31 Days of Simplicity Day 29: Fix What’s Broken

Most times, good enough is good enough. But when it comes to things that are broken or just don’t work right, good enough is not good enough. When it’s truly broken, and causes constant headaches, it is not simplicity. It is not worth it.

The point of Simplicity is to make life easier. Broken things complicate life. Things that don’t work the way they should make life harder, increase stress, and cause needless frustration.

I’ll give you an example. When we bought our new (to us) minivan, it was in really good shape for a used car. But one little quirk is that the driver’s side door wouldn’t stay open. It’d always slam shut after a second or two. Now, that may not sound like that big a deal, but it kept slamming shut on my leg. Or slamming shut when I just hopped into the front seat for a moment and needed to get right back out again.

In the grand scheme of life, it wasn’t a big deal. But in my day-to-day routine of getting into my car about 15 times a day, it was a very big deal. It made extra work for me, caused me physical pain, and just plain irritated the tar out of me.

So I spent the money to fix it. Now, I really didn’t like having to fork out $300 for the repair, but it was well worth the money to not have the constant frustration and discomfort.

Remember, way back on Day 2 when I told you that Simplicity does not equal thrift? This is a perfect example. It would’ve been thriftier to not repair the door. But I would’ve continued to get frustrated, angry, and hurt every time I got in the car. Not Simplicity.

We also had one of those clean-edge can openers that takes the entire top off; it doesn’t leave a raised edge so the top that’s removed is “larger” than the can that’s left. Well, the only thing we really use a can opener for is tuna. And my husband would complain every time he opened a can that he couldn’t stick the lid back inside the can to drain the tuna juice, since it was too big. He made a mess and got mad at the can opener. Every time. I didn’t understand what he was making such a big fuss over.  I’m not kidding – we’d argue about it. Every. Single. Time. (Go ahead and laugh, but you know you’ve had arguments over something just as dumb 🙂  )

It was a perfectly good can opener. It worked just the way it was supposed to. But the arguing and stress it caused over something so ridiculously stupid was not worth it. So we replaced it with a regular can opener. My dear hubby can drain the tuna juice easy-peasy, and our home is much more peaceful 🙂

So in your quest to simplify your life, I urge you to fix things that are broken, or that just don’t work right. (Even if, like that silly can opener, they just don’t work for you.) Bite the bullet and spend the money to fix or replace them.

A loose doorknob that makes it hard to close the door? A closet shelf that falls if you touch it just right? A recipe book that’s overstuffed so pages keep falling out?

Just fix them. Life is too short for needless, constant hassles. Simplify your life by keeping everything in tip-top working order. It doesn’t matter how silly or “inconsequential” it is. If it causes you frustration, extra time, or extra effort, it’s important enough to fix.

What irritations do you have – major or “minor” – that need to be fixed in order to bring more Simplicity to your life?

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