Life anymore is crazy. Everyone is busy with a million things that seem like the most important things in the world. In reality, when you look back, all those important things seem a lot less significant.
1. Admitting your struggles
The truth is, we tend to create our own stress. We stress about things that have no place or value in our lives. We can’t control the actions of others or how much they do or don’t like us. The best way to resolve this is to let go, while it’s more difficult than it sounds, it’s the best way to start living a simpler life. If you can’t control something or it truly doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things, try to let it go.
2. Being mindful.
Most people are surrounded by their favorite group of people. You have a circle of friends that mean the world to you. That’s a good thing, but what about that other group of people that you try to keep up with and when push comes to shove, you really just want to drop it? Do. Drop all those people that don’t add value to your life. Otherwise they’re taking up your time and energy and you are getting nothing in return.
3. Go undivided.
Now, this one is pretty simple. Think about how you act when you’re at work. Your attention is completely focused on your job. You don’t let anything else interrupt until you’re off the clock. You need to give everything you do that same undivided attention. If you’re cleaning, clean, don’t think about what you need to make for dinner or what tomorrow’s meeting is about.
The same goes for your relaxation time. When you’re relaxing, let yourself relax. Don’t think about work or anything except your relaxation.
4. Give yourself space
People are amazing. We work like crazy and try to fit everything in. We want a full life and think that means we need to do it all. That’s not true though. It’s possible to have a filling life while being selective when we fill our time. Don’t try to fit everything in, especially things that won’t add quality or worthwhile experiences to your life. Give yourself the space to enjoy what you’re doing, don’t fit in so much that you’re already trying to figure out what’s next when you’re in the middle of something. Give yourself a buffer. More often than not we feel like we have too much to do and not enough time to do it, the main reason is because of all the things we try to do that we don’t need to.
5. Be clear on your own needs.
To be clear, this includes your needs and wants. Everyone starts off on a path with clear intentions. You want this and need this to get it done. By the time you’ve made it a few steps down your path, you see someone else and wonder what they’re after. Once you see what they have you try changing your path because it looks cool or fun. The truth is, it is cool and fun, for that other person whose needs are different than yours. You will never be able to meet your needs if you’re constantly chasing after someone else’s. Be clear about your needs and don’t let in distractions or try to chase after another person’s wants and needs. Occasionally your needs will change, but they rarely change to match someone else’s exact needs so don’t let anyone else detour your path.
6. Declutter
Humans are often sentimental. It’s hard wired into us to be that way. The problem is, we often let ourselves get too sentimental attached to the most random of things. There’s no doubt you have random objects strewn about that meant something to you at some point in time. Get rid of them. Not all of them, keep that baby blanket and the trinket from your first relationship, but you do not need the old blender that you had when you first became an adult. Chances are, it’s just taking up space. Get rid of the things that don’t hold real meaning and declutter the area around you.
7. Cut unnecessary expenses
If you look at your expenses, you’re bound to find a few that even you don’t know why you have. That gym membership that you only used the time you bought it, the tv package with 5000 channels even though you only watch like 15 of them. There are places to cut expenses if you look and in the long wrong they’ll save you not only money but time as well.
8. Keep track of expenses
While cutting expenses is important, it’s equally important to keep track of them. Many people end up spending all of their money and then wondering where it’s gone. Tracking your money will tell you where your paycheck is going and help you decide if it’s going to the right things. Not only is this a smart idea, it’s an extremely easy idea to implement.
9. Keep track of your time.
Time, much like money, is easy to lose track of. Pay attention to how much time you spend doing different tasks. How much time do you spend doing nothing? Find ways that you can use your time more wisely rather than wasting it on things that don’t matter. Just like when you cut monetary expenses, when you cut out wasted time, you’ll open that time up for things that actually matter to you.
Overall, a simple life is about being mindful and paying attention to yourself and those around you. When you cut out the unnecessary things, you’ll find yourself more easily able to enjoy the good things in your life and worry less about the rest.
