365 Simplicity Quotes for Every Day of your Bullet Journal

Simplicity, simplifying your life, slowing down, appreciating what truly matters. If you’re craving the peace of mind that these states bring, then this is the post for you. I have searched high and low for all of the best quotes on all things simplicity and living a simple life. I even found 365 quotes, one for every single day of the year!

You could write a whole journal on simplicity.

A meditation of sorts. Queue calming picture of a clean simple space… Ahhh.

When the COVID-19 pandemic started, life slowed down.

But eventually, we learned how to work remotely, and work got more demanding than ever, we had to manage work and homeschool our kids, our friends and family were getting sick, we couldn’t be together to vent or laugh or give a hug, and we started shopping online for everything.

The pandemic has been a mix of slowing down and speeding up all at the same time. We’re home all day, surrounded by our stuff, claustrophobic with four walls and no outlet.

I’m talking to you city folk.

You may be feeling like life’s too complicted, or you have too much crap, or you just want to go back to a simpler way of life. Scan through this mega-list of quotes on simplicity to get inspired, calm your nerves, and remember that most things in life are a choice.

You can make your life simpler.

Start off by picking one of these quotes that inspire you, open your bullet journal, journal, pad, or heck use a napkin. Take your time writing it out. Maybe try cursive. Or even write with your non-dominant hand (hello inner child).

Or you can get inspired with my Simplicity Coloring Book. You can use it digitally; download and color with colored pencils, Sharpies, or crayons; or even just print out and use a page for wall art!

Get Your Bullet Journal Ready…

But first, if you are in the market for a new bullet journal, I have to give a quick plug to the Leuchtturm1917. If you’re new to bullet journaling, or it’s time to start fresh, I can’t tell you how happy I am with mine. I’m a fairly new convert within the last year to bullet journaling and I’m in love. I got a Leuchtturm after researching the options out there and I’m super happy with it.

Legit, I spent like 3 days looking at all of the pretty colors it comes in going back and forth on what color to get. Big decisions here people.

I went with dotted pages and the Port Red color. Check out the Leuchtturm1917 – it’s about $20 here on Amazon.

Little did I know my husband was going to buy me a new laptop for my birthday that would be a perfect complement in tones of pink and maroon.

Alright, here’s what you’ve been waiting for! 365 Simplicity Quotes for your Bullet Journal.

  1. Simplicity is nature’s first step, and the last of art. — Philip James Bailey
  2. The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak. Hans Hofmann
  3. If buying stuff hasn’t made you happy, maybe getting rid of it will. — Joshua Becker
  4. Knowledge is a process of piling up facts; wisdom lies in their simplification. — Martin Luther King, Jr.
  5. Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. — Leonardo da Vinci
  6. Simplify, simplify, simplify. — Henry David Thoreau
  7. Simplifying one’s life can also lead to a more contented existence. — Glen Mizrahi
  8. Simplicity is not about deprivation. Simplicity is about a greater appreciation for things that really matter. — Anonymous
  9. One of the biggest accelerators to change is simplicity. — Dr. Henry Cloud
  10. Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful. — William Morris
  11. Simplicity and repose are the qualities that measure the true value of any work of art. — Frank Lloyd Wright
  12. Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify. Simplify. — Henry David Thoreau
  13. To complicate is simple, to simplify is complicated… Everybody is able to complicate. Only a few can simplify. — Bruno Munari
  14. Simplicity reveals the pure beauty of life. — Debasish Mridha
  15. Simplifying our lives increases the probability of achieving the most important things in life — the best things. — Elder Lynn G. Robbins
  16. Simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance. — Coco Chanel
  17. Order and simplification are the first steps toward the mastery of a subject. — Thomas Mann
  18. You have to want to look for simplicity. You have to be motivated to design simplicity. — Edward de Bono
  19. The art of art, the glory of expression and the sunshine of the light of letters, is simplicity. — Walt Whitman
  20. Fishing is much more than fish. It is the great occasion when we may return to the fine simplicity of our forefathers. — Herbert Hoover
  21. There is a beauty and clarity that comes from simplicity that we sometimes do not appreciate in our thirst for intricate solutions. — Dieter F. Uchtdorf
  22. Simplicity is the key. — Ritchie Blackmore
  23. Clutter is not just the stuff on your floor — it’s anything that stands between you and the life you want to be living. — Peter Walsh
  24. Simplicity is that middle ground, the quiet path of moderation in all things. — Cary David Richards
  25. Simplicity is not an objective in art, but one achieves simplicity despite one’s self by entering into the real sense of things. — Constantin Brancusi
  26. Having a simplified, uncluttered home is a form of self-care. — Emma Scheib
  27. Simplify your life. Don’t waste the years struggling for things that are unimportant. Don’t burden yourself with possessions. Keep your needs and wants simple and enjoy what you have. Don’t destroy your peace of mind by looking back, worrying about the past. Live in the present. Simplify! — Henry David Thoreau
  28. Out of chaos, find simplicity. From discord, find harmony. — Bruce Lee
  29. It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all. — Laura Ingalls Wilder
  30. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler; solitude will not be solitude, poverty will not be poverty, nor weakness weakness. — Henry David Thoreau
  31. Simplicity is not the goal. It is the by-product of a good idea and modest expectations.  — Paul Rand
  32. It’s never good to make a simple thing into complicated. — Ly Nguyen
  33. Nature teaches us simplicity and contentment because in its presence we realize we need very little to be happy. — Mark Coleman
  34. In character, in manner, in style, in all things, the supreme excellence is simplicity. — Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
  35. Clutter is not just physical stuff, it’s old ideas, toxic relationships, and bad habits. — Elanor Brown
  36. Simple pleasures are the last healthy refuge in a complex world. — Oscar Wilde
  37. Simplicity does not mean want or poverty. It does not mean the absence of any decor, or absolute nudity. It only means that the decor should belong intimately to the design proper, and that anything foreign to it should be taken away. — Paul Jacques Grillo
  38. Simplicity does not precede complexity, but follows it.  — Alan Perlis
  39. Elegance is achieved when all that is superfluous has been discarded and the human being discovers simplicity and concentration: the simpler and more sober the posture, the more beautiful it will be. — Paulo Coelho
  40. Everything you buy or own might not necessarily bring you value or meaning to your life. In fact, they might come in your way and distract you from the bigger picture. You will find that simplicity is always better than complexity. — Summer Andrews
  41. Manifest plainness, embrace simplicity, reduce selfishness, have few desires. — Lao Tzu
  42. When you begin to pursue simplicity and make different decisions than you used to make, people will inevitably take notice. — Mike Burns
  43. The simplicity of life will make your life richer and fuller than trying to fit more in and having more. Just focus on what is important in your life. — Kathy Stanton
  44. Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. — Lao Tzu
  45. Consider the benefits of owning fewer possessions: less to clean, less debt, less to organize, less stress, more money and energy. — K. Collins
  46. Simplicity is about deciding what’s important to you and focusing on that before anything else. — Chelsea Walters
  47. Many people who suffer from heightened stress and anxiety have seen a dramatic improvement by cutting back and simplifying their lives. — Brian Night
  48. Simplicity is the key to brilliance. — Bruce Lee
  49. Simplifying your life may not be as simple as it sounds but you will be able to simplify your life when you get clear and focus on what is most important to you. — Donald Allen
  50. Never overlook the power of simplicity. — Robin Sharma
  51. Like spirituality itself, the simplest things, when appreciated with reverence, take on an entirely new meaning. — Oprah Winfrey
  52. There are two ways to be rich: one is by acquiring much, and the other is by desiring little. — Jackie French Koller
  53. Edit your life frequently and ruthlessly. It’s your masterpiece after all. — Nathan W. Morris
  54. The way to happy – keep your heart free from hate, your mind free from worry, live simply, expect little, give much. — Carol Borges
  55. Outer order contributes to inner calm. — Gretchen Rubin
  56. The simplification of life is one of the steps to inner peace. — Peace Pilgrim
  57. Great men simplify great principles and make them easily intelligible to ordinary men. — Tunku Abdul Rahman
  58. You will be amazed to see how just one moment of truth has the potential to simplify your struggles! — Anuranjita Kumar
  59. Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away. — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
  60.  Simplify the task. Continually look for faster, better, easier ways to get the job done. — Brian Tracy
  61. My mind was always very cluttered, so I took great pains to simplify my environment, because if my environment were half as cluttered as my mind, I wouldn’t be able to make it from room to room. This system has just worked for me, even though I’ve had to sweat over every word. It’s just my style. — Leonard Cohen
  62. Explanations exist; they have existed for all time; there is always a well-known solution to every human problem — neat, plausible, and wrong. — H. L. Mencken
  63. You must clear out what you don’t want to make room for what you do want to arrive. — Bryant McGill
  64. Simplify always — do not complicate. — Émile Coué
  65. Simplify, slow down, be kind. And don’t forget to have art in your life — music, paintings, theater, dance, and sunsets. — Eric Carle
  66. Just slow down. Slow down your speech. Slow down your breathing. Slow down your walking. Slow down your eating. And let this slower, steadier pace perfume your mind. Just slow down… — Doko
  67. And every day, the world will drag you by the hand, yelling, this is important! And This is important! And this is important! You need to worry about this! And this! And this! And each day, it’s up to you to yank your hand back, put it on your heart and say, No. This is what’s important. — Iain Thomas
  68. Life is simple; we create the complexity. — Steve Maraboli
  69. And yes, there’s a simplicity to writing books because you’re not a member of a team, so you make all the decisions yourself instead of deferring to a committee. — Bernard Cornwell
  70. If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough. — Albert Einstein
  71. Simplifying is about gaining control of your life and your possessions, creating more time to do the things you want to do, and to spend with the people you love. — Wendy Priesnitz
  72. When we simplify, we are attending to our minds. Clear minds lead to creativity, vision, health, and productivity. — Angela Lynne Craig
  73. You have to seek the simplest implementation of a problem solution in order to know when you’ve reached your limit in that regard. Then it’s easy to make tradeoffs, to back off a little, for performance reasons. You can simplify and simplify and simplify yet still find other incredible ways to simplify further. — Steve Wozniak
  74. Simplify and focus on the good. The beauty of the journey ahead will flourish on its own. — Eric Tomblin
  75. The hardest thing in the world is to simplify your life; it’s so easy to make it complex. — Yvon Choinard
  76. Simplify your life and mind. Think more of infinity and less of yourself. — Frederick Lenz
  77. Simplify the complicated, untangle the tangled, follow the threads, to the heart of the matter. — Jane Teresa Anderson
  78. A little simplification would be the first step toward rational living, I think. — Eleanor Roosevelt
  79. Simplicity is the soul of efficiency. — Austin Freeman
  80. Simplicity is clarity. — Olen J. Hamm
  81. I don’t say no because I am so busy. I say no because I don’t want to be busy. — Courtney Carver
  82. Clarity and simplicity are the antidotes to complexity and uncertainty. — General George Casey
  83. No is a complete sentence. — Anne Lamott
  84. Complexity has nothing to do with intelligence, simplicity does. — Lawrence Bossidy
  85. Mastery comes via a monomaniacal focus on simplicity versus and addition to complexity. — Robin Sharma
  86. You no longer need to fit into society’s framework. Simplifying your life and stripping back your layers is true living. — Bright Goldworthy
  87. Buy less, choose well. — Vivienne Westwood
  88. The space in which we live should be for the person we are becoming now, not the person we were in the past. — Marie Kondo
  89. Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated. — Confucious
  90. A vocabulary of truth and simplicity will be of service throughout your life. — Winston Churchill
  91. Life is beautiful in its simplicity. — Thomas Matthiessen
  92. My goal is no longer to get more done, but rather to have less to do. — Francine Jay
  93. Maybe the life you’ve always wanted is buried under everything you own. — Joshua Becker
  94. There are two ways to get enough. One is to continue to accumulate more and more. The other is to desire less. — C.K. Chesterton
  95. You can do anything but not everything. — David Allen
  96. Focus on what matters most and why. — Aja Nicole Edmond
  97. Simplify, then add lightness. — Colin Chapman
  98. Your home is living space not storage space. — Francine Jay
  99. Lead a simple life. First reduce your greeds. Then reduce your needs. — Ritu Ghatourey
  100. Make room for what matters… Let go of what doesn’t. It’s that simple. — Robert Tew
  101. Getting rid of perfectly good items may seem wasteful, but that’s not where we went wrong. It was wasteful to purchase it. Now we are just acknowledging it. — Rachelle Crawford
  102. What I know for sure is that when you declutter, whether it’s on your home, your head, or your heart, it is astounding what will flow into that space that will enrich you, your life, and your family. — Peter Walsh
  103. Clutter is the enemy of clarity. — Julia Cameron
  104. The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less. — Socrates
  105. Be as simple as you can be; you will be astonished to see how uncomplicated and happy your life can become. — Paramahansa Yogananda
  106. The best things in life aren’t things. — Art Buchwald
  107. I just find myself happy with the simple things. Appreciating the blessings God Gave me. — DMX
  108. Going back to a simpler life is not a step backward. — Yvon Chouinard
  109. Maybe family meals at home, spending more time with our children, and living a simpler life based on necessity is the solution to more than just this virus. — Steve Dillender
  110. Simplicity of living plus high thinking lead to the greatest happiness! — Paramahansa Yogananda
  111. Simplicity is never a matter of circumstances; simplicity is always a matter of focus. — Tsh Oxenreider
  112. There is nothing more beautiful than living a simple life in this complex universe! — Mehmet Murat Ildan
  113. People who live far below their means enjoy a freedom that people busy upgrading their lifestyles can’t fathom. — Naval Ravikant
  114. Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability.  — Edsger Dijkstra
  115. Living a simple life is the secret of living a peaceful life. — Jinapa
  116. Simplicity is making the journey of this life with just baggage enough. — Charles Dudley Warner
  117. Only great minds can afford a simple style. — Stendhal
  118. Believe in simple living and high thinking. — Tripti Sharma
  119. Simplicity is a state of mind. — Charles Wagner
  120. One tiny step is all it takes. — Courtney Carver
  121. Choose to focus your time, energy and conversation around people who inspire you, support you and help you to grow you into your happiest, strongest, wisest self. — Karen Salmansohn
  122. The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it. — Jennifer Burger
  123. Simplicity is never a matter of circumstances; simplicity is always a matter of focus. — Ann Voskamp
  124. The best way to enjoy your favorite things is to only own your favorite things. — Courtney Carver
  125. Grandeur and beauty are so very opposite, that you often diminish the one as you increase the other. Variety is most akin to the latter, simplicity to the former.  — William Shenstone
  126. Live a simple life; you will own the most beautiful treasures of the world. — Mehmet Murat Ildan
  127. I’m just a regular person who believes life is simple, and I like a simple life. — Manny Pacquiao
  128. That’s been one of my mantras—focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex. You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains — Steve Jobs
  129. The simple things are also the most extraordinary things, and only the wise can see them. — Paulo Coelho
  130. Sometimes we should express our gratitude for the small and simple things like the scent of rain, the taste of your favourite food, or the sound of a loved one’s voice. — Joseph B. Wirthlin
  131. Stop filling all the spaces. — Courtney Carver
  132. The pure and simple truth is rarely pure, and never simple. — Oscar Wilde
  133. The sculptor produces the beautiful statue by chipping away such parts of the marble block as are not needed — it is a process of elimination. — Elbert Hubbard
  134. The simplest things are often the truest. — Richard Bach
  135. I would rather live a joyful simple life, doing what I love, than to be unhappy and rich. — Lailah Gifty Akita
  136. A lot of people don’t want a million-dollar house. They just want to live a simple life and catch fish and make a living. — Bill Tucker
  137. It is always the simple that produces the marvelous. — Amelia Barr
  138. My formula for living is quite simple. I get up in the morning and I go to bed at night. In between, I occupy myself as best I can. — Cary Grant
  139. Simplicity of living, if deliberately chosen, implies a compassionate approach to life. It means that we are choosing to live our daily lives with some degree of conscious appreciation of the conditions of the rest of the world. — Duane Elgin
  140. I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures. — Lao Tzu
  141. What’s really important is to simplify. The work of most photographers would be improved immensely if they could do one thing: get rid of the extraneous. If you strive for simplicity, you are more likely to reach the viewer. — William Albert Allard
  142. Voluntary simplicity means going fewer places in one day rather than more, seeing less so I can see more, doing less so I can do more, acquiring less so I can have more. — John Kabat-Zinn
  143. We don’t need to increase our goods nearly as much as we need to scale down our wants. Not wanting something is as good as possessing it. — Donald Horban
  144. We struggle with the complexities and avoid the simplicities. — Norman Vincent Peale
  145. When thought is too weak to be simply expressed, it’s clear proof that it should be rejected. — Luc De Clapiers
  146. I’m a quiet person, and I live a quiet, pleasant, ordinary, simple life. — Mary McGarry Morris
  147. A simple life is its own reward. — George Santayana
  148. I live a reasonably simple life, off the beaten track. — George Lucas
  149. It is preoccupation with possession, more than anything else, that prevents men from living freely and nobly. — Bertrand Russell
  150. When the subject is strong, simplicity is the only way to treat it.  — Jacob Lawrence
  151. Make your life simple, but significant. — Don Draper
  152. The greatest wealth is to live content with little. — Plato
  153. Unnecessary possessions are unnecessary burdens. If you have them, you have to take care of them! There is great freedom in simplicity of living. It is those who have enough but not too much who are the happiest. Peace Pilgrim
  154. Writing is no trouble: you just jot down ideas as they occur to you. The jotting is simplicity itself — it is the occurring which is difficult.  — Stephen Leacock
  155. To be honest, I tend to romanticize the past, and though I appreciate all the conveniences of modern life, sometimes I yearn for simpler times. — Aziz Ansari
  156. You have succeeded in life when all you really want is only what you really need. — Vernon Howard
  157. It’s no bad thing to celebrate a simple life. — J.R.R. Tolkien
  158. Live simply so that others may simply life. — Mahatma Gandhi
  159. I am convinced that there can be luxury in simplicity. — Jil Sander
  160. It is very hard to be simple enough to be good. — Ralph Waldo Emerson
  161. God made life simple. It is man who complicates it. — Charles Lindbergh
  162. It’s the simple things in life that are the most extraordinary. — Paulo Coelho
  163. Free men must live simple lives and have simple pleasures. — William Morris
  164. That man is richest whose pleasures are the cheapest. — Henry David Thoreau
  165. Simplicity of character is no hindrance to the subtlety of intellect. — John Morley
  166. The greatest step towards a life of simplicity is to learn to let go. — Steve Maraboli
  167. Let me tell you something: I’m a simple person who lives a simple life. — Bill Cowher
  168. He who is contented is rich. — Lao Tzu
  169. In no order of things is adolescence a time of the simple life. — Janet Erskine Stuart
  170. Finding a way to life the simple life is one of life’s supreme complications. — T.S. Eliot
  171. Manifest plainness, embrace simplicity, reduce selfishness, have few desires. — Lao Tzu
  172. When we crave simplicity, we are not after an easier life. We are after life. — Dave Bruno
  173. Simplicity of character is the natural result of profound thought. — William Hazlitt
  174. Best rule for a simple life…care with no reason, love with no expectation. — Ritu Ghatourey
  175. A simple lifestyle is good for us, helping us to better share with those in need. — Pope Francis
  176. Life is very simple. What I give out comes back to me. Today, I choose to give love. — Louise Hay
  177. Receive without conceit, release without struggle. — Marcus Aurelius
  178. Simplicity is the nature of great souls. — Papa Ramadas
  179. Life is like art. You have to work hard to keep it simple and still have meaning. — Charles de Lint
  180. Man is an over-complicated organism. If he is doomed to extinction he will die out for want of simplicity. — Ezra Pound
  181. Clutter is the physical manifestation of unmade decision fueled by procrastination. — Christina Scalise
  182. A vocabulary of truth and simplicity will be of service throughout your life. — Winston Churchill
  183. Simplicity is so attractive and so profitable that it is strange that so few people lead truly simple lives. — Leo Tolstoy
  184. Simplicity, clarity, singleness: these are the attributes that give our lives power and vividness and joy. — Richard Halloway
  185. I don’t want all that much. But I want to be fine. I want to live a simple life with many good moments and a lot of fun. — Erland Loe
  186. Simplicity is the essence of happiness. — Cedric Bledsoe
  187. Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! I say, let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand. — Henry David Thoreau
  188. I believe that a simple and unassuming manner of life is best for everyone, best both for the body and the mind. — Albert Einstein
  189. All I really want is a small, slow, simple life. A mediocre life. A beautiful, quiet, gently life. I think it is enough. — Krista O’Reilly
  190. Reduce the complexity of life by eliminating the needless wants of life, and the labors of life reduce themselves. — Edwin Way Teale
  191. Love is simple. Life is simple. Hate is simple. Success is simple and failure is simple. Then what is difficult? Being simple is very difficult!!! — Lokesh
  192. They say the world has become too complex for simple answers. They are wrong. — Ronald Reagan
  193. Simplicity, clarity, singleness: These are the attributes that give our lives power and vividness and joy as they are also the marks of great art. — Richard Holloway
  194. I began to realize how simple life could be if one had a regular routine to follow with fixed hours, a fixed salary, and very little original thinking to do. — Roald Dahl
  195. Simplicity is the final achievement. After one has played a vast quantity of notes and more notes, it is simplicity that emerges as the crowning reward of art. — Frederic Chopin
  196. Simplicity involves unburdening your life, and living more lightly with fewer distractions that interfere with a high quality life, as defined uniquely by each individual. You will find people living simply in large cities, rural areas and everything in between. — Linda Breen Pierce.
  197. The complexity of your earthly array is not a guarantee for a triumphant eternity. The fact is that you need a simple life to go to heaven; not an excessively glittering body, shiny lips and charming face. — Israelmore Ayivor
  198. Simplicity is indeed often the sign of truth and a criterion of beauty. — Mahlon Hoagland
  199. The most powerful life is the most simple life. The most powerful life is the life that knows where it’s going, that knows where the source of strength is. It is the life that stays free of clutter and happenstance and hurriedness. — Max Lucado
  200. The less I need, the better I felt. — Charles Bukowski
  201. If one’s life is simple, contentment has to come. Simplicity is extremely important for happiness. Having few desires, feeling satisfied with what you have, is very vital: satisfaction with just enough food, clothing, and shelter to protect yourself from the elements. — Dalai Lama
  202. We have one hardware organization. We have one software organization. It’s not like we’re this big company with all these divisions that are cranking out products. We’re simpletons. — Tim Cook
  203. Most of the luxuries, and many of the so-called comforts of life, are not only not indispensable, but positive hindrances to the elevation of mankind. With respect to luxuries and comforts, the wisest have even lived a more simple and meager life than the poor. — Henry David Thoreau
  204. Nothing is true, but that which is simple.  — Johann Wolfgang
  205. Most of the fundamental ideas of science are essentially simple, and may, as a rule, be expressed in a language comprehensible to everyone. — Albert Einstein
  206. A simple life is not seeing how little we can get by with that’s poverty but how efficiently we can put first things first. . . . When you’re clear about your purpose and your priorities, you can painlessly discard whatever does not support these, whether it’s clutter in your cabinets or commitments on your calendar. — Victoria Moran
  207. Organic architecture seeks superior sense of use and a finer sense of comfort, expressed in organic simplicity. — Frank Lloyd Wright
  208. As we live and as we are, Simplicity — with a capital ‘S’ — is difficult to comprehend nowadays. We are no longer truly simple. We no longer live in simple terms or places. Life is a complex struggle now. It is now valiant to be simple: a courageous thing to even want to be simple. It is a spiritual thing to comprehend what simplicity means. — Frank Lloyd Wright
  209. Intentional living is the art of making our own choices before others’ choices make us. — Richie Norton
  210. Of manners gentle, of affections mild; In wit a man, simplicity a child. — Alexander Pope
  211. My choice of a lighter lifestyle has brought me a greater sense of well-being. In a world that often seems stressful and chaotic, that’s a feeling I cherish. — Lisa J. Shultz
  212. Anything simple always interests me. — David Hockney
  213. Simplicity is the beauty of life. — Lailah Gifty Akita
  214. Less stuff equals more freedom. — Maxime Lagacé
  215. In simplicity you will find peace. — Lauren Jawno
  216. Simplicity of approach is always best. — Charlie Chaplin
  217. Simplicity is the highest form of complexity. — Minh Tan
  218. Some people try to make everything complicated, be the person who tries to make everything simple. — Dave Waters
  219. Simplicity is the glory of expression. — Walt Whitman
  220. Out of clutter, find simplicity. — Albert Einstein
  221. Simplicity is the trademark of genius. — Robin S. Sharma
  222. There is great freedom in simplicity of living. — Peace Pilgrim
  223. Childhood means simplicity. Look at the world with the child’s eye — it is very beautiful. — Kailash Satyarthi
  224. Complexity is your enemy. Any fool can make something complicated. It is hard to keep things simple. — Richard Branson
  225. Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler. — Albert Einstein
  226. As beautiful as simplicity is, it can become a tradition that stands in the way of exploration. — Laura Nyro
  227. When I started to live in simplicity my life became peaceful, joyful, and blissful. — Debasish Mridha
  228. Simplicity is the soul of modern elegance. — Bill Blass
  229. Misery is complexity. Happiness is simplicity. — Lester Levenson
  230. A simple life means a humble life and humble life means a happy life. — Melanie Moushigian Koulouris
  231. Simplicity is beauty beyond words. — Suufee
  232. Simplicity and humility are the flowers of greatness. — Debasish Mridha
  233. As I grew older, I realized that it was much better to insist on the genuine forms of nature, for simplicity is the greatest adornment of art. — Albrecht Durer
  234. Simple and humble people aren’t given respect for their simplicity, planes and clarity until they get successful. — Srishti Sharma
  235. Don’t create complicated solutions to fix complicated problems. Simplicity is the only thing that can make our lives less complicated. — Kemmy Nola
  236. Plain question and plain answer make the shortest road out of most perplexities. — Mark Twain
  237. Clutter and confusion are failures of design, not attributes of information. — Edward Tuft
  238. All that makes earlier times seem simpler is our ignorance of their complexities. — Thomas Sowell
  239. A simpler time… A simpler place… And all you have to do is choose that simplicity here and now. — Katrina Mayer
  240. Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex. It takes a touch of genius— and a lot of courage— to move in the opposite direction. E. F. Schumacher
  241. Truth is ever to be found in simplicity, and not in the multiplicity and confusion of things. — Isaac Newton
  242. Everything is complex and everything is simple. The rose has no why attached to it, it blooms because it blooms, how no thought of itself, or desire to be seen. What could be more complicated than a rose for someone who wants to understand it? What could be simpler for someone who wants nothing? The complexity of thinking, the simplicity of beholding. — Andre Comte-Sponville
  243. Purity and simplicity are the two wings with which man soars above the earth and all temporary nature. — Thomas Kempis
  244. I would rather own a little and see the world, than own the world and see a little. — Alexander Sattler
  245. I’ve spent my life trying to make things simpler. Because I find ultimately that complicated doesn’t reach the heart. — Hans Zimmer
  246. Progress is man’s ability to complicate simplicity. — Thor Heyerdahl
  247. Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple…That’s creativity. — Charles Mingus
  248. Any work that is born out of natural serendipity or reverts to simpler times is poignant for people— in any era. — Cai Guo-Qiang
  249. But luxury has never appealed to me, I like simple things, books, being alone, or with somebody who understands. — Daphne du Maurier
  250. Simple truths are a relief from grand speculations. — Vauvenargues
  251. In order to seek one’s own direction, one must simplify the mechanics of ordinary, everyday life. — Plato
  252. Simplicity and naturalness are the truest marks of distinction. — W. Somerset Maugham
  253. Cherish simple things such as family, friends and love, because great things appear simple from far away. Place your simple things in the best light; there’s enough sunshine for all of them. — Val Uchendu
  254. A quiet and modest life brings more joy than a pursuit of success bound with constant unrest. — Albert Einstein
  255. Possessions, outward success, publicity, luxury — to me these have always been contemptible. I believe that a simple and unassuming manner of life is best for everyone, best for both the body and the mind. — Albert Einstein
  256. If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need. — Cicero
  257. Guided only by their feeling for symmetry, simplicity, and generality, and an indefinable sense of the fitness of things, creative mathematicians now, as in the past, are inspired by the art of mathematics rather than by any prospect of ultimate usefulness. — E. T. Bell
  258. For awhile, I was left with nothing on the physical plane. I had no relationships, no job, no home, no socially defined identity. I spent almost two years sitting on park benches in a state of the most intense joy. — Eckhart Tolle
  259. I’ve learnt to gather simplicity from grasshoppers. I like their naive indecisive minds never knowing exactly when to stop chirping, and I envy their ability to be able to mingle with the green… — Munia Khan
  260. Sometimes, the simple things are more fun and meaningful than all the banquets in the world. — E.A. Bucchianeri
  261. Some of the greatest poetry is revealing to the reader the beauty in something that was so simple you had taken it for granted. — Neil deGrasse Tyson
  262. How many things are there which I do not want. — Socrates
  263. Simple things bring infinite pleasure. Yet, it takes us a while to realize that. But once simple is in, complex is out — forever. — Joan Marques
  264. I like simplicity; I don’t need luxury. — Francis Ford Coppola
  265. Here’s to the moments when you realize the simple things are wonderful and enough. — Jill Badonsky
  266. A taste for simplicity cannot last for long. — Eugene Delacroix
  267. The question of what you want to own is actually the question of how you want to live your life. — Marie Kondo
  268. I hope these simple things are what I forever love about life, for then I will be happy no matter where I find myself. — R. YS Perez
  269. Simplicity is the most difficult thing to secure in this world; it is the last limit of experience and the last effort of genius. — George Sand
  270. The true miracle is not walking on water or walking in air, but simply walking on this earth. — Thich Nhat Hanh
  271. The simplest things are overlooked. And yet, it is the simplest things that are the most essential. — Thomas Lloyd Qualls
  272. There is no greatness where there is not simplicity, goodness, and truth. — Leo Tolstoy
  273. Greatness lies in simplicity, nobody can achieve it through karma. — Charan
  274. Simple things of beauty can often take a lifetime to master and just a moment to savour. — Paul Jefferson Woods
  275. Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious and adding the meaningful. — John Maeda
  276. A man must be able to cut a knot, for everything cannot be untied; he must know how to disengage what is essential from the detail in which it is enwrapped, for everything cannot be equally considered; in a word, he must be able to simplify his duties, his business and his life. — Henri Frederic Amiel
  277. For the more limited, if adequate, is always preferable. — Aristotle
  278. The aspects of things that are most important to us are hidden because of their simplicity and familiarity. — Ludwig Wittgenstein
  279. Simplicity is an acquired taste mankind left free instinctively complicates life. — Katherine F. Gerould
  280. The art of simplicity is a puzzle of complexity.  — Douglas Horton
  281. Royalty is born when you adorn simplicity. — Bijoy Jha
  282. Simplicity comes from thoughts, not only from behaviour. — Pooja Sarwade
  283. Simplicity is the key to achieve extraordinary. — Nitin Namdeo
  284. The greatest ideas are the simplest. — William Golding
  285. Life becomes simpler when we ignore the opinions of others. — Albert Camus
  286. It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy that makes happiness. — Charles Spurgeon
  287. The main purpose of science is simplicity and as we understand more things, everything is becoming simpler. — Edward Teller
  288. Simplicity boils down to two steps: Identify the essential. Eliminate the rest. — Leo Babauta
  289. Find joy and solace in the simple and cultivate your utopia by feeling the Tao in every cubic inch of space. — Wayne Dyer
  290. The more we simplify our material needs, the more we are free to think of other things. — Eleanor Roosevelt
  291. Be thankful for what you have. Appreciate the small and simple things. — Kyle Carpenter
  292. Nature is pleased with simplicity. — Isaac Newton.
  293. Less is more. — Mies van der Rohe
  294. Beauty of style and harmony and grace and good rhythm depend on simplicity. — Plato
  295. Clutter and confusion are failures of design, not attributes of information. — Edward Tuft
  296. Don’t make the process harder than it is. — Jack Welch
  297. Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers, who can cut through argument, debate, and doubt to offer a solution everybody can understand. — General Colin Powell
  298. Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things. — Robert Brault
  299. Enjoy the simple, the natural and the plain. Along with that comes the ability to do things spontaneously and have them work. — Benjamin Hoff
  300. Everything is both simpler than we can imagine, and more complicated that we can conceive. — Goethe
  301. From native simplicity we arrive at more profound simplicity. — Albert Schweitzer
  302. I believe that the Apple Shuffle is an excellent compromise among the conflicting requirements of simplicity, elegance, size, battery life, and function. — Donald Norman
  303. I believe we would be happier to have a personal revolution in our individual lives and go back to simpler living and more direct thinking. It is the simple things of life that make living worthwhile, the sweet fundamental things such as love and duty, work and rest, and living close to nature. — Laura Ingalls Wilder
  304. I don’t need a lot of money. Simplicity is the answer for me. — Linda McCartney
  305. I have a simple philosophy. Fill what’s empty. Empty what’s full. And scratch where it itches. — Alice Roosevelt Longworth
  306. I have learned by some experience, by many examples, and by the writings of countless others before me, also occupied in the search, that certain environments, certain modes of life, certain rules of conduct are more conducive to inner and outer harmony than others. There are, in fact, certain roads that one may follow. Simplification of life is one of them. — Ann Morrow Lindbergh
  307. I have yet to see any problem, however complicated, which, when you looked at it in the right way, did not become still more complicated. — Paul Anderson
  308. I just like simplicity. I like simple songs, I like simple chords, simple vocals, simple lead guitar. I just like simplicity. That’s just the way I like it.  — Jeremy Spencer
  309. I take a simple view of living. It is, keep your eyes open and get on with it.  — Sir Laurence Olivier
  310. I wish I had invented blue jeans. They have expression, modesty, sex appeal, simplicity — all I hope for in my clothes. — Yves Saint Laurent
  311. I would not give a fig for the simplicity this side of complexity, but I would give my life for the simplicity on the other side of complexity. — Oliver Wendell Holmes
  312. If your mind isn’t clouded by unnecessary things, this is the best season of your life. — Wu-Men
  313. The great seal of truth is simplicity.  — Herman Boerhaave
  314. Is it not in the most absolute simplicity that real genius plies its pinions the most wonderfully? — E. T. A. Hoffmann
  315. The great artist and thinker are the simplifiers. — Henri Frederic Amiel
  316. It is not how much space there is, but rather how it is used. It is not how much information there is, but rather how effectively it is organized. — Edward Tufte
  317. It is simplicity that makes the uneducated more effective than the educated when addressing popular audiences. — Aristotle
  318. My philosophy? Simplicity plus variety. — Hank Stram
  319. Nature is what we know — Yet have not art to say — So impotent our wisdom is to her simplicity — Emily Dickinson
  320. Never again will I make the simple into the complex. Something of true value does not become more valuable because it becomes complicated. Experience and conditions come and go; complications arise and fall away, but the simple action of God is eternal in the universe. — Donald Curtis
  321. Nobility of spirit has more to do with simplicity than ostentation, wisdom rather than wealth, commitment rather than ambition. — Riccardo Muti
  322. No simplicity of mind, no obscurity of station, can escape the universal duty of questioning all that we believe. — William Kingdon Clifford
  323. Nothing astonishes men so much as common sense and plain dealing. — Ralph Waldo Emerson
  324. Nothing is as simple as we hope it will be. — Jim Horning
  325. Nothing is more simple than greatness; indeed, to be simple is to be great.  — Ralph Waldo Emerson
  326. Slow down. Do less. — Maxime Lagacé
  327. Simplicity makes me happy. — Alicia Keys
  328. Simplicity should not be identified with bareness. — Felix Adler
  329. The trouble with simple living is that, though it can be joyful, rich, and creative, it isn’t simple. — Doris Janzen Longacre
  330. Simply the thing that I am shall make me live. — William Shakespeare
  331. The ordinary arts we practice every day at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest. — Thomas More
  332. ’Think simple’ as my old master used to say — meaning reduce the whole of its parts into the simplest terms, getting back to first principles. — Frank Lloyd Wright
  333. Success is simple. Do what’s right, the right way, at the right time. — Arnold Glasow
  334. To find the universal elements enough; to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter … to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird’s nest or a wildflower in spring—these are some of the rewards of the simple life. — John Burroughs
  335. Teach us delight in the simple things, and mirth that has no bitter springs; forgiveness free of evil done, and love to all men beneath the sun. — Rudyard Kipling
  336. The farther you go, the less you know. — Lao Tsu
  337. The faultless formulas of television–the ones that last–are simple. — Dick Clark
  338. The obvious is that which is never seen until someone expresses it simply. — Kahlil Gibran
  339. The simplest things give me ideas. — Joan Miro
  340. To simplify complications is the first essential of success. — George Earle Buckle
  341. To be a philosopher is not merely to have subtle thoughts, nor even to found a school, but to so love wisdom as to live according to its dictates a life of simplicity, independence, magnanimity and trust. — Henry David Thoreau
  342. Mental toughness is many things. It is humility because it behooves all of us to remember that simplicity is the sign of greatness and meekness is the sign of true strength. — Vince Lombardi
  343. The spirit’s foe in man has not been simplicity, but sophistication. — George Santayana
  344. The whole is simpler than the sum of its parts. — Willard Gibbs
  345. There is a certain majesty in simplicity which is far above all the quaintness of wit. — Alexander Pope
  346. The little things are infinitely the most important.  — Arthur Conan Doyle
  347. There is a simplicity that exists on the far side of complexity, and there is a communication of sentiment and attitude not to be discovered by careful exegesis of a text. — Patrick Buchanan
  348. There is no single development, in either technology or management technique, which by itself promises even one order-of-magnitude improvement within a decade in productivity, in reliability, in simplicity. — Frederick P. Brooks, Jr.
  349. Three Rules of Work: Out of clutter find simplicity; From discord find harmony; In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity. — Albert Einstein
  350. Understanding reduces the greatest to simplicity, and lack of its causes the least to take on the magnitude.  — Raymond Holliwell
  351. Tis the gift to be simple, Tis the gift to be free… — Joseph Brackett
  352. Simplicity is a choice, a discrimination, a crystallization. Its object is purity. — Le Corbusier
  353. The greatest wealth is a poverty of desires. — Seneca
  354. The core of beauty is simplicity. — Paulo Coelho
  355. I have the simplest tastes. I am always satisfied with the best. — Oscar Wilde
  356. It is the essence of genius to make use of the simplest ideas. — Charles Péguy  
  357. Knowledge is a process of piling up facts; wisdom list in their simplification. — Martin H. Fischer
  358. A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to let alone. — Henry David Thoreau
  359. The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook. — William James
  360. Saying no is more important than saying yes. — Shane Parrish
  361. Every increased possession loads us with new weariness. — John Ruskin
  362. He is not rich, that enjoyeth not his own goods. — Pythagoras
  363. Make room for things that matter by removing everything that doesn’t. — Brian Gardner
  364. The more you have, the more you are occupied. The less you have, the more free you are. — Mother Teresa
  365. The more simple we are, the more complete we become. — August Rodin

You did it! A whole year of simplicity quotes!

I hope you found some inspiring quotes to play around with in your bullet journal (here’s one of my favorites!). Journaling helps to get it out of your head and onto the page. And sometimes it’s a place to be creative and play.

Save this page in your favorites, or pin to your Quotes board as your go-to guide for inspiring quotes on the simple life!

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    The Beginner’s Guide to Self-Care in 2021

    Self-care is critical because you can’t be your best, show up, and thoroughly enjoy your life if you don’t have the energy reserves to do so. Honestly, I am bad at balancing work with the rest of my life. But I am getting better at practicing self-care and prioritizing my health above my job. 

    There are days that I have enough energy to walk from my desk to the couch and crash. There are many days where I am chained to my computer for 9, 10, 11 hours at a time. That leaves me burnt out, strung out, and with very little energy left to enjoy life outside of work. And I know at least a handful of friends and colleagues who feel the same way and are struggling. 

    Keeping up with self-care has been a dynamic practice that I’ve developed over many years. I’m not perfect at it, and I still have to remind myself to get up, take a break, and move my body. 

    In a perfect world, we would all be authorities on self-care, personal development, and living our best lives. But that’s why I’m here, to put all of the information and resources in a one-stop-shop that you can use for inspiration. 

    I support you in putting everything down today and making you your number one priority. 

    What is Self-Care?

    Self-care means taking the time to make your health, happiness, and wellbeing a priority. It means taking actions that nurture your body, energy levels, peace of mind, counterbalances, life stressors like a demanding job, taking care of the kids, or dealing with finances.

    Although, I’d argue that getting your finances in order is one of the most caring things you can do for yourself. But that’s a whole other story. 

    What are some common misconceptions about self-care?

    That it’s selfish. Hooey.

    Or that it’s just for women. Also hooey.

    Maybe you think you don’t have time. Practicing self-care is maintenance plain and simple. You wouldn’t let your kids go all day without eating and stare at the computer all day. Or never take your car in for a check-up. Not comparing kids to cars, it’s just an example. Men need self-care too. And self-care can look different from person to person. Maybe I like baths by candlelight, but your version of self-care is going for a run and treating yourself to a yummy smoothie after.

    There is no narrowly defined version of what self-care needs to be. 

    How Do You Get Started Practicing Self-Care?

    Luckily, you don’t need a whole lot of money to get started practicing self-care. You could try one new small act every day or the same little action every day for a week or a month. For example, I used to wake up, but the news on my phone, and get ready for work. I would feel anxious and tight in my chest, but I couldn’t let it go. I realized that I needed to change my routine, and to be honest, it was hard and a little anxiety-producing for a while.

    Putting the news on was a crutch to fill in the dread I felt every morning, anticipating the stressful day of work ahead. But what I realized is that watching intense news stories first thing in the morning was making it worse. You may be thinking, well, duh, that’s obvious. But at the time, it was so ingrained in my routine that even though I knew it wasn’t healthy, I needed a plan to detach and fill that space with something else.

    So now I take 15 minutes when I wake up to stretch, write thoughts in my journal, and take a breathe and sometimes for myself before I transition into go mode. And when I do, I’m much calmer and more grounded. Here are some more ideas on getting started practicing self-care that are easy to do and don’t cost much money.

    Get good sleep

    Sleep is #1 for taking care of yourself. Pretend that you’re a kid again and put yourself to bed at a reasonable hour. Yes, kids need a lot of sleep, but adults do too! The Department of Health & Human Services has helpful information on sleep that answers questions like, “Why is sleep important?” “How much sleep is enough?” and gives useful strategies for how you can get enough sleep.

    Eat good food 

    You cannot expect a car to run on garbage gas, so why do we expect our bodies to run on garbage food? Garbage in, garbage out. Good food doesn’t need to be expensive. Check out Harvard’s healthy eating pyramid for a start.

    Drink lots of water

    I have a 40 oz water container at my desk, and I fill it at least twice every day. Water is life. You can go without food for a few weeks, but you can only survive without water for a few days

    Take breaks

    There is no glory in always being busy. Being chronically stressed isn’t a badge of honor.

    It means you’re not taking as much care of your needs as you could be. I should know it’s the story of my professional life, and I still struggle with it. I am in charge of multi-million dollar projects at work with strict deadlines. Recently, I had to take about six weeks off work for personal reasons I may share about one day. But the point is that it was an emergency, and I was able to hand off my workload in an afternoon, and my colleagues handled it. Does that mean I’m disposable?

    No, they were thankful when I was back. It just means the world will not end if you put yourself before your work because it will take what it can get. And if you don’t put up boundaries for yourself, work sure won’t care to do the same. It can be a microbreak to stretch, walk around the block, and get some water. There are a ton of benefits to taking breaks. So, if you have to force yourself, do it.

    Say no 

    Only you can push back and start creating healthy work boundaries for yourself. If you’re overextended, simplify. Cutting out tasks that someone else can do, or doesn’t result in a worthwhile return on your time, then prune as much as you can. There’s also no glory in martyring yourself. If you’re worried that if you say no, you’re vulnerable, fight the feeling. If you’re someone who has to be reminded to say no, then it’s highly likely that you are invaluable to your job, family, and team. They will figure it out, and you’ll be more energized to do all of the other things you do.

    Common Questions/FAQ About Self-Care

    What is a good self-care routine?

    Getting started, I would recommend baby steps, so you don’t get overwhelmed. Try one new idea every week. You can either try something different week to week or have it be additive. For example, in week 1, you could meditate for 10 minutes once a day. Week two, you could meditate for 10 minutes once a day and take a 15-minute walk once a day. As time goes on, you’ll modify it as you feel what best serves you and what you don’t need. Everyone’s self-care routine can look different, so it’s what works best for you. 

    What is the first step in creating a self-care plan?

    There’s always a first step, but I’ll give you a few more to work with.

    Step 1

    Write down how you currently practice self-care. It would help if you established existing conditions before you can know what needs changing. An example could be noting how much sleep you get, is it good quality sleep, do you feel tired when you wake up. Or you could write how much water you typically drink in a day. 

    Step 2

    Do a brain dump of all the ways you like to relax or enjoy doing activities. Maybe you love doing your nails, alone, listening to music, with no disruptions. Or that morning latte or smoothie makes you feel like you can get through the day.

    Step 3

    Start implementing. Taking action could mean trying one new activity a week or a month. Like I mentioned earlier, start with baby steps. If you go full throttle first thing, you could get overwhelmed and stop altogether. The incremental benefits of starting small are better than doing nothing, so feel good about every little action you take.

    Step 4

    Check-in with yourself. If you journal, you could keep track of your progress. How many times did you meet your daily water goal? How many crap snacks did you replace with healthy ones? Did you take a walk every day? Monitoring not only keeps you accountable to yourself but also informs you of what works, what needs tweaking, and what may not be serving you. Data is everything. 

    Step 5

    Keep at it. Be gentle with yourself. It won’t be perfect. You may backslide. And that is all okay. What’s important is you keep at it and celebrate every small win. We’re human. We do our best, and what matters is that we show up every day and try. If today’s trying is to drink a cup of tea instead of soda-success. 

    What are self-care goals?

    Self-care goals will look different from person to person. Though, there are some common goals from which everyone can benefit. Here are a few examples:

    What are some good daily self-care goals?

    • Drink 80 oz of water 
    • Take a 15-minute walk 
    • Journal one page
    • Go to sleep at a set time
    • Wake up at a set time
    • Take a (real) lunch break 
    • Make your bed

    What are some good weekly self-care goals?

    • No TV
    • No screens of any kind after X time
    • Try out a new exercise
    • Call a friend you haven’t talked to in ages
    • Try one new fruit or veggie

    What are some good monthly self-care goals?

    • Clean your closet
    • Create a capsule wardrobe (Check out my new post all about this!)
    • Read a book
    • Cut sugar
    • Explore a new place
    • Try online learning (always wanted to try baking? Watch a tutorial)
    • Create a budget and stick to it
    • Try volunteering
    • Play hooky and take a mental health day from work

    What are the eight key areas of self-care? 

    Emotional Self-Care

    Means personal growth, managing stress, learning emotional literacy, and learning how to navigate your emotions. Here’s a related post that goes into more detail if you want to learn more (don’t miss out Sah and Dr. Winch’s videos!).

    Suggestions to Try

    • Saying no
    • Journaling
    • Putting up healthy boundaries
    • Feeling our feelings without shame
    • Practicing loving yourself

    Physical Self-Care

    Means getting exercise and moving your body, eating healthy foods, drinking healthy fluids (water), getting adequate and good quality sleep, and resting.

    Suggestions to Try

    • Go for a walk or run or whatever form of moving your body that feels good to you
    • swap soda for water or tea
    • set a sleep schedule
    • get fresh air
    • practice good hygiene

    Spiritual Self-Care 

     Means living your life guided by your values and continuing to explore what that looks like for you.

    Suggestions to Try

    • Meditate
    • Journal
    • Volunteer for a cause you believe in
    • Read books about spirituality that resonate

    Psychological/Mental Health Self-Care

    Means learning about personal development, being mindful, and getting therapy if you need it (I believe we all do).

    Suggestions to Try

    • Read books that teach you about personal development
    • Use apps to help with mindfulness like Headspace/Calm/Fabulous/Noom
    • Take a break from social media
    • Be kind to yourself

    Social Self-Care

    Means building a trusted support network around yourself of friends, family, a support group, and maybe even a therapist

    Suggestions to Try

    • Join a therapy processing group
    • Video chat a friend you’re overdue for a catchup with
    • Join a step/self-help group
    • Build relationships with new friends
    • Join a meetup group doing something you love
    • Ask for help and accept help, honor your commitments 

    Professional Self-Care

    Means balancing work with the rest of your life, being clear about your priorities, creating healthy boundaries, and focusing on your strengths.

    Suggestions to Try

    • Use your voice when something’s not right
    • Leave work at work (put it in a mental jar on the shelf)
    • Take time for professional development training

    Environmental Self-Care

    Means keeping your house in order, declutter, remove toxins from your space, create a healthy living environment.

    Suggestions to Try

    • Make your bed every morning
    • Do the dishes every night
    • Declutter your life room by room
    • Recycle everything you can
    • Make purchases with a small environmental impact
    • Donate to organizations that are stewards of the environment

    Financial Self-Care

    Means taking care of your finances and being financially savvy so that you are in control.

    Suggestions to Try

    • Create a budget and stick to it
    • Stay away from all debt or get out of it
    • Review your paystubs and understand what it means
    • Assign a purpose to each dollar you have (savings included)
    • Take control of your personal finances, think long-term and of your future self
    • Make sure you have the kinds of insurance you need like health, auto, and home

    The Last Thing You Need to Know About Self-Care

    If I could have you take away one thing, self-care is an act of love you give yourself. It is being trustworthy to yourself. After all, if you aren’t taking care of yourself, then no one is.
    Please share this article if you know someone who needs a reminder to treat themselves better or may be burnt out. Even if it’s a time in life when you’re helping others first, you deserve a moment to stop, breathe, and recenter.

    Top 5 Bloggers in Personal Finance You Need to Follow

    How many of these incredible people do you know? I’m going to share the top thought leaders in the personal finance space that I’ve learned from and you should definitely check out.

    And by the end of the article, you will discover that financial freedom is possible for everyone.

    Ready? Let’s dive in!

    Michelle from Making Sense of Cents

    Michelle Schroeder-Gardner is the owner of Making Sense of Cents. She started the blog to help her improve her finances and help others. After working as an analyst in the financial service industry, has been blogging full-time and making way more than she did as an analyst. She and her husband and dogs travel full-time and lived on a sailboat and an RV! All while blogging remotely.

    What I like best about Michelle’s blog because it shares great information and is simple, with no frills. She has main pages for saving money and making money, both of which have a list of her posts with links. It’s cool because you can scan through them quickly and find exactly the kind of information you’re looking for.

    You can learn more about Michelle at Making Sense of Center on her website.

    The Savvy Couple

    Kelan and Brittany Kline are the founders of The Savvy Couple. They started it as a side hustle and now have been able to change their financial situation while sharing information on saving money, making money, money management, and some lifestyle posts.

    They were able to pay off their debt, grow their savings, and create a successful business. Their mission is to help people simplify and organize their finances to have the freedom to do more of the things they love.

    You can learn more about Kelan and Brittany at The Savvy Couple on their website.

    Sara from Gathering Dreams

    Sara started Gathering Dreams when she realized the night security guard in her office building (that had 1,000 people) knew her by name. She devoted herself to finding out everything about financial freedom and passive income so that she could start to build a life she loved. I love the simplicity of her website, and her girlfriend is the photographer who takes beautiful photos. 

    Her posts are approachable and filled with great super helpful information like hacks to save money, creative ways to make money, what you can sell online, what crafts are profitable. She also writes about her other passions, food and travel.

    You can learn more about Sara at Gathering Dreams on her website.

    Rosemarie from Busy Budgeter

    Rosemarie focuses on budgeting and making money. She also helps people with home organization. A part of her take on finances is that it is intertwined with taking care of the home. She and her husband used to struggle with debt and budgeting, and keeping up with the house. But she came up with a strategy that worked for them and decided to blog about it to help other people. I love that she shares a lot about her family and their finance and organization journey.

    The website is (of course) very well organized, and they have a handy Start Here section that lays out what they do and why it works. It’s a lot of information, but they have some free starter programs to try out. So you can see if you like their programs before jumping in.

    You can learn more about Rosemarie at Busy Budgeter on her website.

    Danielle from The Million Dollar Mama

    Danielle writes about personal finance and healthy living. She calls herself a personal finance nerd, and I can relate! Her message is important because she is a huge believer in living your best life, so she also writes about healthy living.

    After all, what good is financial freedom if you’re not healthy to enjoy it?

    She has a helpful recommendations page with money-saving, money-making, blogging, and health and well-being resources. She says her goal in life is to live a life of freedom, which can happen when you are financially independent. That is the dream.

    You can learn more about Danielle at The Million Dollar Mama on her website.

    Conclusion

    As you can see from what all of these great influencers are doing, it is 100% possible to reach financial freedom. It just takes being open to looking critically at how you think about money, being willing to make changes, and trusting that it will happen when you commit to it.

    Let me know if there are other personal finance blogs that have helped you in your financial journey. I love to keep finding more great information out there.

    50 Most Popular Self-care Quotes to Use for Bullet Journal Art

    In this post, you’ll find 50 of the most inspiring quotes on self care to put in your bullet journal and practice your hand lettering while practicing your self-care! But first, let’s take a step back and reflect on why journaling is such a stellar practice.

    Draw an inspiring quote as a form of meditation

    There are some days when we don’t know what to write, what to draw, or what to do.

    Firstly, that is OK.

    Those days are going to happen. And since that’s the case, why not practice some self care?!

    Sometimes when I don’t know what else to do, I’ll find inspiring quotes and write them in my bullet journal.

    For one, my type-A loves to document everything so I won’t forget it.

    But writing my favorite quotes and spending the time to make them look nice is almost like a form of meditation. And meditating is a form of self-care. (If you like this post, check out my article on 365 simplicity quotes for your bullet journal!)

    Doing nice things for yourself is taking your power back, lady! And it can help you de-stress and ground your energy.

    Journaling is an act of self care

    Sometimes we all need a reminder about why it is so important to put ourselves first and take care of business.

    Self care is the most loving act we can do for ourselves.

    Sometimes I try to remember the little girl that is still a part of me and that by taking care of the adult me, I’m also taking care of her.

    Spending “me” time writing in my bullet journal is such an act of self-care.

    While I was finding these quotes, I had some deep sigh moments because they really are nuggets of truth. Thinking to myself, oh yeah, life is messy and that’s why I need to take a break sometimes.

    Otherwise, we’ll all be frazzled messes walking around. (BTW-If you feel like a frazzled mess, check out my post on tips to reduce your anxiety and ground your energy!) Let’s be real though, that happens on the regular.

    Especially in COVID times, when we’re all couped up and trying to stay alive, little acts of self care can make a big difference.

    The little things that we do for ourselves every day, though they seem insignificant, can have lasting and meaningful impacts.

    So, I offer that you be gentle with yourself today.

    Spend some time writing in your bullet journal. Journaling can help you process your thoughts and give your brain a break.

    Here they are. 50 quotes to play with in your bullet journal. Have at it!

    Top 50 List of the Best Self Care Quotes for Your Bullet Journal

    • Self care is how you take your power back. – Lalah Delia
    • Self-care means giving yourself permission to pause. – Cecilia Tran
    • Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent. – Eleanor Roosevelt
    • Self-care is giving the world the best of you, instead of what’s left of you. – Katie Reed
    • The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are. – Joseph Campbell
    • When you say ‘yes’ to others make sure you are not saying ‘no’ to yourself. – Paolo Coehlo
    • Self care isn’t selfish. It’s self esteem. – Ashley Judd
    • If you get tired, learn to rest, not to quit. – Banksy
    • Fear is a natural reaction to moving closer to the truth. – Pema Chodron
    • Carve out and claim the time to care for yourself and kindle your own fire. – Amy Ippoliti
    • Work on yourself, for yourself, with yourself. – Neeti
    • Talk to yourself like you would to someone you love. – Brené Brown
    • Feel the fact that you are enough. – Mark Nepo
    • Adopt the pace of nature: her secrete is patience. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
    • To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance. – Oscar Wilde
    • Nothing external has any power over you. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
    • The most powerful relationship you will ever have is the relationship with yourself. – Diane Von Furstenberg
    • I have come to believe that caring for myself is not self-indulgent. Caring for myself is an act of survival. – Audre Lorde
    • Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you. – Anne Lamott
    • Learning to love yourself is like learning to walk – essential, life-changing, and the only way to stand tall. – Vironika Tugaleva
    • If you feel “burnout” setting in, if you feel demoralized and exhausted, it is best, for the sake of everyone, to withdraw and restore yourself. – Dalai Lama
    • We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails. – Dolly Parton
    • Those who think they have not time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness. – Edward Stanley
    • The real difficulty is to overcome how you think about yourself. – Maya Angelou
    • A flower does not think of competing to the flower next to it. It just blooms. – Zen Shin
    • Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare. – Audre Lorde
    • Remember always that you not only have the right to be an individual, you have an obligation to be one. – Eleanor Roosevelt
    • Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths. – Etty Hillesum
    • Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we’ll ever do. – Brené Brown
    • When women take care of their health, they become their best friend. – Maya Angelou
    • “I need help” is as important to self-care as “I can do this.” – Christine Bergsma
    • Tend to your life like a garden. Water the flowers, pull the weeds, and toss out the snakes. – Jessica de la Davies
    • I have found empowerment by taking authorship of my story. – Gillian Rose Rodriguez
    • An empty lantern provides no light. Self-care is the fuel that allows your light to shine brightly. – Unknown
    • Love yourself first, and everything else falls in line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world. – Lucille Ball
    • Taking care of yourself is part of taking care of others – Jennifer Williamson
    • There is no need to go to India or anywhere else to find peace. You will find that deep place of silence right in your room, your garden or even your bathtub. – Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
    • When you can’t find your purpose in a day, make it to look after yourself.“– Dodie Clark
    • Everyone of us needs to show how much we care for each other and, in the process, care for ourselves. – Diana, Princess of Wales
    • Taking care of myself doesn’t mean me first, it means me too. – L. R. Knost
    • Life is better when we don’t try to do everything. Learn to enjoy the slice of life you experience, and life turns out to be wonderful. – Leo Babauta
    • The only way to live is by accepting each minute as an unrepeatable miracle. – Tara Brach
    • If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete. – Jack Kornfield
    • Every morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most. – Buddha
    • Look past your thoughts, so you may drink the pure nectar of this moment. – Rumi
    • As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others. – Maya Angelou
    • Just because you take breaks doesn’t mean you’re broken. – Curtis Tyrone Jones
    • To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
    • There is something wonderfully bold and liberating about saying yes to our entire imperfect and messy life. – Tara Brach
    • The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself. – Anna Quindlen

    I think it’s time to go put some of these quotes to good use and add them to my bullet journal. Let’s do this life thing one step at a time.

    Are there any quotes that didn’t make the cut that you love to add to your bullet journal? Let me know in the comments!

    Outstanding Books from A Personal Growth Nerd

    I love to read, especially books on personal growth. When everything is taken care of, the cleaning is done, everyone’s settled in, you can find my face in a book.

    There are tons of books have taught me, inspired those “ah-ha” moments, touched me, and helped me to feel understood.

    Books have the potential to change our lives and I want that for you too.

    These are the books sitting on my nightstand right now. I usually read a few at a time.

    There is no limit to how many books could be on this list. That’s why it’s hard to show all of thee most outstanding books.

    Everything here I got something from or enjoyed reading. There have been plenty of books that have done nothing for me. And I’ll never add any of those here.

    The ‘in the queue’ section is for books that I’m excited to check out. If after reading, I don’t want to recommend it, bye-bye.

    I love reading other best of lists for inspiration too.

    Happy reading!

    Currently reading

    In the queue

    Absolute faves that have added to my personal growth

    What are your favorite all-time reads? Let me know in the comments. I’m always looking for new books to read and for ways to keep improving and growing.

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