Less Hustle, More Life: How Our Downsize GAVE Us Time (and a Lot Less Anxiety!) | Week 30 Post-layoff

Less hustle, more life. Remember those days? The ones where your calendar was jam-packed, where "free time" was when you slept, and where the constant pressure of making money was in your thoughts on repeat? We sure do. For 25 years, our lives revolved around building and running restaurants, a relentless 24/7 cycle that left us little time for anything else. Don't get me wrong, we enjoyed it for many years but when Bryan faced health issues that, we believe, were tied directly to the stress of the work, we knew it was time to think about making a change. We were stuck in the grind and working too much just to maintain our house and our lifestyle of work and sleep.

Then, life threw us a curveball – I was laid off from my long-term nonprofit job. Instead of panic, we wondered "is there a better way"? What if this was an opportunity to make a real change, an opportunity to pursue an "alternative lifestyle" with fewer expenses and more freedom? That question led us down a rabbit hole of research, the unexpected new path of tiny living.

The New Rhythms of Time

It's funny how fast your perspective shifts when you're no longer tethered to the demands of a full-time job and traditional housing expenses. This week has been a powerful reminder that the most valuable asset we've gained during this "less hustle, more life" journey is: time.

Just this past Sunday, we took our two rescue dogs for a longer walk than usual and went to the community dog park. What happened next was pure joy: a full-blown case of the zoomies!

Chula was racing around, having the absolute time of her life, even trying to coax Zori into joining her (Zori remembered Chula's past "scoldings" for having too much fun so she was understandably guarded). That simple moment of watching them revel in their freedom, rather than rushing them so we could get back to work, was a big difference compared to our old life. Now we're on the dog's schedule.

Later that day, with no set plans, we grabbed our metal detectors and looked up parks near us in Google Maps and headed out with the dogs to explore. We ended up going down some pretty scary country backroads to a park that didn't end up having any treasures. It's like when you were a kid - you could follow your curiosity - but you still had to go home at the end of the day and do some chores. Only now, our chores are remote bookkeeping work, laundry, minimal house cleaning and cooking.

The Freedom to Say No (And Connect More)

You know what else this "less hustle" life gives us? Freedom from anxiety. Just this week, we landed a new bookkeeping client, a nonprofit referred by one of our existing clients. And honestly, it felt great! But here's the kicker: we’d also put together two other proposals for potential clients who ended up telling us our prices were too high. Our old selves, the ones constantly worried about keeping up with a traditional house and all those expenses, would have been stressed. We probably would have spent hours second-guessing, wondering if we should lower our prices just to get the client, feeling the pressure to land every single piece of work.

But the new us? The ones living this downsized life? We were completely fine with it. No anxiety, no second-guessing, no trying to argue or lower our prices. We just said, "Okay, on to the next one," and genuinely meant it. Why? Because our drastically lower living expenses give us the ultimate superpower: the freedom to say no. We no longer need to worry about being the lowest price just to get every client. We only take on work that feels right, at a price that values our time and expertise. That, our friends, is true freedom.

And with that freedom comes... well, time for people. When you're not constantly chasing the dollar or rushing off to the next obligation, you find yourself with a beautiful gift: the space to connect. This week was full of those moments. We celebrated a community member's 87th birthday, surprising him with his favorite Braum's Banana Pecan ice cream. We spent a few unhurried hours in his tiny house, swapping stories and just enjoying each other's company.

It’s not just big celebrations, though. It’s the small, everyday moments. Like stopping on our morning walks to chat with our usual neighbors for what turns into an hour or more, simply because none of us are rushing off to a job. Bryan even spent hours on the porch with a new neighbor, swapping stories and music recommendations – something that would have been unheard of in our old, packed life. And when a community member posted on our Facebook page needing help moving a chair up her stairs, Bryan didn't hesitate. It feels good to just... help. To be present. To be part of something bigger than just ourselves.

Then, speaking of our old life, we saw a post on our old neighborhood's NextDoor site. It was shared by the people who bought our old house. It was a picture of someone's parakeet or budgie hanging out near the pool. We thought seeing pics of the pool, especially at the end of July when it's closing in on 100 degrees in Texas, would make us feel sad, or that we would miss the old house. To our surprise, we didn't have any of those feelings. Not because we didn't appreciate the time and experiences we had in the house, but because we are turning the page and looking forward to our new found physical and mental freedoms.

This week, for us, was a masterclass in the real payoff of living full, working less. It's not just about tiny houses or fewer bills; it's about reclaiming our time, our peace of mind, and the simple joy of being present. We're learning to value unhurried conversations over packed schedules, the freedom to choose our work, and the unexpected warmth of genuine community connections. The old hustle feels a million miles away, replaced by a rhythm that truly lets us live.

We're still in that exciting "final countdown" phase for our own tiny house, but even here in our temporary rental, the lessons are profound. Every morning walk, every relaxed conversation, every decision made without financial pressure, solidifies our belief that this journey is about creating a life we don't need to escape from.

If you're feeling that familiar hum of "work harder, earn more" and dreaming of a life with more time, more freedom, and less anxiety, we get it. We've been there. Our journey is proof that it's possible to redefine your "midlifehood" on your own terms.

So, what's one piece of your current hustle you'd love to trade for more life? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

And if you want to follow more of our real-time journey, get exclusive behind-the-scenes insights, practical how-to's, and checklists directly from our journey, be sure to join our insider newsletter. That's where we share the deeper dives and resources to help you take your own real steps towards less hustle and more life.

Here's to more life, less hustle, and time for what truly matters,

- Kathy & Bryan