I recently read about Lagom, pronounced: “La-gum”, a Swedish word meaning “just right” - “not too much, not too little”. It is a balanced lifestyle when we live according to our values and priorities.
To live lagom, we need to evaluate the way we live; examine each and every aspect to check if we are living “just right”. How do we keep our homes? How do we manage the kitchen? Do we practice minimalism? Simple living? Frugality? Hopefully, a balanced life.
Lagom means natural. I have no problem with that as I prefer using real plants to decorate like dried flowers twigs and leaves and I use more wooden furniture.
Lagom means our home is in order; minimal fixture, no clutter. As Marie Kondo often reminders us, let’s keep only what are useful and what makes us happy. That way, it is also easier to clean and to keep in order. The idea here is to create a place where we can relax and destress and enjoy our home.
Lagom means frugal. It doesnt mean having less. To me frugality means choosing what is practical and less expensive without sacrificing satisfaction, comfort and quality. It is spending less on some items in order to have extra money on things that matter most.
Lagom eliminates wastage; let us shop and cook only what is enough for the family. If it is a favorite dish, cook more and freeze in batches for future meals, thus saving fuel and effort.
We can try switching our diet eating more plant-based food. When buying cooked food, take out or otherwise, let us order only what is enough; we should not feel ashamed to split orders for two people to share as most orders are hefty anyway.
Lagom favors the environment. It encourages repair, recycle and reuse, including segregation. It saves the Earth for future generations.
If we try living lagom, we save money if we are mindful of using power and water efficiently. It is such a waste if we keep lights and fans on when not in use. My son said he cringed when he saw someone at the golf course bathroom let water flow while brushing his teeth.
There are many more ways to live lagom as anyone can think of. We ourselves will find more ways as we go along. Practise will eventually turn into a habit.
I’m sure that most of us are already living lagom in the way that suits our lifestyle. However having developed life-long habits would be a challenge, but by being mindful about it all the time, we can succeed.
