Ley - Simplified life - tactical tools for intentional living

If I know anything about life, its this: it doesnt have to be so complicated. I know what it feels like to be in the absolute thick of itwith little ones clamoring for attention, an inbox forever overflowing, a house brimming with clutter, laundry that never seems to end, doubt and anxiety pumping through my veins. I know what it feels like to be completely and totally overwhelmed.

I also know what it feels like to be on the other sideeven if just for a glorious few moments. I know the feeling routine, structure, and order bring to busy days. I know what a calendar with breathing room feels like. And I know the deep breaththe kind that reaches down to fill your heart, lungs, and soul with peace and presencethat comes with a truly simplified life.

I want to live there. I want more of my moments to be spent in that place of calm contentment. I want to bask in the glorious greatness of basic-ness (dont worry, I just made that word up). And I want to revel in going over the top when I want to because there is white space in my life to do so.

My life is busy and complicated and all but simple sometimes. But Ive learned a thing or two about simplifying life (mostly thanks to my own simplicity-minded mom) to make physical and mental space for what matters. Im so excited to share these tips and many more with you in this book. Every little tidbit of advice in the next few pages can be applied to your life no matter your circumstances: your family size, your budget, your career situation. We all could benefit from clearing the clutter, building real, tactical routines into our days, and embracing organizational strategies that actually work in our real lives.

I have a very vivid memory of Saturday mornings as a kid. My little brother and I woke to the smell of eggs, bacon, andsince we were in the Southstone-ground grits, of course. Wed gather for breakfast and cartoons, get our chores done, and head out to play. I remember our Saturday morning tradition wellthe piles of blankets on the couch, familiar cartoons, the jammies we wore late into the morning, the way my mom opened the windows and turned on music while we cleaned our home together. It was a pretty ordinary tradition, nothing fancy. But like my moms other routines, it was easy, and it made us all feel connected.

LIFE IS HARDLY SIMPLE. IN FACT, ITS OFTEN QUITE COMPLICATED.

What if we looked at organizing and homekeeping like that? What if we traded perfect pantries with matching bins and pretty labels for easy routines we can actually keep, routines that can connect our families? What if organizing not only made our spaces feel better but also freed up our time to help us love one another a little better? When you picked up this book, you might have thought that A Simplified Life seemed like a crazy title. Or you may have said, Yes, please! Fix my life! Make it simple!

Life is hardly simple. In fact, its often quite complicated. And though our seasons and situations will change, we can make real, messy, day-to-day life simpler with a little intention and preparation. Throughout this book, we will walk through the tactical process of simplifying ten key areas of life. Though each area has its own specific needs and will require different types of work, the process is the same for each:

DECLUTTER DISTRACTIONS. Take inventory of your life, rigorously eliminate distractions, remove the unnecessary, and pare down to what truly matters.

PUT TOOLS IN PLACE. Set up accountability, systems, and resources.

ESTABLISH ROUTINES THAT WORK. Create flexible routines so each part of your life works together rather than competes for time and attention.

By walking through these three steps, youll uncover treasures in your life that you may have otherwise overlooked. Thats one of my favorite parts of this process and what simplified lives are truly built ondiscovering the most basic and beautiful gifts already right in front of you.

What if we traded perfect pantries with matching bins and pretty labels for easy routines we can actually keep, routines that can connect our families?

As a working wife and mom to three small children (currently toddler twins and a kindergartener), Ive learned to incorporate all of my moms tips, tricks, and routines for a simplified life. And along the way, Ive developed some of my own systems that work for our busy family.