Today is National Simplicity Day – a day that often passes by and isn’t acknowledged by many.
At DBLX, we work around the clock with our clients to help simplify their problems. It might be a shiny new Learning Management System (LMS), or a solution to bridge the gap of a specific skill within a business.
We love making things simple for learners and we’ve made an art of it (yes even for those horrible process charts!)
But where many of us falter is we don’t spend enough time enjoying the simple things in life, and what better day to remind us of that than National Simplicity Day.
National Simplicity Day was founded in honour of Henry David Thoreau, who was born on July 12, 1817. Thoreau believed that living simply was the key to living the most fulfilling life and wrote a number of well-known books on the subject.
“Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! I say, let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand; instead of a million count half a dozen, and keep your accounts on your thumb nail.
― Henry David Thoreau, Walden
I don’t know about you, but it sounds like a load off my mind already! In a world where we have our phones at our fingertips, the truth is some of us never switch off and wonder why we’re left feeling burnt out.
How did Henry David Thoreau live simply?
- Aged 27, he left his hometown in Concord, Massachusetts, and went to live in the woods alone near Waldon Pond
- He built himself a cabin
- He earned a simple living mainly from the labour of his own hands
- He spent most of his day walking through nature
We know what you’re thinking…why though?
‘I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life and see if I could not learn what they had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I have not lived’.
It might seem extreme, but it’s the modern day worry we all experience. It’s the never-ending ladder that we rush to climb, so we can buy nice things and live what we believe to be the ‘best life’. But Sometimes, in the giant rat race of life, we spend so much time chasing and not enough time being present, taking time to reflect and being grateful for the little things in life.
We’ve pulled together a list of ways to introduce simplicity into our everyday lives.
How to live more simply (in a world where you can’t ditch everyone and go live alone in the woods)
Make a daily schedule
By making a schedule each day, you become mindful of the tasks you prioritise. If you have a list longer than your arm, a plan takes away the feeling of panic that there aren’t enough hours in the day, and replaces it with a structured schedule which highlights the important tasks to complete that day.
Focus on today
Do you ever spend too long going through the regrets of yesterday, or start worrying about tomorrow before it’s even had a chance to prove itself?
We are all guilty of it! Focus on today and the tasks you have ahead of yourself. Commit yourself fully to today alone, and watch how it becomes a day of productivity and success!
‘Yesterday’s the past, tomorrow’s the future, but today is a GIFT. That’s why it’s called the present. Simple!
Get outside and make the most of nature
Thoreau really believed in this one, and so do we! Get outside, take a deep breath and notice your lungs fill with life.
With zero signal or your phone turned off, there’s no better place to forget the chaos of life and be grateful for the beautiful world in which we live. There’s also no better place to gain clarity and feel simplicity at its best!
Clear out your cupboards
We are consumed by items we think we need almost every day, when in reality, the things we value the most can’t be bought. If you’re feeling overwhelmed and suffocated, declutter your house of items. If you struggle with this, why not set a rule, for example, if you haven’t worn it in the last 6 months take it to the charity shop.
Do this for everything and observe how free you feel! To put it simply – clear house, clear mind!
Get simple, natural foods into your diet
Unlike money, some of the most delicious foods grow on trees! There’s nothing finer than a fresh box of vegetables from the local market to keep you in touch with the simplicities of life. If you can hand pick them yourselves – even better!
And a big shout-out to the people who risked their lives taking the first bite of the random object hanging from a tree. We are forever thankful!
That’s all we have for now, but hopefully it’s inspired you to consider introducing positive, simple habits into your everyday routine.
We promise it really works.
Happy Simplicity Day!