one of the most important things I could do for my family. It kept us from grabbing quick unhealthy meals, saved us money, and probably saved my sanity!
Now, simplifying meal prep looks a little different. Now, I watch what’s on sale and plan my meals accordingly. For example: This week, boneless pork ribs were on sale. I purchased 10 boneless ribs for $4.23. That was nearly half the normal price. I also purchase rotisserie chicken when they are on sale. This week, our local store had them on sale for $5.99 and there was a $1.00 off digital coupon. I purchased an entire, already roasted chicken, for less than $5.00.
If you want to see how I work these chickens into my meal planning, you can read about that here.
We are also trying to take advantage of local farmers’ markets and fresh produce when we can. For the most part, our meals consist of a protein and a few fresh veggies. Keeping meals simple has saved us money at the grocery, and has saved me so much time in the kitchen. That leaves more free time for other fun activities.
When working to simplify your life, meal planning and meal prep can be a major contributor to your overall quality of life. Let us know in the comments your favorite way you simplify mealtime routines.
Simplified Organization
Simplifying your organization can be so rewarding. I’ve written entire posts around organizational strategies that have honestly been life-changing for us. Having an organized home doesn’t only mean buying bins and sorting like items. It can mean decluttering, down sizing, and finding strategies that work for your way of life. One thing I know for certain, simplifying your organization will overall simplify your life.
If you want to see how we organized our small apartment kitchen, you can read that here.
If you want to see how we organized our tiny apartment laundry closet, you can read that here.
If you want to see how I keep my micro apartment clothes closet organized, you can read that routine here.
Simplified Cleaning
Cleaning and maintaining a large home took focus and energy. I had routines I followed each week, implemented zone cleaning, and stayed on top of each area of our home.
Creating simple cleaning routines can save you headaches and backaches. Trying to do it all at once can work in extreme circumstances, but doing cleaning in small, manageable chunks, has proven to be much easier to do.
I’m including a free download of my cleaning checklist if you’d like to print it out and try it for yourself. You can download that printable by clicking the button below.
Simplifying Your Life One Step at a Time
You don’t have to adopt all of these changes at once. In fact, it may be simpler to attack one area at a time. But take my word for it, simplifying your life even in small ways, will increase your quality of life by leaps and bounds. Please let us know if you take on any of these challenges, and how they work out for you. I believe you’ll see great improvements in your overall stress levels with every simplification you adopt!
XO,
Billie
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