When October rolls around we decorate for Halloween.   In our house, it’s known as “Halloween Decorating Day!”  

On this day our family looks forward to taking out all of our Halloween decorations and putting them up in the yard with dad.  It’s a simple tradition. We know exactly what we are going to do. We pull out the boxes of Halloween and Fall decorations and get busy.  The kids help outside with dad and I get to work inside.

What does this have to do with simplicity? 
Each tradition you set up with your family creates a pattern.  This pattern becomes familiar to you and you don’t have to make as many decisions.  Your mind is free of clutter.

It’s October.  It’s Halloween decorating day.  Take out the boxes of decorations.  Decorate!  Simple.

There is not any extra drama and it allows you to be present and enjoy your day.  

Traditions also give you something to look forward to.  When decorating for Halloween I get so excited for Christmas decorating day.  And cookie bake day. They fall on the same day every year. We know that the Friday after Thanksgiving is Christmas decorating day!  The Sunday after Thanksgiving is cookie bake day!  Traditions create routines!

It’s Christmas decorating day.  Make hot chocolate and popcorn.  Drive to chop down a tree as a family while drinking hot chocolate and eating popcorn.  Chop down the tree. Go home and decorate all afternoon while watching Christmas movies.  Simple.

Traditions create patterns.  Patterns create simplicity around decision making.

What is nice about simplicity and routine is that it does not require a lot of thought work.  You get to look forward to something you have done in the past and you know what to expect. Yet there is room to change things up if you would like.  

Family traditions create routines.

The brain likes patterns and routines. 

Time with family is a great pattern to groove into your brain.

What are your family traditions?