Helping you simplify your days, reclaim your joy, and grow with purpose.
The big question is whether you are going to be able to say a hearty yes to your adventure.
Cue the Intro
You’re standing at a fork in the road.
To your left, the well-worn path. Same schedule. Same stress. Same meetings that could’ve been emails.
To your right, something different. Simpler. Quieter. Yours.
You hesitate.
A breeze kicks up. The hairs on your arms stand at the ready.
The trees whisper something that sounds a lot like, “You sure you wanna keep doing things this way?”
Congratulations.
You’ve just opened this week’s issue of Simpler Times.
And whether you meant to or not, you’re about to choose your own adventure.
Flashback Focus
Each story was told in second person, putting you in the middle of the action. It was the first major series to make the reader the main character. You were the hero. You made the calls. Sometimes you saved the day. Sometimes you get eaten by a space slug.
Back in the day, Choose Your Own Adventure books made us feel like we were in charge of something important.
Do you fight the dragon? Turn to page 17.
Do you run away and become a waffle chef in medieval Belgium? Turn to page 46.
Every decision shaped the story. And every story reminded us of one simple truth:
What you choose next changes everything.
Of course, I usually kept a finger on the last page… just in case.
If the swamp monster showed up or I accidentally joined a pyramid scheme in space, I’d flip back and pretend it never happened.
Looking back, that might’ve been my first sign of commitment issues. Hmm…
Then adulthood came along and the choices stopped coming with page numbers.
Should you take the job? Move cities? Send that text?
There’s no clear “turn to page 23.” Just vague feelings, crowded calendars, and a browser with 27 tabs open, all silently judging you.
Life got noisier.
The options multiplied.
And somewhere in the chaos, we started letting other people’s priorities decide on our story.
But here’s the twist.
You still get to choose.
You don’t need page numbers. You just need a pause and a little courage…
Essential Shift
It starts quietly.
A moment of clarity. A question.
What actually matters right now?
The noise doesn’t vanish, but it loses its grip.
You stop feeling pulled in 14 directions.
You stop looking for the loudest thing to react to.
This is the turning point in the story.
The moment the main character realizes they’ve had the compass all along.
Not a magic spell. Not a hidden map.
Just a clear connection to where they’re going, who they want to be, and what matters most.
That’s what essentialism makes possible.
It puts your values in your hands.
It helps you name your direction, then take one step that actually moves you toward it.
Each aligned choice builds confidence.
Each step sharpens your ability to see the distractions for what they are.
You don’t have to wrestle the noise anymore.
You can just walk past it.
This is how you go from overwhelmed to intentional.
From drifting to deciding.
From stuck to steering.
Not forever. Not for everything.
Just the next right step.
Mission Possible
In this section every week, I’ll give step by step instructions on how to tackle one project. It could be something simple and small like this week’s assignment, or it could be more involved. Once you take on a few of these, you’ll learn some of the common strategies that can be applied to just about anything.
My hope for this newsletter is to make it feel like a mini-coaching session with me.
So now, it’s time to try this…
The Decision Reset
Feeling stuck usually means you’ve stopped choosing. And clutter, after all, is really just in-made decisions. This is how you start again.
Pick one small decision you’ve been avoiding.
Keep it simple. Something like:What to eat for lunch
Whether to cancel a recurring meeting
If your kid needs to be in every activity this fall
The goal is to practice choosing on purpose.
Write down what happens if you don’t decide.
That’s your default path.“I keep eating whatever’s fast.”
“The meeting keeps draining me.”
“Our family stays overbooked.”
List two better paths. Nothing dramatic. Just different.
“I prep three easy lunches I like.”
“I replace the meeting with a quick summary email.”
“Each kid picks one activity.”
Circle the option that feels most true to you.
Look for what lines up with your values, energy, and season of life.Take a small visible step. Send the email. Make the grocery list. Start the conversation. One action is enough.
Repeat with another small choice tomorrow. You’re building momentum.
Watch your confidence grow. The more you choose with intention, the easier it is to spot the clutter and let it go.
Roll Credits
You made it through the cave. You avoided the lava. You even outran the space slug.
But just when you think it’s over, you turn one more page.
And there it is.
Another choice.
Another path.
Another version of your story waiting to be written.
You don’t need to keep drifting through other people’s plans.
You don’t need to stay stuck in the pyramid scheme of indecision.
You’ve got the map. You’ve got the pen.
Now you just need a quiet place to decide what comes next.
If you want help choosing with confidence and designing a simpler, more intentional life, I’ve got a few 1:1 coaching spots open.
Reply to this email and we’ll figure out your next chapter together.
The End…?
Yours in Simplicity,
