88: Simplifying by Asking One Key Question with Kelsy Schmidt [Simplify Series]

Maybe you’ve considered simplifying your life, but you’re just not sure where to start. It might be as easy as asking one key question. But the journey isn’t always a straight path.  In this episode of our Simplify Series, Holly and I are chatting with my friend Kelsy Schmidt. Kelsy is a wife, mom, and former corporate employee turned business owner. A few years ago, she and her husband asked one key question, and this question took them on a journey they could not have anticipated. Support the Podcast Key Points Discussed: Kelsy’s Life & Leadership Now [3:30] Leadership Journey [5:00] Kelsy’s Simplifying Journey How things began [8:20] One key question [12:00] Purchasing their first RV [14:30] The first thing they gave up [17:00] Second thing they gave up: security of her corporate job [18:30] Third thing they gave up: the closeness of to family [21:00] Moving to Georgia [25:40] Lessons learned on the simplifying journey [27:00] Learning to let go of things and make room for God [28:00] Letting go of the approval of family members [29:30] Simplifying can be messy and the need for trust [32:17] Practical ways to simplify [34:00] What you put into your mind [37:00] What you put into your body [40:00] What you spend your money on [42:00] Time & scheduling commitments [43:10] Kelsy’s habits & routines [45:16] Ideal week  Kelsy’s advice to a newer leader [47:40] Leaders are Learners [49:50] Reading the Gospels Soaking worship music   Key Quotes from the Episode: “What would we change now if we only had 2 years left to make an impact?” - Kelsy Schmidt “We have to be willing to take these steps without knowing the outcome at the end.” - Kelsy Schmidt “We knew we needed a change when there was no more room for God to act in our lives.” - Kelsy Schmidt “We needed to first give the things up to allow God to fill them back up. He can’t fill a space that’s occupied.” - Kelsy Schmidt “You cannot expect loved ones to understand especially when you cannot predict the outcome of your decisions.” - Kelsy Schmidt “The journey of simplifying is really a journey of trusting God.” - Esther Littlefield “When I’m ingesting the right things--God’s word, meditating on his word, memorizing his word--it always leads to freedom, rather than to the slavery of the shoulds.” - Holly Cain “It’s okay to say ‘no’, and there are kind ways to say ‘no’, and you still love the person when you say ‘no’.” - Kelsy Schmidt   Connect with Kelsy Schmidt: Website - Grab Kelsy’s Free Guide: Our Top 10 Simple Business Automations to Jumpstart Your 2020 LinkedIn Get 30% off strategy sessions and intensives booked and paid through 5/31/2020 - Coupon code: LEAD-30-OFF   Kelsy Schmidt is the founder of Innowik, an operations services firm that helps business leaders through streamlining systems, data analytics, and operations strategy. She left corporate and ventured into the online business space in 2018, and founded her company shortly thereafter. She has been in operations roles for over 15 years, gaining experiences in project management, system implementations, business process automation, accounting and reporting, and supervising teams.   From Kansas and now based out of Georgia, Kelsy is also a full-time RV’er who enjoys nature and exploring the US with her husband, three-year-old son, and pup. She sees her business as a vessel, and is passionate about helping people simplify their lives and businesses, and thus, living life more freely and purposefully. This simplification process (and lots of faith) is what led her and her family to implement their own big life changes over the last few years.  Links & Resources:  For more on time blocking and using an Ideal Week, check out episode 33 where I talk about Google Calendar   Connect with Esther and Holly: Esther’s Website Holly’s Website Instagram Facebook Group Facebook Page   This episode was originally published on estherlittlefield.com/episode88.