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A personal reflection on ten years of simple living — from digital overwhelm to intentional living and how simplicity became a way of life.
Ten years of simplicity have led me here,
to a path of clarity and quiet transformation.
to a path of clarity and quiet transformation.
Looking Back: Ten Years of Intentional Living
So here we are — this month of January 2026 marks 10 years since I began my simple living journey back in January 2016, at age 46. Now I am 56, looking back on a whole era shaped by intentional living, courage and quiet transformation. My simple living journey didn’t come from minimalism‑as‑a‑trend. It came from something deeper: a desire to live with clarity, gentleness and emotional honesty. I have spent a decade refining my space, my routines, my relationships and my inner world — not to make life smaller, but to make it truer.
When I look back at the woman I was in 2016 — overwhelmed, carrying too much (physically and emotionally), trying to find her footing — I can see how far I have come. Today, my life feels intentional, curated and deeply aligned with who I am.
What makes this milestone so beautiful is that it is not loud or performative. It is quiet, like everything I do with meaning.
When I look back at the woman I was in 2016 — overwhelmed, carrying too much (physically and emotionally), trying to find her footing — I can see how far I have come. Today, my life feels intentional, curated and deeply aligned with who I am.
What makes this milestone so beautiful is that it is not loud or performative. It is quiet, like everything I do with meaning.
A decade of:
- Cultivating what matters
- Releasing what doesn’t
- Honouring my energy
- Creating a home that feels like a sanctuary
- And most importantly: slowly, gently becoming more me
- Cultivating what matters
- Releasing what doesn’t
- Honouring my energy
- Creating a home that feels like a sanctuary
- And most importantly: slowly, gently becoming more me
And the timing feels perfect — stepping into 2026 with Momentum as my Word of the Year, with this anniversary sitting right at the doorway. It feels like a little nod from the universe: I have built the foundation. Now I get to move forward with ease.
Ten years of choosing simplicity and, in doing so, choosing myself.
How My Simple Living Journey Began
My simple living journey began in January 2016 with a very ordinary moment: sitting at my computer, feeling overwhelmed by online life and typing something like “how to have a simple life” into Google.
Most people were diving deeper into the social media current back then. But I felt something shifting in me — a sense that the constant stream, the noise, the comparison, the endless scrolling, was pulling me away from my own rhythms and my own centre.
I didn’t have a grand plan. I just knew I wanted my life back.
That’s when I stumbled onto Courtney Carver’s Be More With Less blog. One post led to another and before I knew it, I had devoured her archives and signed up for her emails. That was the spark. (Thanks, Courtney! 🙏)
And yes — the decluttering happened too. What I now call My Massive Big Cleanout of 2016 included the Salvos truck coming to my place about half a dozen times that year! 😆 It was a season of letting go in every sense.
But my simple living journey wasn’t about cupboards or trends. It was a reclamation — a turning back toward:
- My real home
- My real routines
- My real relationships
- My real inner world
It was me saying, quietly but firmly: I want my life back.
From Digital Overwhelm to Clarity: A Personal Turning Point
Looking back, I can see that 2015–2016 wasn’t just a turning point for me — it was part of a larger cultural moment.
Back then, there were a lot of stories online about people deleting Facebook or stepping away from social media entirely. I remember doing a lot of research around it, partly to reassure myself that it wasn’t just me. I read think-pieces and personal essays about deleting Facebook, stepping back from the "highlight reel", digital detoxes, reclaiming time and presence and minimalist living. People were starting to feel the first wave of digital fatigue: the sense that social media wasn’t just a fun distraction anymore, but something that was shaping their identity, their time and their attention.
I was part of that early wave of people who sensed something wasn’t right and chose to step back before it became mainstream. And now, ten years later, the conversation has only deepened. People talk openly about digital overwhelm, algorithm fatigue, attention fragmentation and the desire to return to something more grounded and real.
My story sits inside that larger shift—but for me, it has always been personal first.
Back then, there were a lot of stories online about people deleting Facebook or stepping away from social media entirely. I remember doing a lot of research around it, partly to reassure myself that it wasn’t just me. I read think-pieces and personal essays about deleting Facebook, stepping back from the "highlight reel", digital detoxes, reclaiming time and presence and minimalist living. People were starting to feel the first wave of digital fatigue: the sense that social media wasn’t just a fun distraction anymore, but something that was shaping their identity, their time and their attention.
I was part of that early wave of people who sensed something wasn’t right and chose to step back before it became mainstream. And now, ten years later, the conversation has only deepened. People talk openly about digital overwhelm, algorithm fatigue, attention fragmentation and the desire to return to something more grounded and real.
My story sits inside that larger shift—but for me, it has always been personal first.
The Voices That Shaped My Simplicity Journey
All I knew back in early 2016 was that I was tired of feeling scattered and overstimulated. Finding Courtney Carver’s Be More With Less gave me the language and courage to do something about it.
- Through following Courtney, she helped me simplify my space and my life.
She showed me that letting go — physically and emotionally — could create room for what mattered.
A year later, in 2017, I happened upon Lara Casey and her work around Cultivate What Matters.
- Through following Lara, she helped me simplify my direction and my heart.
"Cultivate What Matters” wasn’t just a slogan for me — it became a compass, guiding me toward intention rather than overwhelm.
When I put those two influences together, I can see the shape of my whole decade:
- 2016: Clearing space, returning to real life, stepping out of the noise
- 2017: Planting intention, choosing what matters, letting the rest fall away
From there, simplicity stopped being a decision and became a way of moving through life.
Why Simple Living Still Matters After Ten Years
This milestone matters because I didn’t simplify to escape life — I simplified to return to life.
Everything I’ve done since — the way I curate my home, choose my rituals, honour my energy and write — traces back to that moment in 2016 when I chose presence over performance, substance over noise, real life over the stream.
Simplicity, for me, has never been about spotless surfaces or strict rules.
It has been about:
- Living with intention instead of autopilot
- Choosing depth over distraction
- Designing a life that fits the real me, not the algorithm‑approved version
Ten years on, I still believe in simple living and the minimalist lifestyle — not as a trend, but as a way of honouring my one small life.
Momentum: Moving Forward with Intention
And now, with Momentum as my word for 2026, it feels like the next natural chapter: moving forward from a decade of foundations into a season of gentle, grounded movement.
As Courtney Carver says: simplicity is the way back to love. ❤️ And I believe her.
Ten years of simplicity. And I’m only just beginning.
If You’d Like to Go Deeper Into My Journey
Here are some reflections that share more of the heart behind my simplicity journey:
Join the Conversation: Your Own Simple Living Inspiration
If you’re on your own simplicity journey — or thinking about beginning one — what’s calling you forward in your simple living life? Drop me a note in the comments and let me know!
Go gently,
Denise Marron 🩷
Simplicity Advocate and Author at Gentle Self.
🌿 10 Years of Simple Living 🌿
January 2016 - January 2026
January 2016 - January 2026
Living simply, writing gently,
companioning with care. 🌸
companioning with care. 🌸
Image and quote by Courtney Carver,
shared via www.bemorewithless.com
shared via www.bemorewithless.com
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