20 Easy Things To Do To Simplify Your Life In 2023

The start of a new year is the perfect time to start simplifying your life. Check out this invaluable list of 20 things to do to simplify your life in 2023.

Be warned: Making the decision to simplify your life may actually end up complicating your life if you don’t go about it the right way. The harsh truth of the matter is simplifying isn’t always easy. You’re going to have to fight the urge to keep from falling into old habits on a daily basis. But, you got this!

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20 Simple Things To Do To Simplify Your Life

As this list shows, simplifying and decluttering goes beyond our physical possessions. If you are exhausted, overwhelmed, and overscheduled, I highly recommend adding Bill Hybels, Simplify: Ten Practices To Unclutter Your Soul to your reading list for 2023. This book takes everything I mention in this post to a much deeper level.

1. Simplify Your Friends

We all have pseudo ‘friends’ cluttering up our social media accounts. People that we don’t really know personally, or have never even met. Maybe they were a friend-of-a-friend you added on a whim. You know, the people you wouldn’t even recognize if they passed you on the street. Go ahead, delete them. Pare down your contacts on social media to your true friends. The same goes for Instagram and Pinterest. Unfollow anyone who doesn’t inspire you with their photos and pins. Make room for those who do.

2.  Simplify your Calendar

Make 2023 your year for politely saying “no”.  Clear your calendar for 24 hours and treat yourself to a ‘do nothing day’. This doesn’t mean you sit on the couch for the day and ignore the world (unless you want to). Rather, clear your itinerary for the day and be spontaneous. You can meet an old friend for lunch, play board games with your kids, lounge in the sun with a good book, or spend the day at the park playing with your dog. Whatever you decide, it’s up to you. After you’ve experienced just one day of this, you may find yourself saying “no” more often to unnecessary commitments, and “yes” to more ‘do nothing days’.

CLICK HERE FOR YOUR FREE 2023 PRINTABLE CALENDAR

Simplicity is making the journey of this life with just baggage enough. – Charles Dudley Warner

3. Simplify your Paper Clutter

I swear, paper has a mind of its own and it seems to multiply overnight. Every time I turn around, there’s a new stack of paper clutter to deal with. Here are three steps I’ve taken to simplify my paper clutter:

1. Opt-out of junk mail. The Federal Trade Commission has a website dedicated to helping you reduce unwanted mail, calls, and emails. Follow this link for more information.
2. Deal with your mail immediately. Keep a paper shredder or trash can by the door and sort your mail as soon as you bring it in from the mailbox. Shred documents with sensitive information, place bills in a central location and deal with them in a timely manner, trash any sales flyers before they have a chance to pile up.
3. Choose to receive your bills electronically. I receive all of my bills electronically except one, and that’s because our water company hasn’t yet caught up to the ‘electronic age’. As soon as they offer online billing, I will be the first to sign up. It’s so much easier to open your email and see all of your bills at a glance. You don’t have to worry about forgetting to pay your paper bill because you misplaced it, but you do have to remember not to hit ‘delete’ until the bill’s been paid.

“People are remarkably bad at remembering long lists of goals. I learned this at a professional level when trying to get my high-performance coaching clients to stay on track; the longer their lists of to-dos and goals, the more overwhelmed and off-track they got. Clarity comes with simplicity.”-Brendon Burchard

4. Simplify your To-Do List

I used to be the queen of to-do lists. As I’ve said before, I am great at planning, but not so great on the follow-through. As a result, I would make elaborate daily, weekly, monthly and even yearly to-do lists which would then wind up in the trash before they could be completed. Why? Because I was overloading myself by expecting the impossible. There’s no way I could check off a list of twenty to-dos even on a really good day. Yet I was pressuring myself to do so.

Tip: This planner has been a lifesaver when it comes to planning and simplifying my days!

Now, I make a list of two to three things I need to accomplish per day in addition to my regular daily chores. For example, every day (in addition to working from home) I do at least one load of laundry, prepare meals for my family, and clean up the kitchen (with the help of my kids). I may add one or two additional tasks to be completed for that day such as; ‘clean the bathrooms’ and ‘schedule doctor appointments’. On days when I need to run errands, I will cut myself some slack and skip the laundry or make a really simple meal for dinner (i.e. sandwiches).

I don’t need a lot of money. Simplicity is the answer for me. – Linda McCartney

5. Simplify your Diet

Like many families, our family struggles with food waste. As part of my efforts to reduce food waste in my home, I’ve decided to stop cooking the food my family doesn’t like to eat. Revolutionary, huh? Time and time again I end up tossing certain foods in the trash because the leftovers are not eaten before they spoil. For example, my family doesn’t care for pasta. As a result, anytime I make a pasta side dish or any pasta-heavy main dish, most of it winds up in the trash. They will eat it the night I serve it (because they don’t like to go hungry), but any leftovers will sit in the fridge, where they will go uneaten.

I’ve decided since my family prefers meat, potatoes, fruit, and vegetables, that’s what I’ll serve them for dinners. Breakfasts are usually a choice of pancakes/waffles, eggs, or muffins served with fruit and almond milk. Lunches are almost always some type of sandwich and a raw veggie. I try to keep high-protein snacks in the house because, boys. Anytime they are hungry for a snack, they can have lunch meat, cheese, nuts or fruit.

I like simplicity; I don’t need luxury.- Francis Ford Coppola

6. Simplify your Expectations

I’ve been known to go a bit overboard in my planning. While there’s nothing wrong with dreaming big, there comes a time when we need to scale back our expectations. This time of year, the media will be telling you to “do it all” in 2023. However, I will be saying, “Think small”.

Instead of declaring, “I will lose 50 pounds this year even if I have to starve myself!” Commit to eating more salads and going for a walk at least 3 days per week. Don’t say, “I will pay off $50,000 worth of debt this year or else!” Instead, vow to work diligently on paying off one bill at a time (starting with the smallest).

By elevating our expectations too high, right out of the gate, we are setting ourselves up for failure. If we start with smaller, more manageable goals, we are more likely to achieve and even surpass them. Therefore, we will be less likely to give up when we fail to see immediate results and more likely to stay focused on long-term change.

7. Simplify your Possessions

If you are drowning in clutter and wish you could come up for air, make 2023 the year you simplify your possessions. Start small; one drawer, countertop or cabinet at a time. Reduce your possessions to those you love or need. Donate, sell or dispose of the rest. If you bring a new item into your home, let go of another.

Imagine your house was on fire. If your family, pets, important photos and documents were safe, what three things would you want to take with you? Get yourself to the point where you can focus less on ‘stuff’ and more on people and experiences. 

Live simply so others may simply live-Mahatma Gandhi

8. Simplify your Resolutions

Let’s all vow to start 2023 differently. How about instead of a laundry list of New Year’s Resolutions, {that we’ll start in January and give up in February}, we start each and every day of 2023 with a fresh vision.

Related Post:  6 New Year’s Resolution Ideas for 2023 That You Can Do Every Single Day. {Starting now}!

9. Simplify your Self-Care

If you ask me, the whole ‘self-care’ movement has gone a little too far. A recent list of self-care ideas includes buying yourself a $200 set of sheets, go on a lavish vacation, and block out the noise with a $300 pair of headphones.

Self-care doesn’t have to be complicated (or break the bank). It can be as simple as carving out time to read your favorite book, light a candle and enjoy the ambiance, or meditate for 15 minutes.

Check out this list of 20 free (or cheap) self-care ideas.

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.-Unknown

UNLESS that is, you are starting a new habit, then and only then… repetition is key!

10. Simplify Your Wardrobe

You’ve probably heard the statistic that we only wear 20% of the clothes we own. I’ve found this to be true no matter the size of your wardrobe. In fact, I’ve reduced my own wardrobe to just 30 items and guess what? I STILL only wear about 20% of it!

I’ve written a Free Step-by-Step Guide to Decluttering Clothes to help you get started.

11. Simplify your Mealtimes

2019 was an epic FAIL in our home as far as mealtime was concerned. We found ourselves in the fast-food drive-thru more times than I’d care to admit. In our defense, it’s REALLY hard to resist the temptation to eat out when it’s 5:00 PM, everything’s frozen, everyone’s starving, AND you live within walking distance of a handful of restaurants!

I know, I know, that’s not a good excuse. But it’s the only one I’ve got!

For the next year, my goal is to cook more simple, healthy, meals at home. I recently purchased an Instant Pot to make mealtimes easier. Also, I’m in the process of working on some sort of meal planning system that will work for our family. Most likely, I will have to design my own because I’ve yet to find one I like.

12. Simplify your Relationships

I know quite a few people who seriously need to simplify their relationships with others. Myself included!

I have always believed that it’s never too late to reconcile a broken relationship. At the same time, I believe it’s impossible to change another person. No matter how hard you try, the only person you can change is yourself.

If you have so-called “friends” who constantly put you down instead of building you up, express your concerns to them. If they are unwilling (or unable) to stop, break up with them. Similarly, if you’ve been holding onto a toxic relationship that literally sucks the energy out of you, it’s time to let it go.

While clearing toxic relationships from our lives is necessary, if we fail to balance out discarded relationships with new, healthy relationships, we’re missing the point. A simple life shouldn’t be a lonely life.

If buying stuff hasn’t made you happy, maybe getting rid of it will. – Joshua Becker

13. Simplify Your Finances

Simplifying our finances starts with creating a simple zero-based budget. Basically, you start with your average income, total up all of your expenses, set aside some savings and stop when you’ve reached your income total. Sounds simple, right?

Unfortunately, I’ve learned from experience that creating a budget is the easy part. It’s actually LIVING on it that’s tricky.

14. Simplify Your Digital Life

Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Snap Chat, YouTube, Twitter, multiple E-Mail accounts, I could go on, but you get the picture. The truth is, we have far too much digital clutter competing for our attention on a daily basis. And this is coming from a woman who makes a living online!

Did you know that before I started blogging I did not own a single active social media account? It’s true! I started a joint Facebook page for my husband and myself to connect with old friends, but I rarely {if ever} posted on it.

Now I am active on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, AND YouTube. Plus, I have a handful of email accounts. And, if I’m being honest, I only actually enjoy two of them!

On my reading list this year: Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport

While it’s nearly impossible in today’s culture to eschew social media altogether, I do believe it’s feasible for us to pick one or two social media channels to be active on and ditch the rest. Unless that is, you have a business that depends on them (like mine does). Then, maybe you can hire someone to run them for you.

And e-mail…ugh. Don’t even get me started. Every single day I sit in front of my computer and delete hundreds of unwanted e-mails. Whether it’s spam, unwanted newsletters, offers, etc. What I should be doing is opening each one, scrolling to the bottom, and clicking “unsubscribe”.

Our life is frittered away by detail…Simplify, simplify!-Henry David Thoreau

15. Simplify your Work Schedule

I saved this one for last because, frankly, it’s the one I’ve been most guilty of lately. Since starting this blog in early 2017, I’ve gone from stay-at-home-homeschooling-mom to work-40+hours per week-at-home-homeschooling-mom. Let me tell you, starting a blog from scratch and running it on my own has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. It’s also been one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done. Which is why I have no plans of ever stopping.

That said, I need to implement effective time-management strategies, and reevaluate what works and what doesn’t when it comes to writing a blog post, creating graphics, and promoting my content. I’ll be using this post as my guide.

My ultimate goal is to reduce my work hours to no more than 25 hours per week so I can have time to focus more energy on my husband, kids, friends, dogs, house…oh yeah, and MEAL PLANNING! (Almost forgot that one)!

Are you working too many hours at a job you love? Or worse, at one you hate? What adjustments can you make in your life in order to remedy that?

16. Simplify your Cleaning

News flash: I don’t like to clean. I’m willing to bet it’s not your favorite thing to do either. Unfortunately, if we want to reap the benefits of a germ-free home, a certain amount of cleaning must be done on a regular basis.

I recently purchased this book, and let me tell you, it has been life-changing! It’s taught me how to keep my home clean in just 10 minutes a day. Hint: It ain’t rocket science!

Related Reading:

• 16 Genius Things People With Clean Houses Do Every Day
• How to Clean Anything With Next To Nothing
• 12 Secret Cleaning Tips Straight From The Pros

Make room for the things that matter by removing everything that doesn’t-Brian Gardner

17. Simplify your Mental Clutter

Mental clutter occurs when your mind can’t seem to stop reliving the past, worrying about the future, or overthinking the present.

If you’re holding onto regrets, anxiety, or bad memories from the past (or present), then your mind is cluttered.

Mental clutter robs us of our productivity, potential, and our peace. Take steps to reduce your mental clutter for your own mental health. Here are a few resources that will help:

• The Importance of Removing Mental Clutter by No Sidebar
• Decluttering Mental Clutter by The Minimalists
• The Single Principle You Need To Clean Out The Mind Clutter For Good by Becoming Minimalist

18. Simplify your Parenting

If you’re a parent, you know that raising a child is far from simple. While trying to keep them safe, fed, and emotionally secure, you must also navigate the often explosive territories of digital bullying, relationships, peer pressure, mental health issues, digital addiction, and desensitization. (To name a few).

Not to mention the fact that you have to deal with the stress of paying for and shuttling your kid(s) to the next activity designed to enrich their (already busy) lives, which will also (hopefully) keep them too busy to get into any sort of trouble.

As a parent of (3) boys ranging in age from 12 to 21, I know too well the struggles and complexities moms and dads face when it comes to attempting to raise well-rounded human beings who are active but not busy for the sake of being busy. I can’t stress enough how important it is to make room for the simple, quiet moments and leave yourself available for spur-of-the-moment heart to hearts.

19. Simplify your Entertainment

After a recent review of our family’s streaming media services, I discovered we currently have access to six different monthly streaming services.

Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Prime, Disney+…the list goes on.

In an effort to ‘cut the cable cord’ we have managed to shoot ourselves in the foot by stacking one streaming service on top of another because no single service offers all of our favorite shows.

The kids love Disney+, the hubs and I ‘need’ Hulu+ for our football and Live PD addictions. Amazon Prime has great documentaries and free shipping…

To be fair, I do put the majority of our streaming services on hold throughout the summer when the weather is nice, but really, do we really NEED so many entertainment choices?

20. Simplify your Priorities

Take a minute and list your top (4) priorities. Try to be as specific as possible. For example, don’t say family, friends, my pets…

Instead, say spending quality time with my spouse and kids, creating a safe and relaxing home, and taking care of my health so I can be present for others.

Now, let this newly created list of detailed priorities be your guide as you systematically work through the above 20 things to simplify your life in 2023.

Repeat after me…Simple isn’t always easy. If you want to simplify your life you have to first be willing to do the hard work. This may mean saying ‘no’ to yourself, friends, family members (and…{gasp}…your kids). But I believe you can do it!

Take control, be intentional, and create the simple life of your dreams!

Read More:

• 10 Amazing Benefits of Simple Living That Will Inspire You To Simplify
• 9 Ways to Simplify Your Life You Can Start Today
• 40 Things I’ve Stopped Buying To Save Money and Simplify Life
• Downsizing Your Home? Pros and Cons of Simple Living

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