New year, new... lifestyle

The start of a new year can be daunting, especially after the train wreck that was 2020. That is why I have only one goal in mind for the year ahead - to live a more sustainable and simple life. This is how I plan to do just that.

Who are we?

Writing to you is a gal in her mid-twenties, originally from the Platteland, now living in the bustling burb of Bellville and working in the Mother City. I’m married to the funniest, most caring, patient man, my best friend, confidant, and co-parent to our two adorable cats, Charlie and Mo. The three best things that happened to me in 2020.

​In the last week of that train wreck called 2020, floating in the strange dimension between Christmas and New Year’s, I had an epiphany.

My husband and I decided to watch David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet after a year of meaning to, and after watching it, I was again in awe of our beautiful blue ball. I was also furious about how we are destroying it in the selfish pursuit of money. I was in tears over the careless loss of life and the misuse of natural resources. What Sir David Attenborough told us in his witness statement was that we have a choice: Either change the way we are doing things, saving not only our species but also our neighbours on planet Earth, or face the wrath of generations of gluttony, selfishness and destruction.

I was adamant to not live another day without trying to change in any small way I can. My husband, like me, remains sceptical of certain green-lifestyle choices and products, yet he agreed to this mad plan because he also wants to make a difference. He also reminds me to be completely honest about this journey. Just because something is called "green", or "eco-friendly", it isn't necessarily as green as we think. It might also not work precisely as well as our current products. Or it might just be a small change to get use to. And if so we need to decide whether the luxury we give up is worth more than the good it will do for the environment. Certain lifestyle changes and products may not work for everyone, and that is okay. Try everything and keep what works for you. That's my motto.

Who is "The GREENISH NEWB"?

"The Greenish Newb" is a term I decided to give to myself (with creative help from the husband) as I saddle up for a more sustainable life. I aim to prove that with small changes to crucial parts of our lives, we can manage our impact on the planet and maybe even inspire some folks along the way. As a wise person (I have no idea who this is) once said: "Small actions, multiplied by lots of people, equals a massive impact."

Ready, set, go!

Starting this I have done little to live sustainably other than growing some herbs, recycling (because the service is available in our neighbourhood), and trying - with almost constant failure - to remember to take my cloth/reusable shopping bags to the stores.

I am starting from scratch. With nothing but the power of the internet, research and the willingness to try, and I want to share everything I am learning, as I am learning it.

I want to give you trustworthy information, honest opinions, and tips and tricks on how you can make small changes in your lifestyle that will have an impact far greater than you realise. I will probably fail a bunch of times, try things that don't work and then restart, retry and hopefully find something that fits and will make the footprints I leave behind me a little lighter. I am willing to try.

How we plan to make some changes around the house

I looked at our home, our current lifestyle and choices and divided them into nine categories:

• Fridge and pantry

• Body and beauty

• Household (this will include cleaning, pets, the braai, etc.)

• Gardening

• DIY

• Waste management (how to's and also some interesting information behind it)

• Clothing

• Brands and stores

• Getaways and activities

In our home, we will focus on these categories, and use the many R's of sustainability. More about that in another post. Some ideas might also fit into more than one category, e.g. My mother's recipe for an eco-friendly, home-made plant fertilizer fits under Gardening and DIY. So whatever you're interested in, you will find it somewhere on this blog.

You don't have to model your journey after ours. Look at your own living situation and decide for yourself which main areas in your home and lifestyle you want to focus on. It helps to put things into categories; bite-size chunks you can tackle bit by bit.

Start by Rethinking

Does this whole process sound a bit radical? Well, yes, and no. The first change we can make is often called the first R of sustainability: Rethink.

Although this has the most far-reaching impact in the greater scheme, it is the smallest step and asks nothing from us but tiny shifts in how we perceive our lives, the lives of others (humans, animals and plants), and the use of natural resources. This predicts the future of our planet. Living more sustainably asks us to be selfless, caring and considerate, and to think before we act. But, as with any good habit, after a while, it becomes second nature, and we struggle to remember a way of life before now.

Living a more sustainable life is also not about shaming others about how they chose to lead their lives. It is about sharing your resources (more often than not, this refers to information) and leading by example. Not everyone has the means to make the changes necessary to live more sustainably. And that is okay. But we should never underestimate the power of even the smallest change to certain aspects of our lifestyle. Or how certain changes can actually save us a lot of time and money. It is cheesy and yes, a cliché, but every bit counts. Every. Single. Bit.

More often than not, a more sustainable life is associated with a more simple life. Think about how your grandparents or great-grandparents lived. They wasted less, made things themselves, and reused and repurposed things more. They were content with what they had and never felt the need to overindulge or have the most expensive or latest version of something. Or they simply couldn't afford to and made due with what they had. But they always used less, gave more back and had a much lighter carbon-footprint than their descendants.

If more people recycle, DIY rather than buy, live water-wise and compost their food waste for garden-use, like those before us did, we can start to make a change in our own communities. If we speak up about global warming, climate change, deforesting, ocean pollution, and pressure governments for more sustainable or eco-friendly legislation and hold them accountable, we will start to see change on a greater scale.

All this has to start somewhere. Why not now? Why not today? Why not with you and me? We only have one life, one planet. We have to decide how we want to spend it.