Top 10 Tips to Simplify Your Life

     Life these days is a set of extremes. On the one hand, we have the movement for extreme busy-ness, seen in the circles of folks who run from one activity to another with barely a breath in-between; who don't just multi-task, they QUINTILLION-task! [Like my word, there?] The people we all know who are SO burnt out, they don't even have the energy to REALIZE how exhausted they are. The ones we want to hug, make a cup of tea, and then TIE THEM TO A SOFA until they TAKE A NAP! (Sorry - that's the mom in me, I suppose!)

     On the other side of this coin, is the movement for extreme simplicity - which, I admit, looks AWFUL tempting. Those rare souls who can zen out practically anywhere, have a go-to yoga pose for EVERY problematic issue, and can basically quote every simplicity master out there. The peaceful-faced-people whose perfectly ordered houses are filled with lots of fresh flowers, a few candles, simple but gracious furniture, and soft classical music? The nirvana regulars whose amazing minds are TOTALLY calm?

     You guys? Yeah - YOU are my simplicity idols.

     But what about the rest of the world? Those whose idea of a relaxing night in is networking via Facebook, while watching a new podcast, while eating dinner, while sketching out plans for tomorrow, while mentally taking note of whether or not the emails you sent have gotten as response as of yet, while...

     Ok, I admit it - so MAYBE that's me - at least on SOME nights. So, maybe this blog topic is just as much for me as for you guys. Don't judge. ;)

     What about those of us who need simplicity, but perhaps aren't looking to become a Yogi any time soon? Or who want to learn mindset mastery, but realize that the 5,267,817 tasks we must complete every week, (& that's a SLOW week!), will likely prevent our minds from becoming COMPLETELY calm until probably sometime in 2053?

     Well, I have great news for you! You CAN start to simplify your life - you can even begin THIS WEEK - through employing a few tried-and-true tips and methods to take you out of overwhelm and into a more Zen-like state of mind. (Which is kind of like a "New York state of mind", but with less subway traffic.) 

     To help you get started, here's the list of my TOP 10 TIPS TO SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE. "But, Jennifer," (I hear you saying), "why only ten? Surely there are MANY more tips you could share?"

     Of course there are! But it would be pretty awful of me to give you SO MANY tips that you become overwhelmed in the process of attempting to assimilate and implement them into your life! Talk about counter-productive! 
  

     For now, let's you and I walk through these 10 tips together, and I want you to keep at them until you MASTER them. I promise I'll write more on this in the future, so you can continue to simplify your life in every crazy, over-stressed, under-rested area!

And now [drumroll, please] - THE TIPS:

     #1 : Create Your Own Top 10

     Begin the process of simplifying your life by creating your own "Top 10" list of the ten most important things in your life. What / who do you value the most? Are there major life goals you would like to accomplish? Determine what are the most important things - to you - and write them down. This is begins setting your mind on the path of simplifying your life.

     #2 :  Start Your Day with TD-3

     No, I don't mean the vitamin, although that is a very important thing to have, too! I mean "To Do x 3", which is your to-do list for the day. ONLY put the three most pressing, major responsibilities / needs / tasks to be accomplished on this short list, and add to it the amount of time you believe each will take. Be sure to do these tasks as early in the day as possible, to ensure their completion. After they are finished, move on to the rest of the tasks of the day with a lighter mind and heart, knowing the most important things are already done.

     #3 : Learn to Single-Task

     We have all heard of the merits of multi-tasking, and we all try it to some degree or another. But what about "single-tasking"? It's difficult sometimes, granted, to concentrate ONLY on ONE particular task, and not begin another until that first one is done. But single-tasking, once mastered, can produce great results! When possible, concentrate only on the task at hand, and dismiss all distractions which come your way. You'll likely find you complete the task in record time, since you're not dividing your attention among several things.

     #4 : Learn to Say NO

     Often we think that in order to be a good or supportive friend / co-worker / spouse / parent / fill-in-the-blank-here, we must say "yes" to everything [or at least MOST everything] that comes to us in the way of requests. Inevitably, we end up super-stressed as our time is stretched to the limit, and often become overwhelmed. We can learn, instead, that giving a polite but firm "no" at times can not only be beneficial to our schedule, but also healthy for our relationships. Give yourself permission NOT to have to do everything everyone asks of you! You ARE allowed to, say, pamper yourself with a bubble bath, instead of having drinks with friends one Friday night. You ARE allowed to go to your child's baseball game, instead of playing a round of golf with the work crowd. Prioritizing YOU and all you hold dear, and respecting your own boundaries with the occasional "no" will be liberating to both your schedule and your mindset. Ok, everyone say it with me, now: "NO!"

      #5 : Routine Does Not Have to Mean Rut

     Establishing routines is a fantastic way to help you simplify your life! Unfortunately, most people may HEAR "routine", but they are THINKING "rut". That kind of thinking often keeps them from even trying to establish a routine, out of the fear that they may instead develop a rut which negatively effects their productivity, instead of being of benefit. The truth is, routines can save time, save energy, even save money! The trick is to develop a routine around a particular timeframe of the day, instead of the WHOLE day or week at once. For instance, a morning or an afternoon routine, or an after-school or bedtime routine for your children. Develop simple, easy to follow routines you can repeat every day or week, and review them periodically to see if any changes need to me made [thus avoiding the RUT!] You'll see your productivity soar!

     #6 : Leave Some White Space

     When making a list of tasks to be completed or an agenda for our week, it's pretty common practice to see just how much we can CRAM in there. Come on, admit it: if you've got an unexpected 10 extra minutes inbetween tasks some days, you inevitably fall back on either surfing the Internet, or staring blankly ahead as if awaiting divine inspiration. We just do NOT know what to do with ourselves and "free time" these days! It's as if we believe any free time at all means you're obviously an unproductive person, bound to fail in everything you do. No! Don't look at me while I'm on a break! You might get the wrong idea and think I'm a slacker! Argh! The boss just glanced my way! I'll never take a break again! I SWEAR!

     Look, if you want to simplify your life, you're going to have to get used to some "free time" every now and then. All work and no play makes ANYONE dull - not just Jack. that "free time" [as if we're out of prison on good behavior] could actually be the difference between meeting or not meeting a big goal. Why? Because that time you get to just BREATHE - to let your mind and body relax and your thoughts to quiet down for a while - helps you become more productive, master your mindset faster, and achieve your goals more consistently.

     Trouble is, that free time is NOT just going to show up on its own. At least at first, free time MUST be scheduled. How? The "white space". No, not the white space of the decorating sort. This white space is just a clever phrase to indicate the spacing between tasks on a list, which indicates how much time you have between them. More white space, more breathing room. Less white space, higher chance for a way-too-young-mid-life-crisis. Make it a point to PURPOSEFULLY leave more white space in your day, even if you begin with only an extra 30 minutes spread throughout the day in 5-minute increments. Trust me, you WILL begin to notice the difference - especially in your stress levels. You'll be amazed at just how far an extra 5 or 10 minutes can go!

   

  #7 : Limit Your Media Consumption

     Ok, this one is tough, I admit. And what - you may be thinking - does media consumption have to do with a simplified life? Well, as someone who has in the past been semi-regularly sucked down the proverbial rabbit hole that is social media, I can tell you from personal experience that too much media consumption is bad for the soul. And the mind... and the eyes... and the butt! 

[Come on, no one likes flat-butt-syndrome! Get up and MOVE, people!] 

     Media consumption can be - and often is - a drain on both our time and our energy. Limiting it can get you more of that "white space" we were just discussing, and give your brain a break from the never-ending parade of the next-most-amazing-thing-you-MUST-click-like-on NOW! Don't misunderstand - I'm not advocating a total absence from the inter-webs, but rather a guided timeframe which you set aside for that purpose. 

     #8 : Use a Simple Weekly Dinner Menu

     I'm a BIG advocate of eating healthy, but I admit used to I struggle to meet my own high standard some weeks. It just seems SO out of reach, doesn't it? Especially when we are inundated with demands on our time left and right - who has the extra time needed to cook a healthy dinner? I've come to the conclusion that this, too, can be accomplished if we just find a way to simplify the process. For me, that meant the usage of a simple, weekly dinner menu.

     Making a list of favorite dinner items you / your family love isn't difficult; neither is creating an accompanying weekly shopping list for those items needed to prepare said dinners. Really, the MOST difficult thing about this idea is creating a couple of hours of "white space" in your schedule were you can do some cooking prep work. There are great resources out there for using the freezer method, the slow-cooker method, the fresh [no cooking needed] method, and more. Doing a bit of research into which method of weekly dinner prep is right for you will pay off big time when you can sit down to a simple, delicious meal in your own home more than NEVER. Believe me, it's worth it.

     #9 : Carry Less Stuff 

     Ok, ladies and gents, we are ALL guilty of this one at some level. How heavy is that purse, girls? And fellas, just what is making all that jingly noise in your over-stuffed jacket and trouser pockets? SIMPLIFY IT. Dump it all out and go through it - at least once a month - and make sure that what you keep with you is NECESSARY, or could actually become necessary while you are out [and not in a zombie-apocalypse kind of way.] Less actual weight in "stuff", less mental baggage. A good rule to live by.

     #10 : It's About Quality, Not Quantity

      Ok, I'm not going to preach here about owning a lot of material belongings. What I will say is that the more we have, the more we stress and worry over it. The point is, what you own, you care about; what you care about, you spend time upon. Go for less in quantity, and higher in quality when it comes to the stuff of life. 

     Simplifying your life doesn't have to be difficult, and those who do so can reap great benefits as you see a reduction in stress, more free time, and a better mental state. Using these ten tips can help you get started on a more simple, rewarding life. 

Get started today!