The Domino Effect of Simple Living

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Faith Janes of Minimalist at Home.

“Change begets change.” – Charles Dickens

Living simply is not very simple at all in the beginning. Making tough decisions and staying motivated is a big challenge. If you stay focused and keep making an effort, you’ll find that each step that follows comes more easily than the one before.

Simple living is the absence of excess. Many consider minimalism and simple living to be focused on possessions. While that is a very practical starting point, the decision to eliminate excess will naturally spill over into other areas of life.

• Eliminating excess possessions leads to a decluttered home.
• Eliminating outside obligations leads to a calmer schedule and more family time.
• Eliminating poor eating habits leads to healthier living.
• Eliminating mindless spending leads to escaping debt and building a better financial future.

Simple living does not imply simple choices. It requires a level of awareness grounded in your personal values. You must establish your priorities and judge each choice to be made according to those priorities. As you begin to ask yourself why something is important to you you’ll become more aware of why you make certain choices. That greater sense of awareness will give you a guide to measure all of your future decisions.

Pretty soon simplicity becomes second nature. The domino effect of simple living takes over and you’ll be amazed where it can lead.

• Cleaning out your closets –> leads to utilizing a smaller wardrobe more effectively
• Using a smaller wardrobe more effectively –> leads to making fewer purchases
• Making fewer purchases –> leads to saving more of your money
• Saving more of your money –> leads to getting out of debt
• Getting out of debt –> leads to less financial stress
• Less financial stress –> leads to greater personal freedom
• Greater personal freedom –> leads to more time to pursue your dreams
• Time to pursue your dreams –> leads to increased happiness and personal fulfillment.

In some circumstances, the domino effect will lead to personal change. At other times, the effects will radiate outward and touch the lives of those around you.

A single domino or a single decision may not seem impressive by itself. But combined with the next and then the next, the effect can be life changing.

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Faith is the author of the brand new e-book, Family-Sized Minimalism. She writes about pursuing Less Mess . . . More Life through minimalism at Minimalist at Home.

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