Porch Journal: A 'Lagom' Lifestyle

Why “just enough” might be the most radical choice we can make

Well hello there, dear reader! I am so glad you are here.

Welcome to the ‘Porch Journal’, a short-letter series where I share small reflections and behind-the-scenes thoughts on living a smaller, simpler, more beautiful life. These are quick, easy reads, about a minute or two - just enough for a mid-morning coffee break.

In Sweden, we have a few lifestyle concepts that may be part of the reason Swedes are often considered among the happiest people in the world.

I wanted to share an introduction to one of them: lagom, which translates to “just enough.”

This is the original old barn still ‘standing’ at my maternal family homestead in Värmland, Sweden. I took this in 2014.

But culturally, lagom goes deeper than that. It’s about living in moderation. Finding balance - in life, at work, in your finances, and even the size of your home.

It’s about thinking of the whole, not just the self.

To be fair, this idea can be, ironically, overdone. This isn’t about balancing a math equation.

At its core, lagom offers something almost radical in a culture that constantly urges us toward more, bigger, better. It invites us to resist extremes. To embrace contentment.

Lagom sits at the heart of everything I write about here at The Whiskey Porch.

The homes we live in, the gardens we tend, the way we shape our days - they all benefit from that same soulful sense of “just enough.”

Smaller spaces. Simpler choices. A life designed for contentment rather than excess.

How to Lagom:

Apply it to everything, or only to the bits that feel out of balance.

Consider where you might find that sweet spot - where your choices feel peaceful and steady, without tipping too far in either direction.

You might decide to truly enjoy a luxurious meal or special treat, without guilt, as long as it doesn’t throw your health and well-being off course.

Do it.

And when you do, enjoy it fully. Just maybe not every single day.

Or consider living in a home that’s smaller than most, but big enough for you.

Everyone’s lagom will be different, and very personal. And that can be liberating beyond measure.

This red is known as Falun red and it is the most common color of wooden homes in Sweden. Always with fresh white trim. It was originally sourced from the ancient Falu copper mine.

I didn’t always recognize how deeply this way of thinking shaped me. Swedish is my first language. My mother came to the U.S. in the 1950s, and although I was born here, we spent my early childhood in Sweden - and every summer there after that.

It wasn’t until I began raising my twins that I fully understood the calm and contentment lagom gave me.

And it wasn’t until I began writing, years later, that I learned how to articulate it.

I appreciate the freedom and spaciousness lagom offers me.

It gently permeates every aspect of life in a natural way.

Lagom creates peace and contentment, where excess never could.

We spent a week here with my twins when they were teenagers about 12 years ago.

I’d love to know - have you ever heard of lagom? What do you think about the idea of moderation in your own life?

With contentment & possibility,

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P.S. As ever, thank you for being here. Truly.