1. Read. I think it's important to read. Who doesn't? but that's not what I mean. Read for information. Read your tablet/ipad, read articles and blogs (like this one :-) ). But read. Choose what you want to read and don't get locked onto one point of view. Be willing to get your information from a variety of sources. For instance, I like to participate in 5k races. So I read up on a good get off of the couch plan. It didn't work for me. I found a plan that worked for me (eventually) and now I just need to stick with it. I looked in magazines, running websites, and on Pinterest for a running plan before I found one that I could live with. I'm still a walk/runner, but the plan that I found really helped me.
2. Grow something. I'm trying to grow avocado trees from the seeds of yummy avocados that we bought two weeks ago. I might be running a horticultural hospice, but I'm trying. Eventually, we may have a small grove of avocado trees. Right now they're in my kitchen window looking pretty knarly, but hopefully avocados are in my future.
3. Spend time with family. That's a no brainer, right? It is, but modern life can be so busy sometimes. Before you know it, it's bedtime and everybody's asleep. Last week, my oldest and I made a chocolate cake from scratch. It was so delicious. Here's the link to the recipe.
http://www.hersheys.com/pure-recipes/details.aspx?id=184&name=HERSHEYS+PERFECTLY+CHOCOLATE+Chocolate+Cake
I chose to spend time even if it meant a messy kitchen and more calories than I need in my life.
4. Exercise. That's a tough one for me. I would rather spend my day on the couch watching Dr. Who on HuluPlus. But I've got to make an effort. I always feel so good afterwards. I just need to be more consistent. Simple means do what's easy. Fitness equipment, if you have it. Use it. (Yes, that means don't hang clothes from it anymore) If you don't have fitness equipment, use a workout plan that doesn't require it or go for a walk. This simple change is helping me to put myself on the list of people who are important. Sometimes when you take care of others, we forget about ourselves. Here's a workout plan that seems doable.
http://www.newvaadvice.com/2013/08/08/healthy-work-home-woman-series-starters-exercise-plan/
5. Limit your time in front of computers and televisions so that you can do all of these things. One quick check of social media can eat up precious hours of time. Telling my kids to wait until I finish my status update or tweet... Tell them, but not all of the time. There will be time for living a simple life in these modern times if too much time is not wasted on social media. Give yourself a few minutes on each site. Time yourself. When the timer goes off, that's enough for today. It only takes a few seconds to check your notifications. As long as there are no emergencies, close the app.
I'm trying to move towards leading a simple life. I can't completely disengage with modern technology. (Sometimes I wish that I had Dr. Who's Tardis and could be a Time Lord... wishful thinking) I just have to use what I need in this modern world and get on with living an authentic simple life.
