We have spent the last six months on a personal experiment in “simplicity.”  For us this meant “simplicity” from our accumulated stuff, consumerism (i.e., buying more stuff) and our typically busy schedules.  Not trying to suggest we led a monk’s existence while we were here in Costa Rica – we took some awesome beach trips and visited many parts of the country, but below are the intentional things we did as a family in pursuit of “simplicity”.

• We moved here with two duffle bags per person, each weighing <40 lbs.  Each person’s bags included their clothes, electronics, books, personal items, etc.  This was to last each of us six months and needless to say, we left a ton of stuff at home.  And each of us has not only realized we don’t miss most of what we left behind, we can’t remember most of it.
• We decided to drastically minimize new purchases that were even close to a “want” vs. a “need.”  We ended up repairing (e.g., shoes and pants) vs. replacing in many cases.  Our daughters were aware of this decision, and amazingly were able to all but eliminate “I want …” from their vocabulary during our time here.
• We rented a relatively small furnished home.  I’ve spent less than five minutes fixing anything in this house since we arrived six months ago.  With relatively limited cabinet/fridge/freezer space, we simply don’t have the room to buy lots of food and therefore have thrown away almost no spoiled food.  At home in the US, we have so much more cabinet/fridge/freezer space than we really need and we always seem to fill it up.
• Our girls’ sporting activities were limited to those at school, and when the bus dropped them off they were home for the night.  In contrast, my wife and I are basically chauffeurs for our girls and their activities every weeknight in the US.  Here, we have eaten dinner together as a family almost every night.
• My wife and I shared one car.  This has been tough, although it is still a pretty blessed position by world standards where the overwhelming majority of people do not have even one car.  Regardless, there were things we simply said “no” to as one or the other had the car, we walked to the grocery store if need be, and in general, we just made it work.
• Perhaps most important, we’ve had meaningful conversations with our girls throughout the last six months about simplicity and the options it affords you in life.

Without real intentionality, planning and family communication, I don’t think these things would have happened.  For us, temporarily moving abroad enhanced our ability to make this experiment a go as we started with a “clean slate.”  [For some awesome and inspiring examples of proactively living “simplicity” in everyday life, I highly suggest reading “More or Less” by Jeff Shinabarger.]

There is an inertia effect in our lives that seems to demand more “stuff” and more commitments and it is so hard to overcome.  I am hopeful that having “lived” the lessons in this experiment that we will be able to remember them when inertia once again begins to take hold at some point in the future.  And it’s my hope there are other aspects of simplicity we can bake into our DNA.  As Richard Foster describes so eloquently in his book “Celebration of Discipline” – “If what we have, we  (1) view as a gift vs. earned by our own merit, (2) it is to be cared for by God – I.e., we don’t get all hung up or anxious over losing it, and (3) it is available to others – then we will possess freedom from anxiety.”  And not be owned by our “stuff.”  That would be a pretty great place to be.

I believe our “simplicity” exercise will have a meaningful long-term effect on my family.  Not every day necessarily, but hopefully at some point when it really counts.

How are you simplifying your life?