11 Simple Ways to Create a Simply Luxurious Life
Monday August 26, 2013

This is your last free post view for this month.

Become a Member for as little as $4/mo and enjoy unlimited reading of TSLL blog.

“You may think the grass is greener on the other side. But if you take the time to water your own grass it would be just as green.” -Anonymous

Society and the media enable our ability to constantly compare our lives to others, and while at times it’s admittedly fun to peek into someone else’s life just to be inspired, it can quickly become destructive. With the more we see, if we’re not careful we can judge our own life by another’s who we know nothing about . . . except for what they want us to know. And that is when we get ourselves into trouble.

So, rather than being envious of others and how they live and look, why not spend that time comparing and instead use it to create the life we’ve always dreamed about? After all, each of us has the same 24 hours in a day. We can either sit and hope, or get up and do something that provokes the change we wish to see.

If a simply luxurious life is what you are striving for that is unique to your talents, values and passions, below are 11 ways to to ensure that your life is one that will continue to leave you in awe and allow you to appreciate, not covet the life of another.

1. Create your own adored rituals.

Whatever it is that makes you smile, lose track of time or breathe a huge sigh of relief, make a point to do this activity regularly. Perhaps it’s a bubble bath on Sunday night prior to the week’s commencement, or maybe it’s a weekly coffee chat with a good friend, or better yet, a monthly weekend away to change up your routine. Whatever you crave, add it to your schedule and make it a priority to enjoy regularly.

2. Subscribe to favorite publications.

As a reader, I look forward to the weekly arrival of my New Yorker magazine and my monthly fashion magazines. It really does feel like a small present has arrived when I return home from work, and what better way to end the day than reading something you enjoy?

3. Eliminate financial stressors.

In order to live the life you want, you must have the funds to do so. So put a budget in place that will help you attain your goals and stick to it. (See more posts focused on money in the archives.) One of the most freeing and liberating things you can do is to have financial independence and security.

4. Foster and invest in just a handful of relationships.

The overall theme of living a simply luxurious life is to focus on quality rather than quantity and that includes your relationships. We cannot possibly be well liked and loved by everyone if we are being true to ourselves. I defer to Winston Churchill’s quote, “You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.” And we can’t possibly foster deep loving relationships if we are friends with everyone we meet. Choose a handful of relationships that are most valuable to you and take the time and energy to invest yourself. Yes, you will be vulnerable, but there’s only one way to develop genuine, lasting relationships, and that is with time, effort and real love.

5. Find daily exercise that invigorates you rather than feels like pulling teeth.

Regular exercise is good for the mind, as it has been proven to stave off neurological decline if done consistently, and it clearly is good for the body as it increases muscle mass which speeds up metabolism and also helps maintain flexibility which enables more agility. Respect yourself and the life you want to live by prolonging the days you can enjoy it to the fullest. (To read more on fitness and good health click here and here.)

6. Enjoy quality food, sit down to savor what’s been prepared and pair with lovely wine to capitalize on the flavors.

Maintain good health so you can continue to pursue your dreams. Real food is a way to be respectful toward your body. (Click here to discover more benefits of eating well.)

7. Savor one piece of dark chocolate each night you don’t indulge in dessert.

This is one of my favorite rituals, and if you’re choosing real chocolate from an actual chocolatier, one piece will be enough. Trust me.

8. Schedule regular beauty appointments and care your skin, hair and body knowing it’s the vehicle that has to carry you through the rest of your life.

Attention to your beauty regimen is not a guilty pleasure, it is a necessity. There is a reason people look the way they do in their thirties and beyond, and it’s due to how they care for themselves – their bodies and their skin. We’re fortunate to have the ability to live for a lengthy amount of time: understand this and respect your body along the way.

9. Cultivate conversation and comfort zones around your home and yard. Choose comfortable seating that beckons one to sit, relax and stay awhile.

Whether you like to entertain or simply enjoy finding a cozy spot and getting lost in a good book, take the time to create and design areas which cultivate what you love to do. Choose luxurious fabrics, add a beautiful, unique side table and lamp, style a lovely tray vignette and toss a soft, beckoning throw for the fall and winter.

10. Keep a journal.

A wonderful way to end the day, record the events of the day or simple keep track of all that is going through your mind, a journal provides so many wonderful benefits. (Click here to learn more.)

11. Set goals and pursue them until accomplished.

Ultimately, being able to live the life you desire comes down to setting goals and staying focused on said goals until they are accomplished. (Click here to find out how to turn your goals into reality.)

Ultimately, life is ours to design. So while we should always look for inspiration outside of our regular day to day routine, be sure to use it as inspiration that helps you appreciate your own life even more.

Now, I’m curious. What are the simple things you’ve done to create a life that you love? Feel free to share in the comments below.

~SIMILAR POSTS FROM THE ARCHIVES YOU MIGHT ENJOY:

~September Back-to-School/Work Checklist

~Why Not . . . Create Your Own Simple Ritual?

~Why Not . . . Stop Multi-Tasking?

Image; TSLL IG

Thesimplyluxuriouslife.com | The Simply Luxurious Life

14 thoughts on “11 Simple Ways to Create a Simply Luxurious Life

  1. I love your posts so much. I’m working towards a simpler but more luxurious life and already do some of your suggestions, but definitely like the idea of having weekly rituals. X

  2. You are so right about creating rituals that make us happy! Thursdays, when I do my weekly cleaning, I buy a fresh flower – save to open them when the house is all done. It’s so nice to come home friday after work! All I have to do, light some candles, but music on…and enjoy!

  3. “If we’re not careful we can judge our own life by another’s who we know nothing about . . . except for what they want us to know. And that is when we get ourselves into trouble”.

    I was thinking about this very thing the other day and how destructive comparison can be. Great post.

  4. Thank you for this Shannon. Life is indeed only as easy as we make it. Daily exercise that invigorates is very important, I lost mine and have become quite a klutz as well as lazy, I am so glad I have found a way to get right back on track.

  5. Comparing yourself to other people’s lives is a nasty thing. I used to be quite bad at doing this, and am happy to say I’ve overcome it.
    I think this is such a great post, especially for a Monday! It’s going to go in my link love this week.

  6. I have created an enjoyable space in my back yard to sit and do what I may. I enjoy reading and drinking my coffee there on the weekends and like to eat my lunch there during the week. Any time I can get outdoors is a luxury to me.

  7. Shannon

    Magazines, chocolate, baths, rituals….are you reading my mind, Girl? I LOVE these things.

    I also enjoy traveling. Recently, I went not too far from home (I live in Medford) to spend a week in Portland. I stayed at the Paramount hotel (excellent location). I enjoyed myself thoroughly. I was fortunate enough to be there to take part in the 1st Thursday Art Walk downtown. I can also tell you of an utterly fantastic swimming hole with the prettiest arching bridge overhead. It’s just over the WA border–Moulton Falls. Swam there.

    Excellent, excellent post.

    Ellen in Medford

  8. Oh my goodness, I love, love, LOVED this! So simple and yet it’s just perfect. You’ve inspired me to tailor this to fit my own life even better (hah I don’t care for chocolate!) and I even printed this out and hung it up on my vanity mirror!
    Thanks so much for sharing these little tips 🙂

    xx,
    j. parker

  9. I like to spend an evening listening to my favorite jazz artists such as Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra and page through my favorite fashion magazines such as InStyle and Harper’s Bazaar.

  10. Loved this as part of your welcome email package. The one that struck me most was the daily exercise. I’ve become lax on that, thinking that the daily housecleaning/chores I do around here should be enough activity. Wrong. It does help but a targeted regimen would really improve my health. My biggest problem, other than laziness, is I DO NOT like to sweat. I’m warm-natured, so this is an all too common occurrence for me, anyways. I also can’t do anything high impact, having various injuries. I remember I used to like Pilates, though. It was a slow graceful method that seemed to pack quite a bit of progress in a short amount of time (20 min), my kind of exercise! I remember my balance and posture improved almost immediately. Think I’ll dust that cd off and unroll my mat again. Thanks!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

From TSLL Archives
Updated British Week 1.jpg
Updated French Week 2.jpg