When Life Gets Complicated, It's Time to Simplify
By Sandy Schroeder
Most of us know when we have taken on too many projects and let too many details accumulate. Our phones never stop ringing, and our lists just keep growing. Each morning calls for a fresh attack on the chaos, but the next morning looks remarkably the same.
If this sounds familiar, you may just need to start snipping away at the details until you get down to the basics that make your life work. Try these tips from dumblittleman.com.
Start with your “must do” list – Be ruthless, cutting out things that only seem like musts but really are not. When your “must do” list is shorter, life may begin to seem a little easier.
Weed out extra online sites – If you ever added up the total time you spend on sites you might eliminate most of them. Just think how slim you could be if you added all of that time to your fitness routine.
Focus on the basics first – To keep life simpler knock off the major tasks first every day. When you are fresh in the morning, tackle a major project, and then follow up with a key meeting. After work while you are still motivated, work in some exercise or do some of the shopping. Getting major efforts done first will make you feel less stressed and less behind.
Find new ways to say “no” – Usually it is just easier to say “yes” and find a way to get one more thing done, but what if you came up with some clever new excuses? Create some funny remarks that make it clear you are saying “no,” but keeping it light. The person asking the favor will get the idea. You could also answer a question with a question asking the person for a favor at the same time. That may slow them down in the future.
De-clutter physical and digital stuff – Your life will feel less complicated when you clear out your closets and cabinets, or clean out the garage. At the same time you can discard unused digital files.
Enjoy your new space – Nothing will inspire you more to keep life simplified than finding out how great it can be. The first weekend when you get up late and have a lazy morning at home with your family, you may realize you have made it. The whole day is yours to enjoy. Making sure that happens again, eliminate unnecessary tasks and commitments and focus on what’s really important. This could create time for a special trip, or lead to a healthy new family sport. Often as our space becomes clearer our goals become clearer, too.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Valencia, Calif.