The first week of August is National Simplify Your Life Week! It’s an official, yet little known observance that encourages you to organize and de-clutter your life. We overextend ourselves daily and then try to compensate by taking a long weekend or a week of vacation. But what happens after we return? The same worries, commitments, tasks, and responsibilities are still there waiting for us to return.
So why don’t we do things every week, or every day to help alleviate some of the stress in our lives? If we simplify our lives daily, then maybe we wouldn’t feel so stressed and we could enjoy life just a little more, even on vacation. Here are some ideas to help you get started simplifying your life.
SHORT LIST – if the list below is too long, there are only really 2 steps to simplifying.
1. Identify what’s most important to you
2. Eliminate everything else!
LONG LIST
-Too much e-mail? Check e-mail at designated times during the day, 9 am, Noon, and 3pm, rather than all day long. Sticking to a schedule keeps you from getting distracted. E-mail is a major time waster.
- Unsubscribe! Have you registered and signed up for every forum on the planet? Which ones do you actually enjoy reading? Which ones do you actually read? Unsubscribe! Take 30 minutes this week and just do it!
- Take a long relaxing bath! This one is pure indulgence. We need to do it more often. Pick one or two nights each week and put it on your calendar. You’ll feel relaxed and refreshed and will sleep great.
- Make an end of the day list! Each day before you leave your office, review your current to-do list, make a list of things you need to do the next day, and review your calendar for the next day. You will start your day knowing what needs to be done without wasting any time!
- Make a list of the 4-5 important things. What’s most important to you? What 4-5 things do you most want to do in life?
- Evaluate your commitments. Look at everything you’ve got going on in your life & think about which really gives you value, which ones you love doing. Drop the rest.
- Evaluate your time. How do you spend your day? Make a list & evaluate whether they’re in line with your priorities. Redesign your day!
- Learn to say no. If you can’t say no, you will take on too much!
- Simplify your wardrobe. Simplify your wardrobe by getting rid of anything you don’t actually wear.
- Free up time & do what you love. Eliminate the stuff you don’t like & spend that extra time doing things you love.
- Spend time alone. Alone time is good for you & the quiet is necessary for finding out what’s important to you.
- Learn what ‘enough’ is. Sure you can get the new gadget & more clothes, shoes. But when will you have enough? Figure out how much is enough and stop when you get there.
- Always ask: Will this simplify my life? If the answer is no, reconsider.
No comments:
Post a Comment