Entrenched in our routines, heads down on the treadmill of life never looking up or getting off. Often we live beyond our means on this journey, scuppering ourselves before we begin, but where does our chosen path lead? Do we know? Are we in control? Are we even heading in a direction? Our lives become a cycle of get up, get out, work, eat, spend, a little fun perhaps, then sleep, “Groundhog day” doomed to relive the same day on repeat.
External influences constantly bombard and hypnotize us with the need for material items, trapping us further with debt and stuff that we don’t really need. Shops put shiny sparkling things on display and we on autopilot spend money that if we used differently we could change our path and life with.
We stop doing the things we love, losing ourselves, stagnating in our routines to feed the treadmill lifestyle that we lead. We look forward all year to the holiday, the birthday night out, but on a daily basis we scurry along in our routine, not looking up, not living or savoring each day, we become a caricature of all that we said we would never be.
I do believe that we all have something special to give. Many of us never find the belief or passion, the idea that pushes us out of bed each day full of determination often even before the alarm goes off. We will not leave a legacy behind to touch many hearts & minds, but most will leave money often for someone else to spend and make memories and dreams with. We get sidetracked, stuck paying for this often fairly mundane and empty life with peaks. We forget to dream, to learn, to question, to stretch ourselves, to even sometimes breath. We are too busy “we tell ourselves” to make time to discover what that something special might be.
Instead we become slaves to the wage, the career, the profile, often consumed with the pretense of success, the illusion of what we see online. We divert and waste time on the path we take, the choices we make, often driven by perception “the not thinking we are good enough” striving for acceptance and consuming to just fit in, believing that “if we have more we will be happy”.
We let the acquisition of stuff become our life and thus actually forget to live the precious finite gift of life, but is there another way?
- Make the investment in the things that matter, never look back and say “What If?” Add more life to your years and live that life.
- Don’t just accumulate stuff use the cash to make dreams happen and build those memories.
- Its true that you can’t take the money with you but you can take the memories or so I believe.
- Get that list of goals together and start ticking them off. Make sure that your life is packed with fun, experiences and love.
I really do believe the secret of a Luxe life, full of dreams and memories, joy and love is in the Less. When I say Luxe for Less I know it’s possible to have Luxe in your life but a word of warning, make sure it means something. Luxe should be special and therefore with less stuff and less money spent you can “add more life to your years” just like George Carlin suggested!
To get you started work through the self talk & support (I find it useful) below (let me know how you get on) ;
More Life To Your Years Approach & Recipe (adapt as appropriate)
Think about that path you are on and the lifestyle you lead. Take a step back and ask yourself a few questions:
Do I have joy in my life?
Do I have love in my life?
Do I have value in my life?
Do I have time?
Am I doing something I enjoy?
Is what I do my passion/calling, a means to an end, or am I stuck and in a rut?
It’s my passion/calling “Yay”
If not:
When is the end? Set a date and get my plan and next move sorted.
I’m in a rut, sick of my own complaining, I need to start outlining and considering my options and plan my next move with an action plan with dates sorted.
When was the last time I read a book?
When was the last time I laughed until I cried?
When was the last time I helped someone?
When was the last time I gave my time for free?
What do I want?
What do I need?
What do I have that I don’t need (could I sell it, give it away, why do I have it)?
Where do I spend my money frivolously (can I reduce/trade down or cut out)?
Will that give me more time, more life, more joy?
Recipe Method
Identify what your needs are (food, water, shelter, clothing, the basics) and how much money that actually requires discover if you could reduce the cost by shopping around and kicking those overpriced items to the kerb “think quality and value over brand and packaging”.
Identify your wants and question why you want them and are they really going to add to your life?
Next concentrate on ensuring your needs are met and prioritising your wants into those that are dreams and goals and wants that are just spending on stuff that you really don’t need or use.
You will find savings so bank them and reduce the debt, sell off what you don’t need and invest in yourself and others to discover what that “something special” might be. You may find that the savings will give you choices with room/time to breath and perhaps allow you to step off your path and change direction. You may decide that what you have and where you are is perfect for you with no changes required living life to the max, and to you I doff my proverbial hat.
Assessing and taking stock is good practice especially for something as precious as life. Now get on with the life you were born for & discover what it is you have to give and in turn be prepared to receive, bring it on….what are you waiting for?
Originally published at freeyourflourish.com