As the New Year approaches, you are likely already thinking ahead and making some sort of New Year’s resolution. How can you improve your life? What changes can you make to live a more fulfilling life?

Perhaps one change you could consider is to simplify. The trend of wanting “more, bigger, better” is waning in favor of “less is more.” Twenty somethings and baby boomers are giving tiny houses a try, and dedicated survivalists are going off the grid. But, these types of lifestyle changes require major commitments, and the whole family needs to be on board. Thankfully, you don’t have to go that far to get back to the basics. Here are a handful of ways to simplify your at-home lifestyle while maintaining modern comforts.

Edit Your Belongings

It’s okay to like things. If a pretty piece of china makes you smile, don’t ditch it in an attempt to adopt another type of happiness. But, does every item in your home bring a smile to your face? William Morris said, “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” If you don’t really love it, let it go. This applies to clothing, accessories, and even furniture. Donate or consign any items that you and your family don’t absolutely love, and your home may feel lighter and happier as a result.

Reevaluate Your Technology Usage

You’ve likely heard that it’s important to disconnect from technology, but have you ever actually tried it? It’s so easy to become accustomed to constant contact that it might seem impossible to disconnect. If you want to make a change but can’t push yourself to do so under your own roof, take a short trip to a nearby destination with poor cell service. The remote surroundings will force you to put down the phone and ignore your e-mail and social media feeds. The short break might be the cold-turkey action you need to limit communication and media consumption going forward. If your e-mail inbox is always full (of mostly spam), start a new account and give the address only to friends and family.

Shorten Your To-Do List

This might be easier said than done, but give it a try anyway. If you keep a running to-do list, you might notice that you add more things to that list every day that you cross off. If your tasks are starting to overrun your life, keep only the essentials on paper. Set up auto-pay for your monthly bills so you don’t have to fret about missing a payment. Reevaluate your cleaning tasks by delegating chores among the members of your household, or even hire a cleaning professional to deep clean once a month. If your budget allows, consider enlisting a gardener to maintain your front yard or various tradespeople to handle those nagging once-a-year tasks , such as cleaning your gutters or power washing your hardscaping elements. This will also reduce your need for bulky chore-specific tools, such as lawn mowers and weed whackers. For everything you can’t delegate to someone else, seek a short-term solution. Consider setting aside one extra hour per day for one week to get ahead of your to-dos.

Simple Guidance

There are no shortage of resources available on the internet about ways to simplify your life. Here are a couple of links: https://zenhabits.net/simple-living-manifesto-72-ideas-to-simplify-your-life/ and http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carl-phillips/16-ways-to-simplify-your-life_b_7478380.htm. You can also find detailed guidance in the following books. Avoid extra clutter by buying an e-reader version, checking out a copy from the library, or passing along a print edition to a friend when you’re finished reading it!

Voluntary Simplicity: Toward a Way of Life That Is Outwardly Simple, Inwardly Rich
by Duane Elgin

100 Ways to Simplify Your Life
by Joyce Meyer

Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills
edited by Abigail R. Gehring

Source: Maresa Giovannini, Your Home and Lifestyle Magazine