Simplify, Simplify, Simplify
By Louise Morganti Kaelin
Just as location is the key driver to success in real estate, simplification
is the key to success in life. No matter how much you want your life to change,
it's impossible if there is no room for change.
We tend to fill our lives with activity and with 'stuff'. It's supposed to mean
we're successful, that we're fully living. The reality is that it usually just
leaves us feeling overwhelmed, crowded and with a longing for a simpler, quieter
life. By filling every minute of the day, we find ourselves with no time to be
'quiet', to go within, to find the inner peace that allows us to be creative,
productive and free. By having too much stuff, we feel cramped, stifled and
burdened. We feel restricted by 'too much' of everything and this impedes our
ability to do what's truly important to us.
It's not necessary to go down to the bare minimum, but it is essential that we
give ourselves room to grow and time to be reflective. And there is a pervasive
effect. Simplifying your life in any area gives you more 'space' in all areas.
Try it!
To get you started, here are a few ideas to simplify your life. Get prepared for
a burst of energy from doing each one of these.
1. Clean out your closet. Throw or give away what you no longer wear. [Recently
read a great tip for this. Take 10 minutes to re- arrange all the hangers in
your closets back-wards, with the hook facing the front. Once you've washed or
cleaned something, hang it up with the hangar facing the usual way. After a time
you've set (3 to 6 months, after a 'season') get rid of all the clothes whose
hangars are still facing the front. This is an easy and almost painless way of
cleaning out the closet!]
2. Keep your inbox clean. Delete as much as possible as soon as you've read it.
Use a simple folder system to file the rest. Use large groupings such as
chronological time (January through December, rolling year). Filing by topic,
unless it is a large project, seldom works. [How often have you found 4 folders
on the same project, all called something different?]. Use the tools available
in your mailbox to auto-filter email. Choose a primary email reader and have all
others auto-forwarded to that email box. Most email readers allow you to
automatically delete or file mail from specific individuals.
3. Schedule a breather. If you live by a calendar, schedule one hour a day to
allow some breathing space. Use this to time to go through email, do call-backs,
read important mail. Or use it go outside and get some air. Take a quick walk
around the block. Five minutes away from your work area (even, or especially, if
you work at home) can have a dramatic effect on your productivity.
4. Schedule time to work on specific projects. You leave most meetings with
something to do, right? Give yourself time to work on these things by scheduling
work-time in your calendar. Otherwise, it will be 6pm and you get to start
'working'.
5. Pick a corner. Divide your desk or room into sections. Pick one section and
start de-cluttering. Try to touch things only once while going through this
process. Use 3 boxes or bags, marking them as follows: 'Keep', 'Give Away'; and
'Toss'. If it's paper, ask yourself 'If I lost it, could I find it elsewhere?'
If the answer is yes, throw it away. Where ever possible, come up with a system
that will allow you to maintain the de-cluttered space. [Another tip: if you
find yourself having trouble parting with some items, put them in a box, label
the box with a date 6 months from now, store in garage or closet. If you haven't
gone into the box by the time the date rolls around, throw it away without
opening it.]
6. Delegate. Stop trying to do everything yourself. Ask yourself 'Where is it
important that I spend my time? How do I want to spend my time?' Get rid of
everything else. This includes things like getting someone to clean the house,
using automatic bill- paying systems, etc. If you are delegating to a work
associate or family member, be sure to delegate the whole thing (how to do it as
well as what to do.) If it can only be done 'your way', then you will be the
only one who can do it.
7. Automate. If you have to do anything on a regular schedule, develop a system
that is easily repeatable. Use the tools that make the most sense for the job.
This ranges from using templates for written documents to cleaning the house in
a specific pattern. Find out what works for you and then make it better (and
faster!).
8. Buy in Bulk. Buy 6-month supplies of things you use on a daily basis. And to
simplify even more, order them through the web and have them delivered to your
house! We spend an inordinate amount of time running 'errands'. Keeping large
supplies on hand is a great way to pick up some extra time.
9. Get rid of old commitments or goals. Sometimes we find ourselves doing things
or hanging on to goals that were right at one point in our life, but no longer
fit who we are now. Stop to think about every thing you're doing or working
towards. Does it still fit your life today? If not, stop doing it or get rid of
it as a goal.
10. You get to choose the pace. Whether you pick 'Fast & Furious' or 'Slow &
Easy', the important thing is to keep working on simplifying your life and
finding ways to keep it simple. Let yourself have fun and be creative with this.
Louise Morganti Kaelin. Louise is a Life Success Coach who partners with
individuals who are READY (to live their best life), WILLING (to explore all
options) and ABLE (to accept total support). Find many free resources to assist
you in living the life of your dreams at
http://www.touchpointcoaching.com For her free newsletter of insightful,
practical suggestions for creating your best life, email mailto:on-536@ezezine.com