30 Days to a Simpler Life - Softcover

Cris Evatt; Connie Cox

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0452280133 ISBN 13: 9780452280137

Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group, 1998

Synopsis

Connie Cox and Cris Evatt, the authors of Simply Organized have teamed up once again and created a new step-by-step guide to simplifying your life in only thirty days. Organized in a day-by-day format, the book offers simple steps which take in an hour or less to cut down on clutter. Each section is followed by instructions for more in-depth simplifying each area (one's workplace, closets, vacation, or errand routines, a cluttered mind, and more), and a tip checklist is included for readers interested in "maximum simplification." Written in an inspirational style and a clear, down-to-earth format, 30 Days To A Simpler Life contains adages, anecdotes, and quotes from philosophers, designers, psychologists, financial planners, and other experts. The authors also include a guide to related books, newsletters, and websites to further assist readers in reaching their goal of simpler living

About this title

About the Author

Connie Cox lives in Atherton, California.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

30 GREAT STEPS FOR 30 DAYS TO A SIMPLER LIFE Day 1: Decide you would like to begin living a simpler life. Make a list of areas that don't work in your life and find ways to simplify them. Ask friends how they manage areas of life that you find complicated. Make simplifying a great new hobby. Day 2: At least once a week, fill a shopping bag with giveaways that are cluttering your life. Day 3: Create an Ambivalence Center for things you might want to give away. Day 4: For one month, resist buying anything except consumables. When in doubt, don't buy it. Day 5: Clear the under-the-bed space. Let it breathe. Day 6: Clear the kitchen and bathroom counters each night before bed. Day 7: Install first-rate organizers. Use only one type of clothes hanger and get rid of all others. (Don't store them!) Day 8: Begin to create a basic wardrobe without "strays"_ items that don't go with anything else. Choose quality over quantity. Quality endures. Day 9: Install large hooks for towels in the bathroom. Day 10: Buy food from bulk bins to save money and avoid wasteful packaging. Buy great jars. Day 11: Create seven basic dinner menus to post on the fridge. Day 12: Switch to a few large plants _ eliminate small ones. Day 13: Undecorate your home. Less is refreshing! Day 14: Delete twenty small knickknacks. Add one gorgeous vase. Day 15: Unclutter your mind by judging others less. Day 16: Start today by spending your life in your own way. Learn to say, "I don't think so" if "no" is hard for you. Day 17: Decide on one source to get daily news and eliminate the rest. Turn off the TV and computer on Sundays. Day 18: Create an organized system (such as a permanent shopping list) for everything you do more than once. Day 19: Open and read your mail once a week (over a trash can) as you do when you return from a week-long trip. Day 20: Toss out old versions of computer software. Day 21: Start a debt reduction program and, whenever possible, pay cash for everything except houses and cars. Day 22: Create an Errand Basket and an Errand Day once a week. (Some people actually run errands every day!) Day 23: Travel lightly (whether you are going on a trip or for a day outing). Day 24: Photograph or videotape your valuables and store the photos or tape in a fireproof place. Day 25: Give consumable gifts. Your friends don't need clutter either. Day 26: For holidays, decorate with a few large items, not multiple small ones. Day 27: Put photos into an easy-to-use photo album as soon as they are developed _ don't hide them in drawers. Enjoy them now! Day 28: Organize your garage as if it were a room in your house. The real estate value is the same. Give away anything in your garage that you haven't used in the last two years. Day 29: Simplify your garden by planting large areas of one type of shrub or flower. Replace some lawn space with native plants. Mow less. Day 30: Make a non-negotiable, standing appointment for exercise. No more guilt!

"On your journey," write the authors, "you will let go of things that are stressful, distracting, and uncomfortable. You will keep what brings joy, contentment, and a sense of well-being. Simplicity is about achieving a higher level of comfort. Simplicity is about eliminating the excess, so you will be free to discover who you really are."

The book is based on the premise that 30 days and 30 tasks, along with tips, quotes, and inspirational stories, can start you on a simpler path. The authors designed each task to be done in about an hour. "The tasks in our book are cumulative," they write. "As you let things go, you will learn about your preferences_your likes and dislikes. As your life becomes simpler, you have fewer things to delete, monitor, and maintain. Clutter will no longer rear its ugly head. When your reach this stage, you will have time to pursue your passions with gusto. You will be able to live your life out loud."

Edition details

• Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
• Publication date: 1998
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0452280133
• ISBN 13: 9780452280137
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 197