The Simplicity of Old School Living

Living less, simpler, how they did it in the old days, without all the hustle and bustle is more, yes. Less is more, in that matter. But more of it, more of all the simpler ways incorporated into your lifestyle is better—fact.

Becoming a blogger, I got caught up in the social media frenzy. They told me I’d never make it by throwing up an Instagram once every few days, that I needed to do it more, I needed to have a theme, I needed to make it my business. Which, I totally understand.

But I fell deep into the trap of feeling like I wasn’t enough, feeling like my world revolved around a phone with this app that held my pictures hostage in square boxes. I felt like I couldn’t catch a break, like I couldn’t upload my dog because it didn’t fit the theme.

But I love my dog?

I couldn’t grasp the concept, and it was taking away from why I started a blog in the first place—to write. It was becoming something else, and I wanted it to be mine, I wanted it to be real. I love a good theme, don’t get me wrong, but when it comes to my puppy’s face, I’m not hiding him. He’s getting stuck in those squares for my followers to see. Theme or not.

I found a way to make it all work, and a lot of that had to do with slowing down and realizing how to incorporate things I love into a theme. I learned how to trust what I want, which was just a simple, minimalistic lifestyle. I wanted to put my phone down and smell the fresh air. I wanted so much less to make me feel like so much more.

The entire process taught me what I’m looking for—simple. Less.

No stress about a phone, no worries about numbers, no comparing on social media. It taught me about myself, and that’s a girl who loves handwritten words, phone calls to hear voices, the smell of a fresh new book, notebooks with mistakes in them, pens that leak my thoughts.

The Simplicity of Old School Living

I’m still living and learning with the entire process, and sometimes it’s hard to put the phone down, but I still stick in some old school ways of living here and there to make sure I’m unwinding from this hectic world.

Take a step back and live in the past. Here are some old school ways that have worked for me:

1. Read a newspaper.

The only time I was ever into reading newspapers was when my grandfather would hand me the comics section—which we called ‘the funnies’. I would sit there and tell him the jokes and watch him giggle even though he didn’t think they were that funny. I looked forward to it, and it became something I loved. Randomly, I’ll grab a newspaper and pick it up to read. It brings me back, and it’s interesting to read what’s going on in the world instead of watching it on the TV.

2. Read a real book.

By real, I mean grab the printed version and put the kindle down. Walk into a store and smell the scent of new books—trust me. I’m all for the kindle and being able to have all your books on one tablet whenever you want, just with the touch of a button, but I’m huge on reading books that I can flip through and touch the pages of. The printed pages of a book will never go out of style.

3. Put the phone down.

I know, it’s harder than it sounds. If you have a few minutes out of your busy day to chill out, try to spend it without a phone. Get fresh air. Go for a walk. Think about something. Just don’t bury your head into a phone or tablet. I think of how people previously lived without all the social media and I wonder how different it was, how different everyone must have been. I like it, it’s intriguing, so I try to incorporate it into my lifestyle as much as I can.

4. Handwrite things.

Whens the last time you wrote something down on a piece of paper? I, personally, do this daily. I carry a notebook with me everywhere I go so that I can jot random thoughts down. I leave notes in my kitchen, signing it with I love you instead of texting it. I handwrite thank you letters, notes in my journal, appointments in my planner.

I try, as much as I can, to keep things simple, and living this way has made that so much easier. And don’t get me wrong, I know the phones are great for planning things on your calendar, but there is nothing like a calendar you can write on, X’ing the days as you go along. It’s refreshing to see your handwriting on a piece of paper instead of a font on an electronic.

Design a simple life. Start here. Start now.

You can design a life of less—and more. More of what you love, less of what you don’t. It’s a process, and we’re all in it together. We have created a 30-day email course that will inspire + encourage you on your journey.