Simplifying your life is fundamentally about the willingness to make choices about where you put your attention and energy. Typically, when we feel overwhelmed and have the desire to simplify, it’s because we are attempting to do too much and have expectations that are not reasonable, which leads us to put energy into distractions – activities that don’t support our true goals and intentions.
These ideas apply to all aspects of our life – personal and professional. Simplifying requires us to shift habits and expectations. To simplify we must make different choices and be willing to accept the ramifications of those choices when they are comfortable and when they are uncomfortable.
Invest in reflection time to clarify goals and prioritize activities that are congruent with those goals. Making mindful choices about how you spend your energy makes it easier to stay focused on what you want to accomplish and not give in to distraction.
Invest in preparation time. Taking that hour on a Sunday to prep grab and go meals for the week really pays off. Putting your exercise clothes in a bag ready to go the night before takes away a complicating factor in the midst of a busy day. Planning for those crunch times on your calendar helps you support yourself and not get into panic mode.
Remember that most of the time ‘good enough’ is good enough! Perfect is an illusion that just creates stress.
Focus on what you can impact and don’t waste energy or attention on the things that are out of your control.
Be willing to change your image of what “should be” and focus instead on what is. Focusing on what is empowers us to act. Focusing on what should be just frustrates and leaves us feeling powerless.
Give yourself credit for what is accomplished instead of only focusing on what isn’t yet done. Keep a weekly “Have Done List” as well as a “To Do List”. This will also help you recognize when you gave in to complicating distractions.
Remember that speed doesn’t automatically mean urgent. Our devices that allow for instant communication are great. It’s also important that we don’t automatically react to everything as in need of urgent action just because it comes to us quickly. False urgency creates complications and distracts us from our goals.
3 comments
I’m printing this as a regular reminder. Thank you!
So very true for my being a constant “to do-er” and not look at what I’ve accomplished. I never give myself credit.
Practicing letting go of “should be” and categorizing everthing as right or wrong, can change the quality of your life. It certainly has improved my daily life.
thank you