Transitioning to a simple life can be a complicated affair. Every lifestyle habit needs scrutiny and adjustment. Slowing down your life’s pace is the best way to process and work through these changes.

If you’re living in the fast lane, your thoughts zoom by a mile a minute and everything is done instantaneously. But when you’re trying to incorporate new habits, expecting overnight success can only bring about more frustration.

A truly simple life savors every moment like it’s the last. When you can be still with yourself, you can get to know yourself, your quirks, intuition, voice, and your spirit. Most importantly, slowing down creates time and space to work on your lifestyle habits. The overwhelm of changing your life can be tackled tiny piece by tiny piece, and still with room to breathe.

Simple living pioneers love slowing down, because life is rich and complex. If you’re too busy chasing elusive dreams, you won’t see the beautiful complexity. How do you feel in this moment? Yesterday? Tomorrow? How will your intuition improve tomorrow? If you go at the right pace, you’ll get to experience all of it.

Slow down, and bask in complexity. It might be confusing, but you don’t have to figure it all out right now. The beauty of this mysterious unknown is that you’ll never be finished exploring – there is always more inquiry, learning, and adventure to be had. There’s a whole universe out there, waiting for your arrival.

“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” ~ Lao Tzu

Know that great projects and battles are ahead. But when they’re done, you’ll find tremendous peace, happiness, and true, easy simplicity. I promise.

“In general usage, complexity tends to be used to characterize something with many parts in intricate arrangement.” ~ Wikipedia

Simple living can be a complicated endeavor. Not the lifestyle itself, but the transition from consumer to simple creative brings up many personal and social issues. The good thing is, complexity does not equal chaos. Things seem complicated when there is so much going on, we don’t know how to handle it all. We get overwhelmed, quashing our ability to think clearly and rationally.

But if we can calm our frenzied minds, and carefully dissect the situation, we can uncover complexity’s true image: it’s a network of interconnected parts, not total chaos. These parts are obstacles to living simply. If we can solve each one at a time, then we can master the transition.

Some of the obstacles we encounter are emotional in nature. Why do I love to buy things? Why can’t I remember to bring my reusable bags 100% of the time? Some are logistical: How do I compost? How do I go paper-free? What can I do with my unwanted possessions?

I see each as a problem waiting to be solved. Perhaps you can see it as a project waiting for your leadership.

Even though it isn’t chaos, emotionally it can still be overwhelming. Remember that baby steps are the best way to move forward. Write down some of the things you have trouble with. Then choose one thing to work on and forget the rest. If you like having multiple things to work on, that’s fine too. It’s up to you to find a method that is both interesting and not overwhelming, one that’s custom fit for you.

It really all boils down to this: Complexity can’t be escaped. Humans are complex creatures. Nature is complex, life is complex. But it doesn’t mean chaos, and it doesn’t have to stop you.

The truth is, it isn’t really simple or straightforward to start living consciously after a lifetime of unconscious convenience. At that point, convenience is swimming somewhere in your blood.

If you’re trying to buy less unnecessary stuff, you’ll run into questions about retail therapy and image. Why do you hold onto those things, and why do you love shopping so much?

If you’re trying to get away from using disposable products, you’ll likely be facing some old demons. You’ll wonder why you always flicked your cigarette butts anywhich way, without a thought or glance. Why do you always cave to advertising, buying things you don’t really need, or eating food that makes you feel sick? Whatever the reason, it will likely be uncomfortable.

Choosing an alternative path requires confidence and independence. If you don’t already have these in good shape, you might have to take a few extra turns in your journey.

There’s a good deal of emotional sorting out to be done in this work. At the same time, you’re thinking about the big issues: waste, consumerism, climate change, ethical business, love, humanity. You’re also thinking about how you can live the simpler life you want while maintaining your old relationships. Sometimes, there’s a lot of tension. It’s not all warm and fuzzy, let’s just say.

That looks like a lot on one plate to me. Complicated.

Wasn’t this supposed to be simple? You recognize the problems your old habits caused you, so you stop and adopt new habits. Simple, right? But somehow it doesn’t always work out that way. Did you make it complicated? Is it your fault?

No. It isn’t.

You are only human, after all. You strive to be the best you can be, according to what you learned and experienced while growing up. Now that you’ve gained awareness of your personal impact on the earth, you’re striving to be even better. But fighting those demons can be an epic battle.

I’m motivated by the fact that most simplicity stars have found peace and purpose. They’ve shown me what’s possible, and I believe I can create the same. I’ve surfed through many highs and lows so far on my journey towards simplicity and sustainability. Despite the lows, I know deep down inside the promise of peace and purpose is true. So I won’t be going back anytime soon. There’s only forward to go!

When you look at someone living a simple life, it really seems ‘easy’. Reading a book, engaging in thoughtful conversation, cooking fresh food, feeling grateful, and collecting meaningful experiences all seem pretty straightforward. Calling it ‘simple’ makes it seem even easier. But the reality is that personal transformation is hard work. True change doesn’t happen overnight, and transition periods are usually fraught with insecurities and hidden obstacles.

Simple living is a complete upheaval of our current lifestyle. For many people, transitioning from model American consumerist party-goer to simple living expert is next to impossible. We aren’t blank slates, like young children ready to learn the way of the world. Most of us intrigued by this lifestyle are adults who grew up in a material world, holding deeply engrained lifestyle habits that are difficult to change. We were taught to believe in things that we later realized are harmful to the earth, and to our personal health. Paper is cheap, so use it freely. Eating should be fast and convenient, to make time for more fun or productivity. Making and spending more money means I am a more intelligent, capable person. For some, there are even more deep-seated beliefs to uproot, and it will take longer to fully exorcise them to make room for a new and healthier way of living. Undoing well-known habits is one of the greatest challenges of all.

Beyond the personal, there’s also society to face. Simplicity is not a popular lifestyle choice in the mainstream world, for which many people encounter severe tension with close family and friends. Living simply is a test to your confidence and commitment to conscious values.

Despite these difficulties, many people still choose to pursue this lifestyle. They may fail frequently, but they won’t stop trying. When you experience the joy and meaning that comes from simplifying, it’s tough to go back to a consumerist lifestyle. Because in the end, it will always be worth it to let go of perfection and popular acceptance, to make room for what you truly love.

There’s a growing movement in our world today, something known as voluntary simplicity. The essence of simplicity is to make room for what you truly love. In a world where bigger is better, faster is cooler, and more money means more respect, what you truly love can often get lost in the shuffle.

Simple living rejects material consumerism and unconscious lifestyle habits. Each of us has one life to live, and it’s short. Would you want to spend it buying new gadgets, or experiencing all the wonders that life has to offer?

Simple living means making conscious decisions about your life. It means asking the tough questions to get to know yourself: What are your beliefs and values? Do you believe that more money will make you more happy? Or do you believe that one of life’s greatest pleasures is a warm conversation with a nurturing friend?

What does simplicity look like?

Simple living is different for every person. Some choose a life of minimal possessions, others a relationship with nature. But no matter the differences, simple living embraces a few common ideas:

Live within your means, not beyond.

• Don’t buy unnecessary items – be conscious about how you spend your money.
• Be conscious of the resources you consume, don’t consume excessively.

Let go of attachment to material wealth.

• Don’t judge your self-worth by how much money you have.
• Don’t compare your material wealth to that of others. In other words, stop keeping up with the Joneses.

Practice gratitude.

• Be grateful for the life you have to live, for your body and mind. Your heart loves, your brain thinks, and your body experiences.
• Be grateful for your family and friends who love you and want you to be happy.
• Be grateful for the resources our planet provides.

Avoid passive consumption. Be conscious about how you spend your time.

• Don’t eat because you’re bored, eat because you’re hungry.
• Don’t go shopping as a hobby or out of boredom. This leads to unnecessary expenses.
• Don’t watch TV aimlessly.

Create and connect.

If you don’t spend your time shopping and consuming information, then what’s left?

• Be creative. Write, draw, paint, sculpt, design, build, etc.
• Connect and nurture your relationships. Spend time with the people you love and strengthen those bonds.
• Spend time outside. Hike, walk, bike, run, swim, or play sports.

Simple living gets rid of the extra stuff to make room for true joy and happiness. Is that something you might like in your life?

What successes and challenges have you faced in trying to simplify your life?