How to Live Simply, The Art of the Simple & Deep

Do you live simply and deeply? Or do you skim along the surface most of the time?

Do you know what I think is one of the worst feelings? Getting the end of the year and realizing you are in the EXACTLY the same place as the year before. UGH.

Have you been there? Maybe it’s time for you to take a step back and ask yourself:

What do I really want? 

What is my purpose? 

How do I want to feel? 

How do I want to be at the end of next year?

Well, one thing I know for certain. If you truly want to change, skimming the surface doesn’t cut it. You have to dive deep. And if you want to live simply, you have to go deep in the simplest way possible. 

 

When we go deep instead of broad, we essentially commit to take action.

 

How to start to live simply

To really get into this deep dive, you need to get really clear on the results you want. Close your eyes. Imagine yourself on this date one year from now and ask yourself: who do you want to be? How do you want to show up in your marriage and with your kids? How do you want to feel in your career? How do you want to feel in your body? When you get clear on the feeling you want, it will help you guide the result you want and the result will help you set your goals for the coming year.

Here’s an example (and if you’re like 50% of Americans, you can relate to it). Let’s say you’d like to lose weight. Instead of simply setting the goal to lose weight, figure out how it is that you want to feel in your body. Juicy and vibrant? Or heavy and sluggish? When you decide the result, your actions will follow to support that. In this example, maybe you can choose to eat more mindfully and healthfully. If you want to feel vibrant and energetic, perhaps you will make choices to exercise that help to generate those feelings you want.

The R.A.F.T. (result, action, feeling, thought) process is something I teach and have Club members practice regularly. What is this? 

Imagine a tree planted in the ground. The results would be the fruit of the tree. The branches would be the actions you take. The trunk, maybe there’s a heart carved there, would represent your feelings, and the roots of the tree are your thoughts. To get the results, you have to start with where your thoughts are. If you want to feel amazing, focused, and vibrant, you have to step back and take a look at your thoughts. What are you REALLY thinking? What feeling do you have based on your thoughts? 

Many of us try so hard to change our results, but we are failing to look at our roots first and change the thoughts. We have to go back to the thought level for things to change. We have to work the process in order to live simply.

If you would like help with this process, consider joining the Vibrant Happy Women Club. We go deep every month about this process as it relates to our monthly themes — from things like time management, self-love, boundaries and relationships. In the Club, you can choose to be part of a Soul Circle, a group of 10-12 women who meet weekly and who are working on these goals together. Through discussions about the monthly workbook and most recent podcast, they hold each other accountable and help each other reach their goals! Doesn’t that sound amazing?

So, take a step back and ask: what do I really want? What is my purpose? How do I want to feel now and a year from now? I would love to help you reach your goals!