4 Obvious Reasons To Simplify
by Kathy Gates
Are you someone who thinks about -- maybe even
wistfully dreams about -- a simpler, less stressful, more meaningful life,
but associate simplifying with giving away everything you own, and going
back to baking your own bread?
Unfortunately, that attitude can scare you away from making the
simple (pardon the pun) kind of changes that can make your life so much easier
and less stressful.
Instead, let’s agree that simplifying means whatever you want it
to mean in your own particular life. For me, it means eliminating the stuff
around me that I find neither useful nor beautiful, and trust me, other people
would not always agree with my definition of useful or beautiful.
To me, simplifying means simply making my life easier. It simply
looks at the problems of everyday life, then poses creative, simplified
solutions.
And what do I get in return for my simplifying efforts?
1. Less Stuff, Fewer Problems:
With less stuff cluttering up your life the benefits are easy to
see. You’ll have less stuff to clean, (yippee!), less stuff to have repaired
(more cash flow!), less stuff to dispose of (environmentally good!), and less
stuff to find (halleluiah!) Just pick one room in your house and look around it.
How much of that stuff are you really enjoying and getting use from? How much of
it is an aggravation for cleaning, repairing, losing, fixing, disposing of,
etc.? I’ll bet you a paycheck (not really!) that it’s at least 75/25.
2. Less Effort, More Energy
You’ll have less fear and worry associated with carrying around
a lot of stuff. It will simply require less effort. By simply combining things
into one (aerobics and weightlifting at the same time), by setting up a system
to do the work for you (a bill paying system), by eliminating a task altogether
(delegate it to someone else), you’ll be calmer, not stressed with the day to
day logistics of stuff. An example I love to use is the freedom that comes from
not smoking. It’s not the freedom from the habit that most people notice first.
It’s the no more worrying about having enough cigarettes, no more fears of not
being able to find a lighter. You’ll feel more in control of your time, your
space, your energy.
3. Less Baggage, Better Relationships:
"Stuff" refers to not only material things, but mental and
emotional clutter as well. By cleaning out the needto, haveto, and oughtos of
your own life, you’ll have better relationships because there’s not as much
"stuff" in your life to fight about. Put the past in the past by returning
anything you borrowed, by apologizing to whoever you need to, by getting your
bills up to date, by sending the card or gift you forgot to send, by making the
phone call you need to make. You get the idea. Anything that you "should" have
done, but neglected to, has you Tied To The Past.
4. More FUN!
Having a simplified, easier lifestyle means having more time for
the things you dream of like reading, or traveling, or entertaining, starting a
business, playing with the kids, or visiting with friends. You’ll feel more in
control because the clutter -- physical, emotional, and mental -- will no longer
dictate how your space is arranged, or how your time is spent (looking for
things), or how your energy is used (frustration, aggravation). Need I say more?
Life Coach Kathy Gates specializes in helping people who are ready
to create a simpler, less stressful, more meaningful lifestyle. Want to know
how? Visit www.reallifecoach.com
to learn more and sign up for her newsletter.