Little Steps Can Cover a Lot of Ground

I often hear people say they’d love to simplify their lives, but the prospect is just too daunting. I’m convinced these procrastinators think simplifying has to be an all-or-nothing affair. They put off getting started until they have more time, or the kids are out of the house, or until they’re financially better off.

But the real task of simplifying is rarely a matter of changing everything at once. For most of us, it’s a gradual shift in the way we live, composed of dozens of small steps.

As we enter the final year of the century, I invite you to stop procrastinating and start making changes--even little ones. I assure you, if you simplify just one small area of your life every month, by the end of the year you’ll be amazed at the overall improvement in the quality of your life.

I’ve put together some suggestions for easy changes you can make each month. This week we’ll look at the first three months of the year, and in the following three weeks we’ll finish up the year, three months at a time. You can keep all four columns together and display them on your bulletin board or the fridge for easy reference. Use them as a road map for a simpler and more satisfying year.

* January: Get rid of all but one or two of your credit cards. If you’re like most Americans, you have at least half a dozen credit cards, gasoline cards and department store cards cluttering up your wallet and complicating your life. You may view cards as a convenience, but they’re really an invitation to spend money you don’t have. This month cut up all but one credit card--keep a backup card if you travel a lot--and determine that you’ll pay the balance in full each month. If it’s convenience you want, use your bank debit card, which reduces the danger of spending money you don’t have.

* February: Put a moratorium on shopping. Try this experiment. For the next month, decide that you won’t spend money for anything but groceries and basic essentials. If during that time, you think of something you feel you have to have, put it on a list for later.

At the end of the month, evaluate the experience. Discovering that you have control over your buying habits will give you a tremendous sense of liberation, and you’ll be amazed at how little you really need to be content.

* March: Start eating more simply. There are multiple benefits to simplifying your diet. Not only can you reduce the amount of time you spend in the kitchen, cooking and cleaning up, but your shopping will be easier, too, and far less expensive.

You’ll also get an important health bonus. When my husband, Gibbs, and I first began to simplify our lives, I knew I wanted to spend less time grocery shopping. I also wanted to curb our love of junk food and replace all the packaged high-fat concoctions, dressings, gravies and sugar-packed foods with healthy and nutritious fare.

Now our meals look something like this: Breakfast is fresh-squeezed juice or fruit of the season, and homemade muffins or granola. Lunch is whole-grain bread sandwiches, such as sliced turkey or tuna salad with vegetable crudites. Dinner is a simple homemade soup with salad or a veggie stir-fry. Our food budget is less than half of what it used to be, we can easily maintain our ideal weight, and we feel fantastic.

Stay tuned next week for more ideas on how to simplify your life, month by month.

Elaine St. James is the author of “Simplify Your Life” and “Simplify Your Life With Kids.” For questions or comments, write to her in care of Universal Press Syndicate, 4520 Main St., Kansas City, MO 64111, or e-mail her at estjames@silcom.com.