I would not consider myself a ‘morning person’ – I love how comfy my bed is, I enjoy sleeping in (later than I should) and I prefer a slow steady start to my day (they do say slow and steady wins the race so perhaps I’m onto something). I’m not a grouch in the morning – I’m just slow to get started.

I take my time getting up, I like to sip slowly on my coffee or tea and gear up for the day. I really am the tortoise as opposed to the hare who is busting with energy ready to take on the day. There is one thing that I don’t skip in my long, drawn out morning routine and it’s all about one small positive thought in the morning.

One of my slow morning rituals is to set an intention for the day. I usually use this time to remind myself to take on a positive attitude with me throughout the day. For me, each morning is a new beginning to the whole day and I like to start out on the right foot and in a positive way. Positive thinking and positive thoughts are one of the easiest, simplest, and just all around best ways to boost your mood and inject more happiness into your life.

Positive thinking isn’t just a nice thought – it’s scientifically tested! This study was published in March 2016 in the Journal of Behaviour Research and Therapy and results showed groups of people visualizing positive images/outcomes reported greater happiness, restfulness and decreased anxiety.

The Benefits of One Small Positive Thought in the Morning

One small positive thought in the morning really has the power to change your whole day. Starting your day off with the right attitude can be the best thing to brighten your whole life – it can make you feel happier, improve your quality of life and help you achieve the goals you’ve set for yourself.

The only thing you really have control over in life is yourself. How you choose to feel, choose to act, choose to react. Life can be difficult, there will be challenges and we cannot control what challenges or difficulties we may face but we can choose how we face them. There was a long period of time negative thoughts seemed to control my life – worry about the future and stress about the past loomed in my mind most of the time in my day. I had to take positive action to change this! 

I needed to replace my negative thoughts with positive ones as negative thinking was really dragging me down each day. It cast a dark cloud over the rest of the day and made it difficult to feel motivated or even happy. I knew I needed to make a change and I needed to do it as the first step of any given day!

The morning can feel like the most important time of day – its a reset – a brand new day; a fresh start. Starting off with a good mood puts you on the right track for the rest of the day. The morning was the absolute best time to make a change to start with positive intention, first thing. 

From then on, I tried to be more conscious about my thoughts in the morning. Being intentional and present with what I first thought in the morning – I quickly realized the first thoughts were usually worry about all the things I had to get done or stupid mistakes I made the day before. What a terrible way to wake up! My first change was simple: when I wake up I will tell myself ‘today will be the most beautiful day of your life!’ – yes, it was cheesy but it worked! It transformed my thinking to think about and focus on the positive instead of the negative.

This new start to the day and new way of thinking gave me something else to focus on and think about other than negativity! It gave me a positive and brighter outlook on life, that this day was going to be a great day! From then on before going to sleep, I chose positive quotes, my ‘good morning’ to me quotes that would give me a positive head start the next day.

The energy you put out into the world really finds its way back to you – I started to have a more positive mindset. I saw the beautiful world that is out there with each new morning. Instead of seeing the dread in my to-do list or the pain in past mistakes – I saw what there is to be thankful for or the great things that I could accomplish that day.

Similarly to how negative thoughts clouded my whole day, positive thoughts lit up my entire day. Positive thinking, positive affirmations, and just an overall positive attitude became powerful tools for me to meet the challenge of each day with. I see the positive results that one small positive thought in the morning has and I wanted to share it with you too! 

Live a positive life, a happy life by setting yourself up for it! I’ve collected all sorts of different quotes to get you started with your very own “one small positive thought in the morning ritual” – motivational quotes, inspirational quotes, encouraging quotes, any and all of the quotes I felt were a really positive way to start your day! I encourage you to read through and select a few of your favourites to hold onto for each morning. Start your day off each early morning with a breath of positivity!

So, what is a good thought for a morning? Or what is one positive thought to start the day?
If you’d like some inspiration – I’ve separated the quotes into different themes so you can really narrow down which one small positive thought in the morning you’d like to start with!

One Small Positive Thought in the Morning Quotes

Choosing Happiness

We will not be happy 100%, all of the time – it’s just part of the human experience. We experience a wide range of emotions and experiencing the negative ones like stress, worry, sadness, pain allow us to appreciate the positive emotions even more. Even though there are times to be sad or stressed, we don’t have to remain this way. We can choose to see the positive in our situations, we can choose happiness. These one small positive thought in the morning quotes are all about that – choosing positivity, choosing happiness, choosing to seek the light through life’s adversities.

If you need a reminder to look for happiness and positivity, I hope these quotes will do it for you!

1. “Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.” – Anthony J. D’Angelo
2. “Happiness is a choice, not a result. Nothing will make you happy until you choose to be happy.” – Ralph Marston
3. “Happiness is always there. You just have to choose to see it. There’s no point dwelling in the dark and ignoring the light of the stars.” – Carrie Hope Fletcher
4. “Happiness in your heart is directly proportional to the quality of thoughts in your mind.” – Asma Naqi
5. “Being happy never goes out of style.” – Lilly Pulitzer
6. “When you have a choice, choose happy!” – Pancho Barnes
7. “The purpose of our lives is to be happy.” – Dalai Lama
8. “Be happy about your own life and you’ll be amazed at just how much more beautiful you’ll find it to be.” – TemitOpe Ibrahim
9. “Happiness is a choice that requires effort at times.” – Aeschylus
10. “Happiness is a way of travel not a destination.” – Roy M. Goodman
11. “Every day we have plenty of opportunities to get angry, stressed or offended. But, what you’re doing when you indulge these negative emotions is giving something outside yourself power over your happiness. You can choose to not let little things upset you.” – Joel Osteen
12. “Our happiness or our unhappiness depends far more on the way we meet the events of life than on the nature of those events themselves.” – Wilhelm von Humboldt
13. “If you smile when you are alone, then you really mean it.” – Andy Rooney
14. “Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.” – Winston Churchill
15. “I don’t have to chase extraordinary moments to find happiness – it’s right in front of me if I’m paying attention and practicing gratitude.” – Brene Brown

Being Grateful

Gratitude is a powerful mindset tool, it can take some practice and require constant effort to remind yourself to practice gratitude but it is well worth it. We often put emphasis on what’s next – we plan, we schedule, we look forward to the future. It’s not a bad thing, but it can be when we also lose focus on the present.

We may start to only focus on the future – I’ll be happy when I achieve this next goal, I’ll be happy when I purchase this next thing. We need to also remember to be happy and thankful for where we are right now, what we have right now. The more we focus on gratitude for the things we currently have, the more joy and happiness we can unlock.

These quotes are all about reminding ourselves to be grateful and acknowledging all of the good we already have!

16. “Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.” – Eckhart Tolle
17. “I am happy because I’m grateful. I choose to be grateful. That gratitude allows me to be happy.” – Will Arnett
18. “Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” – Robert Brault
19. “When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.” – G.K. Chesterton
20. “When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love – then make that day count!” – Steve Maraboli
21. “Be present in all things and thankful for all things.” – Maya Angelou
22. “The more that we feel grateful in our lives, the more joy and fulfillment we’re able to feel.” – Miranda Anderson
23. “Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” – Oprah Winfrey
24. “If a fellow isn’t thankful for what he’s got, he isn’t likely to be thankful for what he’s going to get.” – Frank A. Clark
25. “The more you are grateful for what you have, the more you will have to be grateful for.” – Zig Ziglar
26. “Gratitude turns what we have into enough.” – Aesop
27. “Happiness isn’t what you find at the end of the road. It’s right here. Right now.” – Unknown
28. “If you are not content today, there is nothing you can buy tomorrow to change that.” – Joshua Becker
29. “Things turn out best for people who make the best out of the way things turn out.” – John Wooden
30. “Some people grumble that roses have thorns: I am grateful that thorns have roses.” – Alphose Karr

Mood Boosters

Sometimes we feel down, maybe for no reason at all. Sometimes just gloomy weather gets me down or I’m just feeling tired. These quotes are a quick mood boost – that the down times don’t last, that happiness is always around.

31. “When you focus on the rainbow, you don’t mind the rain.” – Unknown
32. “Let your smile change the world, but don’t let the world change your smile.” – Connor Franta
33. “Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.” – Oscar Wilde
34. “Sometimes the bad things that happen in our lives put us directly on the path to the best things that will ever happen to us.” – Nicole Reed
35. “The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.” – Dolly Parton
36. “It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.” – Aristotle
37. “Tough times never last, but tough people do.” – Robert H. Schuller
38. “For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
39. “There is no path to happiness: happiness is the path” – Buddha
40. “A problem is a chance for you to do your best.” – Duke Ellington
41. “There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.” – Beverly Sills
42. “Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Believing in Possibility

There are lots of times I don’t go for something simply because I think I might fail, I think a lot of us might think this way, I don’t think anyone ‘likes’ to be bad at things. But, I quickly realized that not even trying for fear of failure was closing the door on so many opportunities to just experience something new. We don’t need to be good at something for it to be worth doing.

A quick affirmation I remind myself of often is “you are capable (and even if you’re not at least you tried :))”. Life became more fun, more interesting when I was willing to try. I hope these quotes inspire you to try – to believe in possibility and all you could accomplish!

43. “What if I fall?” “Oh, by my darling, what if you fly?” – Erin Hanson
44. “Wherever life plants you, bloom with grace.” – Unknown
45. “You can’t stop the waves but you can learn to surf.” – Jon Kabat-Zinn
46. “An arrow can only be shot by pulling it backward. So when life is dragging you back with difficulties, it means that it’s going to launch you into something great.” – Paulo Coelho
47. “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” – C.S. Lewis
48. “Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” – Roald Dahl
49. “A winner is a dreamer who never gave up.” – Nelson Mandela
50. “Just when the caterpillar thought the world was ending, it turned into a butterfly.” – Proverb
51. “What you believe yourself to be, you are.” – Claude M. Bristol
52. “Courage doesn’t mean you don’t get afraid. Courage means you don’t let fear stop you.” – Bethany Hamilton
53. “Nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘I’m possible!’” – Audrey Hepburn
54. “The future depends on what you do today.” – Mahatma Gandhi
55. “The greatest thing in this world is not so much where we stand as in what direction we are moving.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Feeling Inspired

Exactly as the title says – I want you to feel inspired. I hope these one small positive thought in the morning quotes fill you with the feeling that you are able, that you can – any positive feeling at all! Inspire you to do, to create, to sing, to dance, to do whatever you want! 🙂

56. “If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.” – Maya Angelou
57. “One moment can change a day, one day can change a life and one life can change the world.” – Buddha
58. “You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” – A.A. Milne (Christopher Robin)
59. “It is often the small steps, not the giant leaps, that bring about the most lasting change.” – HRM Queen Elizabeth II
60. “To win big, you sometimes have to take big risks.” – Bill Gates
61. “A boat is safe in the harbor. But, this is not the purpose of a boat.” – Paulo Coelho
62. “Always believe something wonderful is about to happen.” – Unknown
63. “To be a champ you have to believe in yourself when no one else will.” – Sugar Ray Robinson
64. “Success is only meaningful and enjoyable if it feels like your own.” – Michelle Obama
65. “I’m not telling you it’s going to be easy, I’m telling you it’s going to be worth it.” – Art Williams
66. “When your intention is clear, so is the way.” – Alan Cohen
67. “Don’t worry about failures, worry about the chances you miss when you don’t even try.” – Jack Canfield

Being Present

Presence is a huge thing I remind myself of often – the only ‘time’ you can take any action and create change is right now – the past is gone and the future isn’t here yet. So, when we are present in the here and now – that is living! Presence goes hand in hand with gratitude and they make for one powerful combination to add happiness to your life.

68. “Worrying doesn’t empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strengths.” – Corrie Ten Boom
69. ““What day is it?” asked Pooh. “It’s today,” squeaked Piglet. “My favorite day,” said Pooh.”- A. A. Milne
70. “Most humans are never fully present in the now because unconsciously they believe that the next moment must be more important than this one. But, then you miss your whole life, which is never not now.” – Eckhart Tolle
71. “Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.” – Oprah Winfrey
72. “Don’t let the sadness of your past and the fear of your future ruin the happiness of your present.” – Unknown
73. “Remember that there is only one important time and it is now. The present moment is the only time over which you have power.” – Leo Tolstoy
74. “You can clutch the past so tightly to your chest that it leaves your arms too full to embrace the present.” – Jan Glidewell
75. “The past is behind, learn from it. The future is ahead, prepare for it. The present is here, live it.” – Thomas S. Monsoon
76. “Life is available only in the present moment.” – Thich Nhat Hanh
77. “Every single second is an opportunity to change your life, because in any moment you can change the way you feel.” – Rhonda Byrne
78. “Remember, today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.” – Dale Carnegie
79. “Wherever you are, be all there.” – Jim Elliot

Being Intentional

I use the term ‘auto-pilot’ for when I was going through life without intention, without focus. I was going through the motions of life day in and day out. Time just passed by. I didn’t want to ‘lose’ any more time – I needed to put focus on what I was choosing to do each day and doing it with purpose.

I started by defining my Personal Core Values and then choosing to live intentionally by what I valued most in life – choosing to prioritize what I loved in life. Intention gives focus to your life so you can really live according to what matters most to you.

I hope these one small positive thought in the morning quotes remind you to be intentional.

80. “Intentional days create a life on purpose.” – Adrienne Enns
81. “It’s not about ‘what can I accomplish?’ but ‘what do I want to accomplish?’ paradigm shift.” – Brene Brown
82. “Intentional living is the art of making our choices before others’ choices make us.” – Richie Norton
83. “To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.” – Oscar Wilde
84. “The key is not to prioritize your schedule but to schedule your priorities.” – Steven Covey
85. “Living with intention means saying yes to what matters most.” – Crystal Paine
86. “The busier you are, the more intentional you must be.” – Michael Hyatt
87. “Be the designer of your world and not merely the consumer of it.” – James Clear
88. “Life itself is a privilege, but to live life to the fullest – well, that is a choice.” – Andy Andrews
89. “The 3 L’s of living intentionally. Learn from the past, Look forward to the bright future and Live in the present.” – Dr. Karen Jacobson

Confidence Boost

Everyone can use a pick me up every now and then! The world is a better and more interesting place by each of us being the unique person that we are.

I hope these quotes remind you to be confident in yourself.

90. “Just be yourself. Let people see the real, imperfect, flawed, quirky, weird, beautiful, and magical person that you are.” – Mandy Hale
91. “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
92. “The most beautiful thing you can wear is confidence.” – Blake Lively
93. “Confidence is not ‘they will like me.’ Confidence is ‘I’ll be fine if they don’t’”. – Christina Grimmie
94. “Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.” – Bernard M. Baruch
95. “No one is you and that is your power.” – Dave Grohl
96. “You can have anything you want if you are willing to give up the belief that you can’t have it.” – Robert Anthony
97. “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” – Theodore Roosevelt
98. “I used to hate feeling embarrassed, but then I realized nobody’s watching and nobody gives a damn.” – Barbara Corcoran
99. “Life has no limitations except the ones you make.” – Les Brown

From Me to You

I think any person can brighten a day with a nice cheerful compliment or well-wishing. So, that’s my final ‘quote’ for you. 🙂

100. My ‘quote’ for you: “Good morning! I hope you have a wonderful day filled with joy.”

If you see the benefits of positive thinking and the happiness that even one small positive thought in the morning could bring you. You might really love defining your personal core values, our personal core values are the parts of life that bring us full and true joy, that fill us with happiness and light us up from the inside out.

When we have an awareness of what those personal core values are we can start to more easily make decisions in our life that align us with our core values, ultimately leading to more happiness and fulfillment from life. Check out this link for a step by step process on How to Live a Fulfilling Life and Define your Personal Core Values.

…and they all lived simply ever after.

I consider myself to be mostly an introvert – I do connect with some of the traits that are associated with being an extrovert but overall I think I fall more on the introversion side of the spectrum and prefer introvert activities. I don’t really think there is a distinct divide between introverts and extroverts but a continuous spectrum where people have a little bit or a lot of either traits. This makes us all unique which makes us all the more interesting. 

As a fellow introvert, I’ll share some of the best ways I like to spend my time. Maybe we’ll share a lot of hobbies in common. Maybe you’ll get introduced to some new things introverts may like to do. If you feel like you might have more of an introvert soul, keep reading for all different types of introvert activities you might like to try!

What is an introvert?

There are many definitions and lists of personality traits that have been written to describe introverts vs. extroverts. The explanation that resonates with me the most to define how I see myself as an introvert is the ‘rechargeable batteries’ metaphor. 

When I’m talking about your ‘batteries’ – I mean your ‘social batteries’. It is hard to describe but social batteries can sort of be measured by your patience, tolerance or willingness to participate in being social with others.

If you consider your amount of social energy as a battery – it makes sense that certain activities drain those batteries and certain activities will charge up those batteries. This is where the difference between an introvert and extrovert stand out to me.

An introvert drains their batteries during highly stimulating, highly social activities and charges them up with alone time. And an extrovert can be considered the opposite. An extrovert drains their batteries when spending time alone and recharges them by being around people and being social. 

You can start to understand which side of the spectrum you fall on when you consider how you feel after you spend your free time doing certain activities. For example, I do love going out and spending time socializing and chatting with friends and family but at the end of the night I feel exhausted. And to feel recharged and refreshed I desire to be on my own. 

An extrovert would likely feel the opposite, they spend the day alone and feel tired and worn out but then go out with their friends for dinner and feel replenished of energy, after chatting and being with others.

Why are activities or hobbies important?

Having a hobby or doing an activity we enjoy in our spare time is vital to living a joyful and fulfilled life. It gives us something fun to do in our leisure time. 

It’s important to save time for activities we specifically enjoy amongst our busy lives. There are always going to be activities that are required of us (that we may not necessarily enjoy) like errands or work or cooking so it’s important to mix in activities we specifically choose and love to do. Having the time to spend on our hobbies or leisure activities is important for stress relief and giving us the feeling of joy. 

Remembering to take time to feel happy in our lives is something we tend to forget since life is busy, tasks are important, things are stressful! 

Hobbies have the effect of enriching and improving the quality of our lives. I think it’s vital to have at least one you truly enjoy and do often! 

Of course, there are quite literally thousands of hobbies and activities out there for every personality type and personal preferences but this post will focus on “introvert activities” but that doesn’t necessarily exclude anyone! I’m quite sure anyone can find something interesting on this list of ideas that might spark some joy in life. 

I have included many different “types” of introvert activities on this list because sometimes what we feel like doing is very dependent on our energy levels or even what social events we need to plan around. I have included many different ways of taking some time to do an activity purely for your own enjoyment including: 

1. At home: for when you need ultimate relaxation and recharging of those social batteries
2. Solo but out and about: for when you still want some alone time but something more fun, eventful and engaging then being at home
3. Small groups: for when you want to connect with others but not in a very hustle, bustle highly social way
4. Trying something new: for when you’re feeling courageous to try something new (but, things I still love to do and consider to be ‘introvert activities’)

35 INTROVERT ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITIES AND HOBBIES FOR THE PERSON WHO FEELS REFRESHED WHEN DOING ACTIVITIES ALONE OR IN SMALL GROUPS

Introvert Activities at Home to Relax and Recharge

Here are 20 introvert activities to get into when you may not have much time and are just looking for a quick recharge. These are activities are often turn to after a stressful day and am looking for an easy way to feel more relaxed and recharge my social batteries. 🙂

1. Get lost in a good book

2. Practice with a musical instrument

3. Play a solo card game

4. Write in a journal

5. Fill in a colouring book

6. Try out or work on a crafting hobby

7. Cook yourself a nice meal (or dessert!)

8. Try meditating

9. Take time for thoughtful reflection

10. Take a nap

11. Have a pajama day

12. Do some stretching

13. Listen to a podcast

14. Do a puzzle

15. Tidy up a space

16. Watch the sunset (or the sunrise)

17. Watch a movie

18. Do a workout

19. Research something

20. Pamper yourself

Introvert Activities that are Solo Activities but Out and About 

I enjoy solitary activities, having alone time recharges me. But, those activities don’t always need to take place at home. I like going out and about on my own as well – they are just as recharging to my social batteries but more exciting and eventful than my at home introvert activities. 

Consider some of these ideas when you’d like to get out of the house but still would like some alone time.

1. Go for a walk or hike

2. Take yourself out for lunch

3. Go for a no destination drive

4. Visit your local library

5. Sit at your local coffee shops

Introvert Activities for Small Groups

“Introvert activities” doesn’t necessarily need to only mean “ALONE”, I can feel just as recharged after a nice outing with a friend or even small groups of friends too. I’ve made a small list of group activities that are a perfect way to get some social interactions with close friends but not ‘too social’ 🙂 .

1. Try yoga classes

2. Have a board games night

3. Volunteer

4. Visit a museum or art gallery

5. Go out to the movies

Introvert Activities to Try Something New

Like I said before, as much as I consider myself to be an ‘introvert’ there are times where I’m just in an ‘extrovert’ kind of mood. Just because I’m feeling more introverted one day doesn’t make me an introvert for life! Your personality and mood can definitely change all of the time and sometimes that means you’re in the mood for different things!

So, if you’re looking for an introvert activity that is outside of your comfort zone, or an activity with large groups or new people then checkout the list below! These are things that maybe you could consider to be more ‘extroverted activities’ but I think they’re still comfortable (aka I’m not really the center of attention). Plus, you can always tailor any activity to make it work for you – bring your closest friends, go alone, whatever works!

1. Attend a street festival

2. Join a crafting circle or book club

3. Host a small gathering at your home

4. Attend a local live show or concert

5. Attend a cooking class

You made it to the end of this list…

I did label this as a list of introvert activities BUT I think anyone can find something that might work for them. Since, really there isn’t a divide between ‘introvert’ or ‘extrovert’ sometimes it’s just the mood you’re in that day. And I really believe, everyone’s a little bit of each, falling somewhere on a spectrum of introvert-extrovert. 

I hope you find something on this list that you think is a great idea! If you have any other ideas for me you think I might like please let me know in the comments, I’m always happy to try something new. 🙂 

…and they all lived simply ever after.

Simple Living? Minimalism? Essentialism? Slow Living? Homesteading? Sustainable? Frugal? Zero-Waste?

There are a lot of terms out there to describe a lifestyle centered around these similar types of themes – living with less, saving money, protecting the environment. And as much as I would love to focus on all of these goals for my life, most of the time it becomes overwhelming. It feels like there is too much to focus on too much of the time. So, I narrowed down my focus – because really, the main thing I was after in life was simple – happiness (which I think most of us can agree on!). 

Obviously, what will make us happy in life will differ between every person – that’s what makes each of us unique and wonderful! But, I was able to find happiness in simple living and I think you can too! Keep on reading to get all the details on the what, the why and the how-to of simple living so you can start to get the most out of life and simply, be happy. 

WHAT IS SIMPLE LIVING?

Even though it’s got simple in the name, defining it isn’t quite simple or straightforward – because the definition is personal and unique to each individual. But, I will tell you all about how I live my simple life and all of its benefits PLUS 5 tips to get you started with your very own simple living life to boost your happiness. 

To me – simple living is about living life with intention and purpose. It’s about getting ‘simple’ – breaking down your life into the very most basic things (besides all of the actually basic things, like food, water, shelter… you get it) that you need to be truly happy in your leisurely time. I choose my life priorities (the things that bring me the most happiness and joy) and then I develop myself and my time around those priorities. It’s really that simple (poor pun intended ;)). 

WHAT IS THE BENEFIT OF SIMPLE LIVING? 

The biggest and best benefit of simple living is that it makes your life more fulfilling. You fill your time with the activities that bring you the most happiness and joy and ditch the things that don’t – it’s about living a life true to you and not what society or others you feel may have dictated for you. 

Now that you know ‘the what’ and ‘the why’ behind simple living, keep reading for my Top 5 Tips to get you started with simple living. Happiness awaits you in the simple living life! 

5 TIPS TO START SIMPLE LIVING

Below is a quick list summary of 5 easy ways to start simplify your life and make the most room for happiness. Read on for more details on each step.

1. Define Your Why
2. Be Honest With Yourself
3. Tackle Your Physical Space
4. Commit Time and Schedule It
5. Try Things the Long Way

TIP 1: DEFINE YOUR WHY

In order to dedicate more time to the things that bring you happiness – you need to know what those things are, of course!

I have a great post on how to define your personal core values – this is a great place to start if you’ve never thought about it before. The post includes an introduction to what personal core values are and what they can do for you AND a step-by-step on exactly how to determine what they are! If you’re pretty confident about what the specific values are that bring you happiness, you can keep going with my simple living tips…

Defining your why can be as simple as asking yourself the following questions:

1. Why do you want a more simple life? 
   My answer to this was simple – I was reaching the end of every day and feeling like I hadn’t accomplished anything, hadn’t done anything particularly fun or important and that was an exhausting feeling! I was living my own life on auto-pilot! We only get one life to live and I seriously needed to hit the reset button and start boosting my joy and happiness!

2. What do you need less of in your life?
   Shoes? Fancy, designer things? Activities and hobbies? … Work? As much as ditching work would be nice – I am realistic. But! There were lots of things that I didn’t need in my life – joining and signing up for hobbies because I thought I ‘should’ because others in my life were doing it, shoes (I go back to the same few pairs I love anyway), designer items (they didn’t bring me much joy, so why keep them). The things you need less of will certainly be different then me – but that’s good, tailor your life for you and your happiness!

3. What do you need more of in your life?
   Time with friends? Time alone? A hobby you love? When I cleared the things I needed less of in my life it made more room for the things I love – definitely a quick way to add more happiness to your life!

Answering the 3 questions above will help you shift the focus of your life to start simple living. 

TIP 2: BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF

That living life on auto-pilot thing I was talking about under Tip 1? It’s easy to get into a rut or run with the same old routines you always have when you’re not focusing on how you’re feeling or take the time to reflect. Get in touch with your emotions – journal, reflect, meditate – whatever feels right to you. But, try and name the emotions you typically feel day to day. Too busy? Too overwhelmed? Why might that be?

Be honest with yourself, know how you’re really feeling and allow yourself to deal with those feelings – take a break, ask for help, add more activities that bring you joy. Don’t let yourself drift through each day in and out – take the time to focus on yourself and how you’re feeling – you’d be surprised how much bringing a little focus to how you’re feeling throughout the day can remind you to be happy or do something small that makes you happy!

TIP 3: TACKLE YOUR PHYSICAL SPACE

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when your physical space is overwhelmed. When you’re consistently looking at overflowing closets, mountains of stuff on every surface, and exploding storage areas it’s hard to feel happy or calm when so much stuff is weighing you down. Try to do away with things that don’t bring you happiness, if you don’t need it to live or feel a little smile come on when you see it, it’s not adding to your simple living life and you can probably get rid of it! 

There’s nothing better than a calm, tidy space to help your mind also feel calm and tidy.

TIP 4: COMMIT TIME AND SCHEDULE IT

A lot of the things we tell ourselves we want more of in our life (for example, spending more time with family) we don’t do or just never get around to because we’re so busy with life’s obligations and don’t feel we have the time. So, take that excuse away from yourself by making the time!

We schedule almost everything in our lives (work, seeing the dentist, dinner time, I could go on and on!) so, why not schedule the things and activities that we actually want to do. Schedule it as an appointment like you would anything else and don’t cancel on yourself, add the date(s), the time, the place – as many details as needed so you’ll be less likely to cancel on yourself.

Some ideas to get you thinking… every Sunday morning from 8:00 am to 9:00 am I will make pancakes with my kids. Every Friday evening from 7:30pm to 8:00pm I’ll have a tea and read some of a book. Every day when I get home from work I’ll send a quick message to my friends to check in. Whatever you want or need to live your simple living life.

I know it can be difficult to schedule a regular thing especially when you have lots of commitments – but hey! you make those other commitments work – so commit to yourself and your happiness and make your ‘simple living’ appointments. Soon that schedule might just become a habit and you’ve made your life simpler and more meaningful for the long term.

TIP 5: TRY THINGS THE LONG WAY

I know this idea might seem counterintuitive since life is normally all about shortcuts and finding the fastest and most efficient way to do things but sometimes when we take the extra time to do something special things can happen…

1. It can fill us with new meaning we may not have noticed before.
   Bake bread from scratch and you might notice how therapeutic the process is or how good you are at it!
2. It can give us the time to appreciate the small joyful things in life.
   Walk or bike to your destination instead of driving and you might notice how strong you are or how lovely the flowers are along the way.
3. It can give a new purpose to ordinary tasks.
   Dry your laundry on the line and you might feel joyful that you’ve helped reduce your energy consumption – giving a little back for the planet (and your wallet! :)).

I believe simple living is an individual journey – unique to each person. It’s about knowing yourself well enough to identify the priorities you have for your life and making time for them. It’s a continuous journey of personal development. It’s about being intentional with your limited time here. It’s about being purposeful with the choices you make. It’s about living a life true to you and not what is expected of you. It’s more of what you need and less of what you don’t. 

… and they all lived simply ever after. 

Live better and happier by aligning your life with your personal core values.

WHAT ARE PERSONAL CORE VALUES?

Imagine this scenario –

A friend of yours would like to meet up somewhere you’ve never been before, in an unfamiliar town, hours from where you live. I think most of us would have no problem, we’d pop the address into our phone GPS app and be on our way to enjoy the day! 

Now imagine – you don’t have your phone, no GPS, no map and no friend to direct you on the way. I think we can all agree that without something to direct us on the way, most of us, if not all of us, are not making it to that new destination. With every twist and turn along the road, we’d have to make decisions without having much of an idea if we were much closer or further to our destination.

Life happens to be no different. 

At every twist and turn in life – we need to make decisions, some small and some major but every decision we do make impacts our lives and ultimately brings us closer or further to where we want to be. If we lack something to guide us or to direct us when making those decisions, we have trouble getting where we’d like to go.

Personal core values are that ‘something’ we need – a map; a set of guiding principles and values to help us make the decisions to lead us where we need and want to go. Instead of letting outside influences like your social circle or trending news or culture we can live a life true to ourselves, a life filled with more meaning, passion and purpose.

WHY DO WE WANT TO KNOW OUR PERSONAL CORE VALUES?

Our personal core values serve our life like a set of directions – more complicated than navigating streets with left and right but complex decisions for our lives where many factors are in play…. 

Our personal core values are the parts of life that bring us full and true joy, that fill us with happiness and light us up from the inside out. When we have an awareness of what those personal core values are we can start to more easily make decisions in our life that align us with our core values, ultimately leading to more happiness and fulfillment from life. 

There are many things in life that I thought were supposed to be the most important to me – things like success, wealth, or status. I lead myself through life in accordance with these supposed values – making decisions like getting a high paying job with a fancy title and buying lots of nice things. I’d keep progressing with those same decisions – get that next promotion, buy a new car. It seemed each day I’d tell myself the same story that when I get the next promotion or can afford this new item I’d be happy – but I had already achieved a lot so why wasn’t I already happy? Because I was pursuing the wrong values.

The values I thought I should have weren’t the values that truly light me up from the inside out. So, I defined them, wrote them in a list where I can see them often. Now, living my life and making the right decisions for me to live a truly happy, true to me life is easy and I want that for you too.

I discovered my true personal core values, 

• Authenticity
• Contentment & Tranquility
• Connection
• Creativity
• Freedom
• Nature
• Passion
• Present
• Simplicity

I can make decisions more easily to align with my personal core values so I feel more fulfilled, more purposeful, more happy with my time and my life. I don’t value hustling or being busy all of the time but I value connection, nature and simplicity. So, instead of filling my spare time with plans or endless extracurriculars where I need to be here, there and everywhere at certain times – I leave my spare time free to take walks in nature with my family instead. Knowing exactly what we value and what truly brings us joy allows us to be selective with our spare time and make more room for exactly what we enjoy.

HOW CAN WE DISCOVER AND DEFINE OUR PERSONAL CORE VALUES?

Our personal core values aren’t something we exactly choose or select. They are characteristics we can use to help describe and embody what our true selves love and need for ultimate happiness. Defining them and knowing what they are gives us the opportunity to tailor our decision making to fit those values so we can add more happiness and fulfillment to our lives. 

There are many ways we can discover our personal core values, I’ve put together a step-by-step method for you to help you get started in defining the values that light you up from the inside out.

1. Gather the Required Materials
2. Get Yourself Into the Right Mindset
3. Interview Yourself
4. Consult a List of Values
5. Curate Your Personal Core Values

Keep reading for the exact details of each step!

#1: Gather the Required Materials

Really, you don’t need anything to ask yourself some questions and think about what is important to you so if you don’t want to bother with needing anything go on right ahead to Step 2. 

BUT, if you want to get even more out of this experience read on…

Get something to make notes – whether you turn to good ol’ pen and paper or a notes app on your phone. Choose whatever you prefer and get ready to write!

We may find it easier to be more honest with ourselves when we are required to put pen to paper (or fingers to keys?). Thinking about and examining our emotions and mental processes is hard work! It can be difficult to express and be honest with ourselves if we start confronting things about ourselves we always assumed were valid and true – change is hard! 

Being able to scribble down our thoughts can open room for us to just let it all out  and then we can go back and assess what we’ve written to get more honest and open answers.

The best way to answer a lot of these questions is what comes to mind immediately – your gut response. When you give yourself too much time to think you’ll likely stray from the honest answer because you’ll start considering other influences (the ‘well, I should care about this…’ or the ‘this is important to [insert anyone] so it should be important to me’) – this is an exercise for you! Another benefit of the ‘let’s write’ technique – quickly scribble down what comes to mind immediately then review.

#2: Get Yourself Into the Right Mindset!

Get yourself ready. Get yourself in the mood to be honest and introspective. Brew a comforting warm drink, get your comfy clothes on, have your favourite meal, go for a walk, workout, take a bath, sit in nature. Do whatever little self care activity brings you happiness and joy – what you choose as your “getting ready to be happy” activity will likely be part of your personal core values! 

For example, one of my personal core values is nature – I love spending time sitting in the grass staring at the sky or admiring the sights and smells of the wildflowers blowing in the breeze. I know this is an important value of mine because when I’m feeling down I’ll always look to an outdoor breath of fresh air to boost my mood. Nature lights me up and makes me feel joyful!

#3: Interview Yourself

Use the question prompts below to help you define your personal core values – your compass through life. A set of directions to help you make decisions to be the best you that you can be in the life that is true to you! 

As you answer the questions – be as honest as possible. You only stand to benefit from honesty – you can start to carve out a life for yourself that fits exactly with your core values so you can live happier and be more fulfilled. Personal growth is a personal journey – we can’t make progress and develop if we don’t honestly assess where we are in life and where we want to be. 

1. When do you feel happiest or most like yourself? What memory or moment can you remember where you were lit up from the inside out? Define the memory with as many details as you can remember.
2. Who inspires you? Why do they inspire you? What characteristics do they have that you admire?
3. What inspires you? Is there an activity you do that fills you with joy?
4. What would you want your obituary to say? This one I borrowed from Brooke McAlary, author of “Slow: Simply Living for a Frantic World” and as she puts it, it may be a little dark but it is a powerful thought provoking question. What do you want to leave behind when you’re gone? What do you want your legacy to be? The answer to this question can help you define what you value in life so you can put your limited time towards achieving the legacy you envision!

#4: Consult a List of Values

Some of you may not need this step. You may be able to easily pick out your main personal core values based on your answers from your interview with yourself which is great! 

I find a consult with a long list of values can help (if you’d like to see a list, might I suggest this link, a list of personal core values here at simply ever after). 

I suggest this with the extra warning of BE HONEST. I found this tip helpful when defining my core values to give myself a break from trying to come up with things myself. Sometimes its nice to be able to look at a list and see what sparks some happiness.

But, make sure you’re being honest.

When we choose from a large list, we’re more likely to select what we think we should or to choose what we think others would value for us instead of focusing on what we truly value and what makes us truly happy. 

To help you avoid outside influences when you’re choosing from a list. Perform the following.

1. Vividly imagine your happiest memory. A memory in which you were truly 100% happy, a memory where you were radiating joy. Imagine it even more vividly, where were you? Who were you with? What was the weather like? The smells? Every detail you can remember. 
2. Now review the list with this memory in mind – if the value or characteristic fits the memory jot it down, if it doesn’t ignore it and move to the next value on the list. If you’re feeling unsure you can always create a ‘maybe’ list and review it afterwards.
3. Now choose another memory! And repeat your review of the list.
4. Review the your ‘maybe’ list, get rid of anything that feels like it doesn’t fit and keep what does.

#5: Curate Your Personal Core Values

Between all that you have reflected upon you should have some nice notes on what makes you happy – the things that bring you the most joy. Try to narrow down all that you’ve written up into a Top 5 Personal Core Values (feel free to go beyond if you need but try to keep it somewhat concise so you have a specific vision for your ‘life’s compass’, you’ll notice my list was quite long…).

Perhaps, you’ve found that all of your happiest memories are with family and friends – you value connection and relationships. Or maybe, you love the hustle and putting in every ounce of passion into achieving your goals – you value passion and accomplishment. Or even, you love traveling, being somewhere you don’t know, discovering new places and people to be with – you value discovery and curiosity. Whatever your personal core values are – they are yours and yours alone! And now that you know what they are you can put them to good use! 

HOW DO WE LIVE TRUE TO OUR PERSONAL CORE VALUES?

Whenever you make decisions in life – no matter how big or small: Should I take that promotion? What would I like to do tonight? You can put your personal core values into action. Think about what decisions would align with your personal core values – let them guide you to a simply happy life tailored exactly for you.  

I hope you’ve been able to define your personal core values and can think of them often day to day in order to align your living with your values. I hope this helps you on your path to get the most fulfillment, passion and ultimately, happiness out of life! 

And they all lived simply ever after…