"Start small. No need to overhaul your life in less than 24 hours"
The Simple & Calm Interview Series - Episode 4
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Are you ready for episode 4? Let’s begin…
Today’s guest is
who writes The Lovely Road here on Substack.Mackenzie finds Substack to be a great resource for writers. She’s made so many wonderful connections on the platform, and finds it to be such a wonderful space. Make sure you stop by and say hi over on her Substack!
A brief introduction of who you are and what you do
Hi, my name is Mackenzie and I write a newsletter called The Lovely Road here on Substack. I am a mother to two daughters who are quite literally, my whole world.
What made you start living a simpler, more intentional life?
There wasn't an exact date, but it was sometime after having my first child. Motherhood is beautiful but it is also quite overwhelming at times. I was always striving for "simple" but could never get it quite right until I stumbled onto minimalism which completely changed my life.
What would your perfect, slow, 24 hours look like?
Slow cups of coffee at first. I say this as someone who literally inhales their first cup of coffee, hoping it'll kick in faster, ha! But slow cups of coffee, a meander to the local bookstore, and then a long lunch with plenty of languishing and good conversation.
Then it is reading my new bookstore find with a cup of tea. After a good few hours of that, slow prep for dinner, then enjoying said dinner with my family, followed by cuddles on the sofa while watching a movie.
Tell us a secret to a simple life
"You can't take it with you". I know it sounds morbid, but I feel it is apropos to so many facets of our lives. All of our stuff, all these tangible things that we hold onto, if you are feeling overwhelmed with your stuff, this sentence can shed light on a way of thinking you may have not thought about. It doesn't mean to get rid of everything you own and live a spartan existence, rather, it opens a door to a way of looking at an object that was maybe weighing you down, and now maybe you can release it as well as the obligation to keep it.
What's the best advice you've ever been given/ read?
Resistance is suffering. I don't remember the first time I heard this phrase, but it is something I keep in the back of my mind.
A book/ website or other resource everyone should read is...
Absolutely anything that The Minimalists have written and also the books Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman, Wintering by Katherine May, and Slow: Simple Living for a Frantic World by
.One practice of your slow living life that you couldn't live without is...
My afternoon cup of tea.
The biggest impact slow living has had on you is...
I am a person subconsciously obsessed with time, how much has passed, how much is left, that sort of thing. Slow living helps keep me not so tethered to this obsession.
One thing people should do more of is...
Empathize. No one knows truly, what another person is going through. Sometimes just the holding of a hand is all that is needed.
One thing people should do less of is...
Criticizing. We are the very worst at criticizing ourselves and then turn around and do this to others.
Your favourite quote is...
This too shall pass.
A piece of advice you'd give to your younger self...
Trust your gut and listen to what it is trying to tell you.
What advice would you give to someone wanting to live a simple more intentional life?
I heard this on a podcast episode, so no credit goes to me at all, but I think it is valuable. Make a list: on one side, write down what you would like your ideal more intentional life to look like. On the other side, write down what you actually do in your day-to-day life. Now look at both sides of the list. Are they radically different? Does anything correspond? Think about ways you can make changes in your current day-to-day to get to that simple more intentional life that you initially wrote down on your list.
A top tip is...
Start small. No need to overhaul your life in less than 24 hours. Slow and steady will get you there, promise.
Tell us about the time in your life that you felt the most content
When I first learned about minimalism. I felt I finally found my people :)
The best thing someone has ever said to you
Can I squeeze in two? "You're a good mom" and "you should write more often". I hold these close to my heart.
Your go to when you you want to be creative is...
A walk to clear my head. Also, it's amazing the ideas that pop into your head when you are washing the dishes.
When it all gets a bit much, how do you bring yourself back to calm?
Baking in the kitchen. Sometimes even that doesn't work, and I'll watch a television show just to get my mind to go blank for a bit so it can recalibrate.
Tell us about your biggest extravagance
I am not an extravagant person but the first thing that came to mind was our honeymoon to Hawaii. I am sure we could have gone somewhere else for less money, but I went paragliding for the first time in my life and will always remember that memory. I'm not sure if I'd have the nerve to do it today at the age I am now!
Share a journal prompt for readers to ponder
If expenses were not an issue, where is one country that you would like to visit?
A simple, beautiful memory you have is...
Too many to pick just one. All of them involve being a mother which I love.
One thing that makes life instantly better is...
A good book and hot cup of coffee or tea.
A favourite recipe that everyone should try is...
A great chocolate chip cookie recipe. Find a really good one and it will be life-changing :)
Where can people find you online?
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Until next time,
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This was such a beautiful read. It felt like this newsletter found me at the right time. I was just journaling this morning about not having patience. Lately I have been so restless about my creative career because of not taking it slow, I wanted to see immediate results and reach where i want to be quickly. The beauty of a journey lies in the slow process, I love Mackenzie’s slow 24 hours and yes a slow cup of tea or coffee sure makes a big difference. “Start small, no need to overhaul your life in less than 24 hours” im going to write this sentence down and remind myself about it everyday.
This was such a wholesome interview, thanks Sophie for putting this together and Mackenzie for making me realise how beautiful slow living is and can be. Cheers 🌸
Beautiful! As a mother to two little ones, I can so relate to that feeling of wanting to slow down whilst also being so incredibly busy and overwhelmed with just the day to day. Thanks for the reminder to sit and enjoy a cup of tea in the afternoon x