These days our lives are very busy, and our time is taken up by our obligations as well as from the time-sucker of social media. Hence, it is essential to look for all the ways to simplify our lives. Something’s gotta give; there’s gotta be a sacrifice. We must ask ourselves what is getting in the way of making life easier, and how can we bring more balance to each day?
“People often associate complexity with deeper meaning, when often after precious time has been lost, it is realized that simplicity is the key to everything.”
Gary Hopkins
We fall into these complicated routines that don’t really work for us in terms of simplifying life. We think they do, which is why we habitually follow them, but if we look at them with objectivity, we will realize that they’re not necessarily helpful. We constantly try to ‘fit things in’ our schedule, and we end up feeling pulled in different directions, which leads to stress, exhaustion, and health-related issues.
If we are serious about making our lives easier and less stressful, it is time to reevaluate and prioritize what is really important to us and what we want to invest our precious time on. While it can be overwhelming to do a major overhaul all at once, we can break it down into smaller steps and implement a couple at a time.
“That’s been one of my mantras – focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.”
Steve Jobs
Life is for living and having fun, and at the same time, we all have obligations that we, as responsible adults, must fulfill. However, it is imperative that we distinguish what is truly ours and what we have taken on that is not ours. Sometimes that can be a bit unclear, especially for those of us who are naturally inclined to want to ‘help’. And we must be prepared for pushback from those who are used to us handling things while they get a free pass. That’s no longer our concern, because we have shifted priorities and our own well-being usurps priority over those who are not conducive to a simpler life.
“Truth is ever to be found in simplicity, and not in the multiplicity and confusion of things.”
Isaac Newton
Once we have figured out what is non-negotiable, the next step is to determine what we can sacrifice in the name of simplification and personal happiness and what we’d like to keep that enhances our lives. By celebrating this act of self-care as we set ourselves up for success in our new simplified routines, we will add more peace, joy, and balance to our lives.
“You are the master of your destiny. You can influence, direct and control your own environment. You can make your life what you want it to be.”
Napoleon Hill
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