A Simplified Life: Tactical Tools for Intentional Living

by Emily Ley

Clear the Clutter Once and for All

Do you long to simplify the demands on your time, energy, and resources? Have complicated responsibilities, overwhelming to-do lists, and endless clutter left you feeling overwhelmed?

Busy wife, mom, entrepreneur, and bestselling author Emily Ley knows how you feel. With a growing family, increased work demands, and more, she understands the struggle it is to keep the plates spinning.

In A Simplified Life, you’ll find Emily’s strategies, systems, and methods for permanently clearing the clutter, organizing your priorities, and living intentionally in 10 key areas—from your home and meal planning, to style and finances, parenting, faith life, and more. Emily will show you how to truly make the most of your days with realistic, achievable, and tactical tools.

Walk alongside Emily through each page of the book, working through her simple strategies toward your own goals as you simplify and make space for what matters most.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Personal Development, Audiobook, Christian, Parenting, Adult

224 pages, Hardcover

First published November 21, 2017

About the author

Emily Ley is the founder of Simplified® - a brand of planners and organizational tools for busy women. Emily has been featured in Forbes, Family Circle, Better Homes and Gardens, Glamour, and Good Housekeeping. She has been recognized with numerous awards, including Best New Product at the National Stationery Show as well as Top 10 Designers to Watch by Stationery Trends Magazine. Emily and her team recently collaborated with AT-A-GLANCE® to create gift and planning collections carried in Office Depot, Staples, and Target. Emily is the author of national bestselling books, Grace, Not perfection: Embracing Simplicity, Celebrating Joy and A Simplified Life: Tactical Tools for Intentional Living. Now as an author, entrepreneur, wife and mother to three, Emily lives in Pensacola, Florida with her husband, Bryan, and their son Brady (8), and twins Tyler and Caroline (4).

Reviews

[Michelle Beginandendwithbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I ordered this book after enjoying the author’s interview on Jen Hatmaker’s Podcast. She seemed more relatable in the Podcast than this book. I thought I might want to underline or write in it (there are pages to make lists), but nothing moved me enough to lift a pen. When the book was over, I said to myself, “That’s it?” The ideas are more article-worthy than book-worthy. The chapter on decluttering feels like a vague blurb compared to Marie Kondo’s book. The author’s kids are still quite young, so she doesn’t address the chaos that comes with having older kids or a greater age-range of kids in many activities, which is a real challenge to families who long for a simplified life. There are many photos in the book that leave the impression of a very clean, orderly, well-decorated home. Women who are really struggling to stay afloat with the demands of home and parenting may not find the comfort or advice they seek in this book.

[Ashley Brooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book, but it just fell flat for me. There wasn't anything new here. Rather than taking her own perspective on simplifying or going deeper into the conversation, Emily Ley rehashed what's already been written about hundreds of times in other books and blogs. This might be a good starting point for someone who has literally never entertained the thought of simplifying their life, or for someone who's never read a simplicity/minimalism blog before. Overall, it just felt like a book that was written because she had a platform and publishers knew there was a buying audience, not a book that NEEDED to be written. As a side note, the narrator in the audiobook also came across as condescending.

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book, but was so disappointed after reading it for a couple reasons:

1) It's basic. If my life was a disastrous mess and I was on the verge of being a hoarder, then yes, this has some ideals to shift my thinking. But as a working mom who has it mostly together, this was just a waste. The only "tip" I got and used was to put my kids' socks in a different spot (by their shoes). And I agree with other reviews - she never addresses how to deal with a traditional job. I cannot just "step back" from my work hours to make my life more whole.

2) The font - did anyone else notice this? IT'S HUGE! If you put this book in a smaller font, it would likely be a pamphlet...between the font and the photos. It felt misleading to me - to get this thick book that was supposed to be full of knowledge, yet each chapter was merely a few paragraphs in a large font with 8 full-page photos or quotes included. I felt like it was Emily's family photo album more so than a book.

[Melissa Shafer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Glorified blog posts.

Chapter 1: Simplified Space - get rid of stuff you don’t love or use daily
Chapter 2: Simplified Style - get rid of clothes you don’t love. Buy quality over quantity. Define your signature style. Chapter 3: Simplified meals - write out what meals your family loves, plan to cook them.
Chapter 4: Simplified schedule - say no to things
Chapter 5: Simplified finances - create a system and stick to it. Week out financial planners.
Chapter 6: Simplified hospitality - create memories with friends more than worrying about the proper setup. Create a welcoming space for overnight guests.
Chapter 7: Simplified Technology - get rid of apps you don’t use, get off technology and be with your family and friends.
Chapter 8: Simplified Self - take care of yourself and don’t feel guilty about it.
Chapter 9: Simplified Motherhood - set up routines for children, embrace their uniqueness and savor everything.
Chapter 10: Simplified faith - pray and set aside for devotions.

Want to know how to actually do any of these things? Read elsewhere.

[Janssen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick read - nothing groundbreaking but just a good solid reminder that was the perfect way to start a new year.

[Elena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emily Ley is known for her creation, the Simplified Planner, and now has come out with this useful resource for simplifying your life to what matters. She shares practical strategies, systems, and tips for clearing clutter, organizing, and prioritizing what matters —mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. The book is divided in ten key areas to implement her tactical tools for simplifying life, including: your home, style, meals, schedule, finances, hospitality, technology, self care, motherhood, and faith. I underlined a lot and added quite a few ideas to my own 2018 goals while reading this books, so it was definitely inspiring and useful to read in the last days of the year.

[Renee Atkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was uh-mazing and has definitely changed the way I view my things, time, and home. It felt like the author Emily Ley was speaking to my soul and it was just clicking with what I want for our family :) The idea of simplifying my life in order to make more room for what is important has grasped me.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Emily Ley’s tips work if you’re a middle class white woman (or so it felt to me the entire time I was reading). The organization of the chapters is helpful: simplified faith, simplified meal planning, and simplified mothering, to name a few. The reflective questions in each paragraph are helpful, too.

However, as I was reading, I couldn’t help but think to myself, “Some of these won’t work for many women.” Emily talks about investing in good high quality clothes and make-up or engaging in a weekly self-care ritual that includes a ten dollar hair conditioning mask and $25 foot scrub. I know she isn’t prescribing this exact ritual, but the but way she so nonchalantly discusses it has the potential to alienate some of her audience for whom $35 is significant.

Overall helpful but not earth-shattering and written from a definite place of privilege.

[Susy C. *MotherLambReads* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful Adult Picture Book is how I describe it. Full of reminders and tips on how to simplify our lives and homes so we can live in joy and peace.
Nothing earth shattering or novel just good solid principles surrounding the topics of clutter and hurried lives that is good to hear again. The book had. Nice thick pages and beautiful colors displayed throughout.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I may be burnt out on reading about minimalism and intentional living because this held zero tips/insights for me. There’s also some Sneaky Jesus in here, which I didn’t mind, but is not my thing.

[Kory Woodard Nobes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m all about simplifying and organizing, so this book was one after my OCD heart. It’s full of tips about simplifying ten different areas of your life to help create time and space to focus on what matters most to you. Even though I’ve done a lot of decluttering this year, this book absolutely makes me want to walk my house with a handful of trash bags and just get rid of everything.

If you’re interested in reading more about Emily’s story, definitely pick up Grace, Not Perfection instead of this book. (Though I’ll say GNP isn’t nearly as autobiographical as I would have hoped.) This book obviously has gorgeous pictures of her home and family and little tidbits about their life, but it’s more of a step-by-step guide to simplifying than a book about her life or how she got where she is now.

[Samantha · Rating 2 out of 5]

I heard so many good things about this book from bloggers and on podcast that I was expecting so much more. Really there was no new information in this book. I might even classify this book as an adulting book- how to. This book tries to give tips in so many areas that there is no depth to it. This might be a good book for learning how to simplify your life if it is overly chaotic and you didn't learn some of these skill in high school/college. But really you can find all this information on the internet for free.

[Danielle Cotterell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The same friend, who I spend hours gushing over my thoughts about 'Present over Perfect' (Shauna Niequist) with, happened to be reading this book at the time. We've since decided that the two books compliment one another so well and are perfect to read together. Ley's 'Simplified Life' is a practical handbook of how to achieve what Niequist describes in 'Present over Perfect'.

Ley provides practical advice about how to be intentional in the process of decluttering and simplifying your life. The contents of this book span from simplifying everything from 'spaces' to 'schedules' and covers pretty much everything in between. I appreciated the lack of tokenism in Ley's advice. It was in no way generic or thoughtless. Instead, Ley shares practical 'how-tos' about how to manage and structure life in such a way that allows margin and space for what is most important. Couldn't recommend highly enough.

[Kulveen Virdee · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book came so highly recommended by a friend that I read it the very next day, very quick read. Unfortunately, I gained little from the book, I already do a lot of the things suggested - get kids ready the night before, do loads of laundry throughout the week, encourage the kids to help with chores in ways they are able to etc. Things I AM NOT simplifying - meal prep. My kids are not going to eat the same “healthy staples” rotated throughout the month, food is culture, sacred, and need not be simplified by those who love it for simplicity sake. I will continue to dedicate hours a week to making and experiencing joy in the kitchen, my favorite memories were with my father and his mother in our kitchen and I hope the boys will learn to nourish themselves joyfully, as well. I also really disliked the biblical/religion aspects of the book that dominated towards the end, the whole book was basically, basic (the authors own words on celebrating basicness - ditch all culture / hobbies / and individuality for the sake of simplicity.)

Edit to Add: Simplicity Parenting is a thousand times more impactful/educational than this book in case you’re looking for a book that’s worth your time.

[Gloria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I would have absolutely loved this in my 30s when raising two young children. This is nicely laid out in diary/workbook format. Ley looks at ordinary life habits that can be made more efficient and effective such as cooking, cleaning, wardrobe, number of commitments, finances, etc. It is good that she also includes self-care and faith. She does not go into much detail in really any of these areas; just offers them up as areas that could use some examination in order to prioritize and release stress.

Being a bit more mature in years now, I think this is unfortunately a tad naive in scope. Ley herself seems educated and accomplished and clearly her husband has a good job since he travels a lot and they have a fabulous home. He seems to fit in with the tone she sets. She is home with some busy pre-school age children which is appropriate. It is just not the case, however, for many women.

Life has a way of including things like layoffs, mental illness, mild/acute addictions, affairs, and a hundred varieties of these types of difficulties. Indeed, they can be the biggest drivers of wanting to live simply and intentionally.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick easy read that was full of practical info and helpful tips. There were so many specific small ideas to help promote change in your life and home. I recommend this to any person (probably more comfortably geared for women) that is wanting to feel less overwhelmed and more fulfilled.

I plan on easing myself into more intentional living using the advice given in this book!

[Morgan Giesbrecht · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was intrigued going into this book & had heard good things about it, but I’ll admit to being disappointed.

The book itself wasn’t bad, & many may find it helpful. However, for me, there was no new information presented. Several things were nice reminders, but were not exactly helpfully/practically presented for me. Plus, it turns out I wasn’t the targeted audience as it was directed towards to wives & mothers.

So, not a bad book, just not for me. :)

[Jessin Stalnaker · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is what the title says it is - simple. I would classify it as more of a beginner status. A great resource if you are just getting started, but monotonous if simplicity is already your lifestyle.

“Minimalism is not the same thing as simplicity.”

[Beth Lind · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good advice shared in a non-woo woo way. It actually inspired me to tackle some closets and cabinets and get rid of some clutter.

[Deb · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book really didn't provide any ideas that I haven't already heard.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a bit of fresh air. I’m a huge fan of self-help books, but I loved how calm and simple this one was. From its conversational way of writing to the calm and modern design of the physical copy. Solid foundation of ideas, followed with practical steps.

Thanks Em T for giving this to me :)

[Laura Radniecki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book. The writing style, the photos, the message, the motivation I gleaned from it and the decluttering and overall simplifying that happened in my heart and in my home after reading it. It's going to be a book I reread at least every 6 months to remind me of what really matters.

[Sarah Curry · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you are new to the concept of simplification, this would be a good start. The book briefly glosses over 10 areas in which you can be more intentional and therefore make life less crazy. There were a few questions that were posed at the beginning and at the end that really made me think: "What do I wish my home communicated to my family?" and "What virtues do you wish to instill in your children?" There were also a couple personal examples she gave in regards to parenting that were insightful, but the rest of the book was just not for me. I was definitely expecting more out of this book. Also, I hated the pictures. It's really hard to read about finding contentment, not letting social media control define you, grace over perfection, etc etc, when every single photo is of perfectly polished humans, life, decor, toddlers, and ridiculous amounts of shelving. Simplification does not create perfection... it give you the opportunity to be present. Present in your yoga pants, in your messy bun, in the tantrums, in your non-ikea/target/hobbylobby picture perfect home. I will say, I was inspired to declutter my house again, but that's not saying much because I do this 3-4 times a year...

[Jenn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Beautiful pictures. But essentially, what it boils down to is: get rid of nearly all of your stuff. Have only furniture in white or grey. Have huge rooms in your house with hardly any furniture. Dress cute and carry a cup of tea for your "self-care". Plan your meals. Get rid of more stuff. Have a budget. Have only a few clothes that you love. Not anything new here--but her format is beautiful...and does make you want to get rid of EVERYTHING!

[Sarah Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall a good book with some ideas and tips to simplify your life. If you are not a mother and not religious skip the book though, that's why I marked it down one star. I really enjoyed reading it and it kept my attention. However there are many mentions to religion and god in the book, easy enough to skip over but still there. Also I'm a mom of teens so a lot of the kids stuff is no longer applicable to me. And I'm single, so anything about marriage and partnership was lost on me.

[Kelli · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author is so sweet and kind, but I think there’s a double standard in the book. She often says “don’t buy anything” and “it doesn’t have to ‘look’ perfect” but all the photographs are depicting nothing but perfection.
There were a few good tips I was able to grab, but for the most part, I’m already doing a lot of these things because they’re just common sense.

[Hannah Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are some good ideas sprinkled throughout this book for those who enjoy reading about organization and such (which I do). Her theology, however, is typical of "inspirational" women's books - watered down and self-focused. Loved the organizational chapters, was very disappointed with the latter chapters on self-care and faith.

[Christina DeVane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved so many things about this book and it was perfect for the start of the new year!! My favorite sections were on simplified space and simplified calendar. Not everything in the book was for me, but looking forward to implementing the nuggets I took away from it.

[Rebekah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really helpful and practical book - I really enjoyed all the tips and suggestions for simplifying my life.

[Jess White]

Cute cover, but that’s about it. Practical advice if you are new to living. This could have been better suited for a blog audience.