These days a chorus of thousands has taken up Henry David Thoreau’s advice to “Simplify, simplify.” And for good reason. Few among us would deny our lives are too complicated and filled with too much stress.
Simplicity is about eliminating clutter – from your mind, your home, your relationships and your lifestyle. Add simplicity to your life to help you gain more focus on your priorities and pay attention to what’s important. Following are ten ways to begin.
- Get a clear idea of what you want your life to look like. This picture will help you discover what you must eliminate. Use your creativity to create an actual picture or just visualize it in your mind.
- Let go of projects, roles or self-imposed obligations that take up time and keep you away from what you really want.
- Say No to what you don’t want in your life. Say Yes to what you do want.
- Schedule “break” days for yourself where you don’t do anything but what you really want. Don’t cancel them.
- Make a “to do” day and get all those chores and errands done in a single day. List them all before you start so you don’t forget!
- Create space. File away or toss out; give away, sell or trade.
- Make and return phone calls only during certain hours.
- Shop only when you have to. Question your purchases. Consuming less is good for the planet, too. This can help save money too!
- Ask for and accept help. Delegate chores. Hire work done when possible.
- Remember to breathe, to ground yourself and be physically present.
A gratitude list will help you discover what really matters to you. Simplifying means making choices that will improve the quality of your life.
What do you think? Can you use these tips to simplify your life? How else do you simplify?
Author’s content used under license, © 2008 Claire Communications