Have you ever stopped to think about how many choices you make every single day? It’s mind-boggling. From work to health, relationships to finances, business to friends – life is a whirlwind of endless possibilities. Sometimes, the answer is to keep pushing forward. Other times, the key is to simplify your life like crazy. And that’s exactly what I want to share with you: the ways I’ve simplified my own life, banishing all the clutter and making it so much better. Get ready for a journey of profound transformation and genuine fulfilment.
Learn from one teacher / one thing at a time
There are endless books and courses out there and it can become overwhelming if you don’t regulate yourself. The way it works is that if you want to learn something, buy the book or the course, go through the entire thing, and then implement it all. Once you’re finished learning it all and implementing it, only then can you then move on to the next course or book. This saves a ton of time and money and reduces the feeling of being overwhelmed. So make a rule that you only learn from one teacher at a time and fully immerse in the experience. I do this in my life and love it!
Set one goal at a time
Instead of setting three to six goals at a time, try just setting one big goal. Going “all in” on one goal and focusing every ounce of your energy on something is awesome. It leads to crazy good results and is far more motivating. Next time you want something, immerse yourself in it. Don’t dabble in a bunch of areas. Get committed.
Reduce screen time (including TV)
Put a rule in your life that you don’t have any screens open during certain times of the day. Example: no screens after 8 PM, including TV, computer, and phone. You can feel pretty bad after so much social media, so limiting screen time is a great way to be present instead of escaping through someone else’s life.
Schedule 15 minutes of alone time every day
Depending on how much is going on in your life, 15 minutes of alone, quiet time every day may seem like a lot, or it may seem like a little. Either way, make sure you have at least this much time alone where you can be with just yourself.
READ MORE: Learning how to spend time on your own & Carve out some time for you
Journal for five minutes a day
Writing is one of the best ways to organise your thoughts. When anxiousness creeps into your life, write down exactly what you’re thinking for a couple of minutes. The more often you write (even for just a short time), the more you’ll get clarity about your thoughts. Clarity with your thinking is key to solving for overwhelm.
Set a baseline in your life
When it feels like you don’t have time for everything you want to do, figure out what the bare minimum you can do is. Setting a baseline for various activities in your life helps keep you on track with a bit less effort, rather than skipping a workout altogether.
READ MORE: You always have time for the things you put first
Separate the ‘faux’ from the facts, when it comes to your thoughts
We tend to make circumstances mean so much more than they do. The next time your life feels like it’s getting to be too much, or when something happens you don’t like, separate the facts from what you’re thinking about the facts. So often our thoughts about the facts are what’s making our lives crazy – not the facts themselves. Start to watch your mind and how you think. Are you making your life crazier than it is? When you have a clear mind, you have a clear life.
Intentionally choose your relationships
So many of us are spread way too thin. Instead of spending .256 seconds with 15,000 people, try to spend more time with fewer people. Your life is only as good as the quality of relationships you keep.
Ask yourself these two questions
When you’re making tough choices and deciding what to do in a certain situation, ask yourself…
- What would my future self be in five years?
- What is the end goal I want from this?
Sometimes life seems busy or stressful because we’re sitting in confusion in our heads. Whenever I feel this way, I ask these questions, and I usually get the answer I need.
READ MORE: Journaling Prompts for When Feeling Overwhelmed & Journaling Prompts for Limiting Beliefs & Thought Patterns
Create a list of three priorities for every day (do this the night before)
Instead of keeping crazy to-do lists, create a to-do list at night for the next day with three priorities. List them in order of importance. This way, anything beyond the list is extra.
Time and block off recurring weekly tasks
Anything you do regularly can be scheduled into time slots that recur weekly.
Use downtime to learn something new
Create a routine where you listen to podcasts or audiobooks during your downtime, like driving or getting ready for the day in the morning. This is a great way to free up time for other things, so instead of reading a book, you can listen to it while you’re driving and free up that time you’d otherwise be reading.
READ MORE: 8 Ways to learning something new every day
Declutter declutter declutter
Decluttering is one of the best ways to simplify your life. When you’re organised and living with fewer things, you feel better, too. Start by giving away (or throwing out) one item every day. In one year, you’ll be in a completely different place. The key is to not feel overwhelmed by starting. When you choose to ditch only one item per day, it’s super easy to succeed.
If you have problems with certain foods, cut them out of your diet completely
This will make what you eat so much simpler. Choose foods you no longer want to eat and try avoiding those foods whenever possible. Sure, it’s so much easier than it sounds. But you probably already do this with some food that you probably don’t like. I don’t eat meat or dairy — ever. I never have to decide whether to eat them. The decision is already made.
Be clear about what your values are
Write down what your values are in the eight life categories (health, relationships, money, career, personal and spiritual development, environment, fun activities, and volunteer and service work). When you know what you want and what you believe in, decision-making and cutting things from your life is a lot easier.
READ MORE: Values Clarified
Create buffers
Creating a buffer means putting leaving some room for error, or extra time if something takes longer than expected. You can do so by leaving some time in your calendar open. Also, give yourself some financial cushion in your checking account so you’re not strapped for cash if you overspend or make less than expected. Add a buffer anywhere you could feel overwhelmed if things don’t pan out as planned.
Use Google Calendar to plan your schedule
Use Google Calendar to plan everything. Create specific “calendars” for this. You can have a calendar for appointments, work, birthdays anniversaries, bills, etc. I use it this way and it’s worth every second it takes to set it up. This is the best way to simplify your calendar because it’s so easy to view and stay organised.
Get your money right
If you feel stuck or overwhelmed because of money, it’s time to simplify your financial life. Here are a few ways to get your money right:
- Fix your money mindset
- Start using a minimalist budget
- Get out of debt
- Earn more money
- Start a side hustle
- Invest in the stock market
Improve your mindset from scarcity to abundance
At the heart of wanting to simplify your life is understanding that it’s all in your head. All the worry. All the overwhelm. All the busyness. All the confusion. If you do some internal work and improve your mindset, you can feel your life simplified without changing any of your outward circumstances.
Ask, “How can I automate this?”
Any time something comes your way, ask yourself, “How can I automate this?” It may be that you can’t, but by asking, you’ll eventually automate a lot more than you have automated now. It takes more time to set up the automation, but by investing that time now, you’ll save time later. Things are simpler this way.
Start subtracting everywhere
If you need to simplify, it probably means you need to subtract. Think about what area is causing you the most pain, and start doing less in it. Less time spent on useless tasks. Less time worrying. Less overspending. Less overcommitting. You’ll have more energy and feel better when you simplify this way.
READ MORE: 7 Ways to Do Less and Live More
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