We did it! The Barber family has left our Colorado home and are in search of a life of simplicity.

For 5 years, I’ve tried to convince my family to pack up and leave our home in Colorado. I didn’t have one specific location in mind. The only requirement was that we set up shop somewhere near the beach. The salty ocean air is therapy to my soul. There is something about it that rejuvenates me, gives me energy, and a place to anticipate visiting.

At the end of May, we decided to put our house on the market. Fully expecting it to take a few months to sell. After an open house the FIRST weekend, we received multiple offers. Apparently, the Denver market is hot when all we want to do is hit the road on our new adventure. Once we accepted the best offer, Chris and I flew to Georgia in search of our new home. We didn’t know where we wanted to live, but quickly found out that Atlanta traffic was NOT for me! Remember, I needed simplicity!

After a lot, and I mean A LOT, of driving, we found the house that was perfect for our family. We’d been looking at this house for a while and dreaming. It has a lovely home and 13 acres for our girls to run on. I can’t tell you one thing that drew us to this house, other than one word that kept coming to mind…. Simple.

I’ve spent the past several years burning the candle at both ends and I’m tired. Hear me when I say that I am not complaining at all. But dang it… I’m tired!  I decided that my family will no longer live a life of convenience because it’s safe and familiar. Instead, we are seeking new adventures, a calmer state of mind and chickens. Yes, I said chickens!

You have to work for simplicity.

When you hear someone say that they long for a life of simplicity, it’s often equated with a vacation mentality. They want to do the bare minimum to survive in life. Nothing more, nothing less, unless you can get away with less, then by all means go for it!

This couldn’t be farther from the truth.

I’ve spent countless hours researching new places to live. Which town has the best school district? Who is the best doctor in the area? Where do I update my driver’s license? Where is the closest beach?

So many questions, so many to-do’s. However, each question and task will be worth it. I’m working hard to make sure we have everything in place to begin our dream of living in Georgia, near the ocean, adding poultry to our list of pets!

More so than the prep work, is being intentional with your time. I may be moving and looking for new adventures, but I still have a business to run. Now more than ever, it’s important that I’m intentional with my time. This will drive me to work that much harder during the day, so I can enjoy the fireflies at night with my girls.

Simple doesn’t mean lazy.

This week, we’re in a vacation home while we’re waiting for our closing date next week. This means that we are living like vacationers. We’re playing, getting the lay of the land and enjoying the sweet days of summer.

Once the PODS have arrived with our belongings and we’ve unpacked the last box, it’s back to business. However, this time, life is going to look a little different.

I’ve often prided myself on being a worker bee! I love to work. It’s who I am, down to my very core. Though I’m longing for a simple life, it will in no way be a lazy life!

Simple doesn’t have to be lazy.

Simple can mean that you’re serious about time blocking.

Simple can mean that you schedule your distractions.

Simple can mean that you shut your computer down when you promise your family it will close at 4:00.

Chaos will always be around us. However, chaos doesn’t have to be the center of my life. Instead, simplicity will now be the center of my life. Does that mean I may have to say “No” every once in a while? Yep!

It also means that if I get an email at 10:00 pm, I may not answer it. Why? Because a healthy life balance has been my desire for so long. I feel in my gut that this new 13-acre oasis we will soon call home will be just what we need for a life of simplicity. Hard work, but a life that we love.

Do you feel like you’re running a rat race? I’ve been there and it’s exhausting. You don’t have to relocate across the country to seek a simple lifestyle. This will look different for each one of us, but as entrepreneurs, it’s important that we take time for yourself.  It’s crucial to our well-being that we breathe, enjoy our families and savor this beautiful life we live. For you, it may be taking the time to exercise or cook a meal for your family. Whatever it is, do the things that bring you joy. The work will always be there.

What can you do this week to begin living a life of simplicity?