With everything that has been going on in my life in the past few months, from me taking on a freelance writing gig, to preparing my book for self-publishing, to starting my own website, something dawned on me. My life isn’t so simple.
So how did this happen?
The simple life I am trying to pursue is becoming rather complicated and busy. Does that mean I want to quit living the way I am? No way. I realize I could be on the cusp of a burnout, but if I stop now, I fear I may not reach my goal of simple living.
I know this all sounds counter-intuitive. Why should I have to complicate my life to make it simpler?
What I am doing now, working full-time, plus freelancing, blogging and publishing my books is hard. But if I don’t do it, I may never have the life I want. Sometimes I get frustrated and tired of working all the time. I usually don’t have days off, I literally work on my freelance and books on my days off from my full-time gig. When I start to freak out and feel overwhelmed, I offer myself this reality check:
Simple living usually doesn’t happen overnight.
You can read the ‘about’ page of almost any of the A-list bloggers living the simple life now, and read about a time when their lives weren’t so simple. Everyone from Tammy Strobel to Melissa Gorzelanczyk went through a time of eliminating debt, sucking it up at day jobs they didn’t like and decluttering and downsizing their lives. Everyone has to start somewhere.
Simple living takes sacrifice.
Right now I’m sacrificing some of my free time, and at times it feels like my sanity as well. It’s okay. I am getting through this. I know that this crazy time won’t last, it’s just a necessary evil to get me to where I want to be.
Simple living takes commitment.
I crave the simple life. Writing full time from my own home, biking around town to the park or nearest coffee shop to work on my books, blog or freelance writing. Spending more time with my husband.
I know I will get there, it’s just going to take time. I also know this is the type of life I want, so I am committed to making it happen. I could stop writing this blog and stop writing books in order to get some of my free time back, I could even give up my freelance gig, because right now with a full-time job, I don’t need the money. But I love my freelance writing. I love keeping up this blog. I love creating a world all of my own when I write my books.
So I can keep the crazy, busy life up for a little while longer. It’s worth it. Once this crazy time is over, the trade off will be the simple life forever. And that’s a pretty sweet deal if you ask me.
Amanda Bretz 