Embracing Slow Living: My Journey to a Simpler, More Intentional Home

I recently encountered the idea of living in a smaller home with my children. It was suggested to me by someone I love very much, who made me aware of a potential living situation with an owner-carry contract on a home that is about 700 square ft. As I took a few days to think about this idea and see if it felt like an aligned opportunity to explore, I had the realization that despite calling myself a minimalist for many years, my rental home is actually teeming with nooks and crannies stuffed with items we don’t use— and don’t even get me started on my kids’ rooms! As I’ve ruminated not only on the idea of buying a home in the future, but what my overall lifestyle goals are, I came to the conclusion that its time to deepen into minimalism and slow living in a very intentional way. I know from experience that the less clutter and home management I have on my plate, the more I flourish as an ADHD mother trying to care for my children and provide for them as a solo parent.

Whether or not I explore this potential living situation, my vision and value for my life is to create a lifestyle focused on experiences and connection - not the accumulation of things. Financially, my goal is to flourish as a mother and have more quality TIME with my children. I’m realizing that within these goals, less might be the key to reclaiming more of my time, my money, and my connection with my children.

Simplicity is freedom— I’ve had tastes of this concept, but haven’t fully put it into practice on a daily basis. When I lean into the feeling I want to experience in my lifestyle and home, the words intentional, calm, easeful, and functional immediately pop onto the edge of my tongue. These are all components of leading a simple life and creating a home space that is energetically aligned.

All of this had been swirling in my mind when, on a whim, I picked up a book at the library that felt like a sign from the universe. “The Year of Less” by Cait Flanders is an excellent read for anyone wanting to unpack their consumerism behaviors— but its also a though-provoking conversation on the deeply-rooted beliefs and culture we have in the US about money, time, and needs. As Cait explains in her book, she spends a year discovering that what she actually uses and needs on a daily basis is so wildly different than what she grew up believing. When she challenged herself to spend a year changing her buying and lifestyle habits, she found herself with more time, more connection, more money, and leaving a high-paying job that wasn’t aligned with her real-life needs and goals.

It’s a bold and beautiful concept to examine your life and habits in this way, and I found myself very inspired by her words and actions. I turned to ChatGPT and poured out my heart (you can poo-poo AI all you want, but it’s such an incredible tool!). ChatGPT took my thoughts and created a plan for me to start leaning into slow living and minimalism with actionable steps, taking into account my focus struggles with ADHD and my schedule as a working single mom. The plan it presented me with was so aligned with who I am as a person and felt spacious in execution. It broke down my plan into eight weeks - starting with actions such as spending time “noticing” what areas of my home feel cluttered and stressful, and culminating in two weeks of very intentional decluttering and downsizing of our belongings room-by-room. This feels so manageable for me!

Because ChatGPT knows my lifestyle and future goals it also recommended that I blog and share my process along the way. I’ve learned that my creativity and unique gift lies in sharing experiences that might inspire other people on their own journey, whether its single parenting to my growth with therapy and work as a creative— it all seems to serve in ways that take me by surprise AND it teaches me about human connection in deeper ways.

Over the next week I’ll be spending time in my rental home identifying and documenting the areas that I’d like to simplify. I’ll also be doing this with my finances, to see what I can discover about my spending habits and budgeting. My long-term goals are get into and pay for grad school, buy an investment home that I can turn into a rental, and spend more of my time creating and mothering. These are big goals for a single mother, but I know that they are achievable with commitment and the willingness to try new things. My hope is that by reducing what no longer serves me—physically, financially, and mentally—I’m creating space for these goals to flourish. This isn’t just about cleaning out closets—it’s about building a life that reflects my deepest values. I know it won’t happen overnight, but with each intentional decision, I’m carving a path toward a more meaningful, connected future for myself and my children.

I’ll be documenting this process week by week—both the wins and the messy moments. If you’re also craving a simpler, more intentional life, I’d love for you to follow along. Share your thoughts, insights, or even your own experiences with simplifying—let’s inspire each other to create lives that reflect what truly matters.