"If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes on your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes that hang on your body."
Matthew 6: 25 (The Message)

I know that blog discussions have focused on food and clothing previously but I this just came to my mind this week. Getting your mind wrapped around the idea of simplicity has to start somewhere and this was where I started.

If you are new to this blog you can start with food and clothing. If you are a regular reader, what progress have you made in these areas? Here is where I am right now. And at the end there is a point, so bear with me.

A year ago I began tracking my weekly grocery shopping. Every week, on a slip of scratch paper I made a list of things I needed. I realized that there were items I consistently shopped for: milk, bread, eggs, orange juice, cereal, meat, vegetables, etc. I also realized that we pretty much ate the same meals on a regular basis. I simplified my shopping and my meal planning by making a list of the items I buy consistently and put it into a Word file.

With the list already made, I print it out each week, place it on the frig and circle what we need. We can add items as needed. It helps me plan meals as well. I make sure we have chicken, beef and pork in the freezer so I can plan a meal around one of these. My basic meal plan is: Meat, starch (potato, rice or pasta), vegetable, salad and sometimes a fruit or dessert a couple of times a week. I have meals we like best and rotate them through the month.

Why is this part of simplicity? I know we will have something to eat on the table every night. I don't have to fuss or worry over what it will be. I just choose from what I have on hand. I do try new recipes now and then. I usually look for recipes that use what I have in the cupboard.

I have found that I actually spend less time in the grocery store because I know what I need. I spend less money because I get only what we need. I can attach coupons to the list and spend less there as well. At the bottom of each week's list I have a place to date and record the total of what I spent. I attach the receipts and record other purchases as well. When I have a plan, I shop less often and spend less money. I get to spend my time doing other things more worthwhile.

I applied the same principle to my wardrobe. When I worked full time I needed to dress in office attire. I spent a lot of time fussing over my clothes which made me rather nuts. At one point I was traveling weekly making calls to high schools as a college recruiter. I learned very quickly how to pack minimally for a week. Four blouses and two suits.This was a huge lesson in simplicity as I wanted to travel light. I also learned to pack a suitcase in 15 minutes!

The principle I have worked off of the last 20 years has been to find an item of clothing I like and buy more than one sometimes in a different color. Now that I am home full time I can scale way back on clothing. I live in jeans and khaki pants. I buy clothing that goes with more than one thing in my wardrobe and then mix and match. Sometimes it gets kind of humorous in the mornings "Gee, which solid color t-shirt will I wear with my jeans today?" I have a friend who wears mostly black. She never has to spend much time deciding what to wear in the morning as everything matches. With a simple wardrobe I spend less time deciding what to wear, what to buy and I shop less often.

With all that said, there is another issue to tackle here. It is the issue of choice and decision. Richard Swenson says in his book The Overload Syndrome: Learning to Live Within Your Limits, "So much of daily living is now involved with the making of trivial decisions based on [an] incredible profusion of choice." He gives several examples of the enormity of our choices: 184 choices of breakfast cereal, 250 kinds of toothpaste, 551 kinds of coffee, 1,000,000 titles from Barnes & Noble on-line (and growing).

Choice and decision. In the US we live in a culture of progress and as Swenson says, "Progress relentlessly results in choice. And choice requires decision." Then comes analysis. We have to know what we are chosing from and which one is the best choice for us. Not so simple anymore.

The remedy is to limit your choices. That's how my shopping list and my three pairs of khaki pants help me simplify my life. I have limited my choices on purpose. And you know what? I don't get bored by the routine. Why? because I have time to do the things I really want to do because I am not in the kitchen or the store for more than an hour at a time. The routine in one area of life gives me freedom in another.

What areas of your life could you put limits on choice right now? What routines do you have in your life that you really enjoy?

Keep on keeping on...