Simplicity Now: 60 Ways to Experience Joyful Simplicity

The Now Series

by Jesse Sands

A bite-size guide to help you find simplicity in your life--now!

Life is complicated. It's too complex, too busy, too frantic--just too much. Simplicity Now is a little book to help you solve the big problem of an overcomplicated life by incorporating small changes into your everyday routine.



With easy, actionable techniques to help you simplify every facet of your life, Jesse Sands's Simplicity Now offers practical ways to make your life more manageable, help you breathe easier, and create space amid the chaos of life.

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction

112 pages, Paperback

Published November 3, 2020

Reviews

[Dr. Appu Sasidharan (Dasfill) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jesse Sands tells us the importance of simplicity in our life through this book. Many important topics like relationships, finances, health, minimalism, and decluttering are depicted well by the author.

What I learned from this book
1) Does simple mean easy?
Our life is so complicated in its own way. The authors depict simplicity as equivalent to doing things in an uncomplicated way. These are the decisions that will make our lives easier and better.

“Simple doesn’t mean easy. It also doesn't mean stupid. Those are the two synonyms for the word stupid. But they aren't words; I mean simple, I mean uncomplicated."

2) The gentle art of Swedish death cleaning
It is the method used by the Swedish people where they clean their possessions now when they are alive. One of the painful things that relatives will have to go through after the death of their loved ones is going through the dead person's belongings to decluttering them. Death cleaning is the method of showing love to your relatives by organizing your belongings and throwing away unwanted things when you are alive.

“Swedish death cleaning might sound morbid but it is actually kindness in action.”

3) How to prevent hiding behind the credit card?
It has become a norm worldwide that people find comfort in retail therapy when they face emotional problems or mood disorders. Depression can indeed make you insolvent. You can easily solve this problem by focusing on what you need attention to instead of shopping for the dopamine surge. This is one of the reasons why minimalistic people have significantly less chance of falling into the trap of retail therapy even when they have mood disorders.

“An emotional benefit to simplifying life is that you no longer needs to buy things to avoid emotional issues.”

My favourite three lines from this book

“Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.- Confucius”

“The most simple things can bring the most happiness.- Isabella Scorupco.”

“The greatest wealth is to live content with little. - Plato”

What could have been better?
The author should have taken a little more effort into explaining minimalism. She beautifully incorporated ideas from different people about simplicity. But sadly, we can't see many personal views of the author regarding the same in this book. But as the book's length is too short, we can’t complain too much about the same.

Rating
4/5 This will be a good pick if the plenitude of life's options perturbs you at times and if you think that you are spending too much money than you should be spending. It will also be a good choice if you are interested in minimalism or just want a quick read that makes you contemplate yourself.

[Soumyaa Tiwari · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice tiny book that will guide you to live a simple meaningful life.

[Lauren Hegedus · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook version, which was very quick. I just moved into a new apartment that has some storage challenges, so some of the tips in here will definitely be useful. I’m still not entirely convinced this is for me overall, but I can definitely incorporate a few things.

[Sisse Marianne Bertelsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read in many ways - also a bit judgy if you don’t necessarily agree with all the opinions in the book. Very quick read though.

[Dianne Oliver · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rehashed and uninspired. I listened to the audio of this while going through my things. Usually this keeps me on task and is helpful in parting with belongings, even if repetitive. ( I mean, it's a simple concept, isn't it?) But this one really didn't do that. Format, perhaps.

[Todd Evilsizor · Rating 3 out of 5]

An altruistic review of how to make your life simpler. Not bad advice, but it as a bit repetitive and some of the examples are a bit silly. A very quick read.

[Tiziana · Rating 4 out of 5]

- The most simple things can bring the most happiness. - Izabella Scorupco
- Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated. - Confucius
- The greatest wealth is to live content with little. - Plato
- It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all. - Laura Ingalls Wilder
- Hold to these principles: seek simplicity, grasp the essential, overcome selfishness and wasteful desires. - Tao Te Ching
- The best things in life aren’t things. - Art Buchwald
- Simple can be harder than complex. You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains. - Steve Jobs
- If you cannot explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough. - Albert Einstein
- Never overlook the power of simplicity. - Robin S. Sharma
- With wisdom comes the desire for simplicity. - Brendon Burchard
- Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. - Leonardo da Vinci
- It is always the simple that produces the marvelous. - Amelia Barr

11 quick ways to live simply:
Say no when you mean no, and yes when you mean yes.
Unsubscribe to as many emails as possible.
Turn off the television.
Clean a drawer, or a closet, or your garage.
Eat simple food, slowly.
Drink more water.
Give something away each day for a week.
Meditate.
Do one thing at a time - don’t multitask.
Use as little plastic as possible.
Reuse bottles, bags, and other items as often as you can.

5 simple life decisions:
I now value simple over complicated in all areas of my life.
I choose to align my thoughts, words, and actions.
I now choose quality over quantity.
I go to bed early, and wake up early.
I am deliberate in my outer and inner world.

5 ways to know you are living a simpler life:
You only want what you truly need.
Your home and your mind are free from clutter.
You choose to reuse and repurpose as much as possible.
You have more energy.
You don’t experience constant complications.

[Raegan · Rating 2 out of 5]

-Disclaimer: I won this book for free through Goodreads giveaways in exchange for an honest review.-

2.5 stars

Nothing advanced, but it might help you stay on track.

The book comes off a little preachy and repetitious but it has good intentions. It is a good idea to go through your things and keep a clean space. It did mention reusing plastic. Of course, everything is plastic so you can't always avoid it. There are several ideas on how to keep it simple with your belongings.

The book also pushes you to keep things if they function. But I think, you don't have to keep things forever just because they work. Maybe you just want something different for a change. It is always about balance. All-in-all, the guide is okay in a clutch.

[Riana Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pleasantly surprised. I read another of this author's books ("Mindfulness Now: 60 Ways to Experience Effortless Mindfulness" by Jesse Sands) and wasn't terribly impressed. Both books contain a lot of bullet point 'quick tips,' but the 'Simplicity' title has more of a personal voice - the how & why of the author's own journey - so the advice felt more authentic rather than just a book of lists pulled from the internet. While not stellar, I'll likely keep and peruse this book again so it gets 4 stars for rereadability.

[Courtney Reads Stuff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like this one. It just wasn't long enough. Just as I was getting into it I found myself at the end of the book. Well, as Jesse says, "Less is more." (I guess). I would go on and on about it, but it's a short book about simplicity. That's all you need to know. I can't write a review that's longer than the book.

[Victoria (hotcocoaandbooks) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a very short book. It is a nice handbook to have if you are just starting to learn about decluttering or are interesting in cutting back on things in your life that may be holding you back from enjoying your life a bit more. However, there was nothing unique or interesting in this compared to other books I have read on the topic. It fell flat.

[Juan · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Simplicity: 60 Ways to Experience Joyful Simplicity" by Jesse Sand is a concise guide that explores the joy of living simply. It offers practical strategies for decluttering your life, both physically and mentally, and emphasizes the importance of focusing on what truly matters. The book is designed to inspire readers to find fulfillment and contentment through minimalism and mindfulness.

[Summer Cromartie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great, practical, and easy-to-implement ideas. Nothing terribly radical, but I like the reminder and the boost of encouragement. I also really appreciate the idea of an uncluttered life and mind. I like my life and friendships drama-free!

[Solajma · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5 stars.
Pretty great and motivational tiny book.

I wish there were more '' try this'' because I really enjoyed those!

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read (or listen) to motivate you to a simpler and less cluttered way to manage both your possessions and thoughts.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Short and sweet with some great tips.

[Kristen Iworsky · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars; audiobook

[Eribunnie⚓️ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Underwhelming

[Anabelle Amatuni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jesse gets his point across and gives a lot of solid advice, I think it could have been written better than it was in general

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very short so obviously not for in-depth material, but the points may give you a starting place if you haven't simplified or you may find one suggestion you haven't tried. (But don't use your audio credits if you've been in your simplicity journey awhile. )

[The_J · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well wrapped in in path of going through your life and tossing stuff out, one interesting line: Use what you have, or else why have it?

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25