Simplifying Your Life

Tips to Simplify Your Life

Life is pretty complicated these days and for most of us, it seems to just get more and more complex and busy with each passing day.   Such complication, not just adds to our stress levels, but it also significantly reduces our opportunities for spiritual and personal growth.  So for our peace and sanity, and for helping our hearts and minds blossom, we really need to simplify our lives.

In this series I am going to share tips and information that will help you learn how to simplify your life.  Given that we are heading into new year’s resolution territory I think this is a great time for such a series, as I hope many of you, understanding the need and benefits that such simplification brings, will be adding it to your resolutions for next year.

In the first part of this series I am going to share with you what I have done this past year which has helped me a great deal in ensuring that each day is spent in the most meaningful way possible.  Given all the things that we have on our plates, from family, career, friends, finances, hobbies, passions, responsibilities, etc, etc., how can we make sure that our time and energy is well directed and that we are not being swept away in the tidal wave of daily activities and chores?  The answer is to create a must do daily shortlist.

Create a Daily Shortlist:

I have found that creating such a shortlist of things really goes a long way in helping me simplify my day and help me structure it in the best possible way.  What this list is, is simply the few things you must do everyday no matter what.  I have 3 things on this list and I suggest the same number for you.  If you make this list too long, it is just going to end up being too complicated like everything else :-).  So keep it short and keep it meaningful.

My list of the 3 things I must do everyday are Meditation, Exercise and Blog Work.  These are the 3 most important things in my life and if I don’t give them my time and energy, I always feel that my day has been incomplete and that I have not used my time wisely.  If you don’t know what might be the things you ought to do everyday, here are some questions which can help you uncover the answers.

How to Determine Your Shortlist Items for Life Simplification:

In the article Stop the Madness of Self Discipline, I provided 6 questions which help you determine what your real passion in life really is.  Those 6 questions can be very helpful in creating your shortlist and helping you simply your life.  Here are those questions for you…

1. What is it that you like to do for its own sake, without any concern for reward or compliment? Do you find joy in writing? Do you like to just create music? Do you like to teach? Do you like the challenge of watching your thoughts in action?

2. If you won the lottery, I mean the really, really big one how would you like to spend the rest of your life?

3. If you were informed you are about to die shortly, what would you regret most as not having spent your time doing?

4. No matter where on Earth you are. In a rich, first world country, in the bush lands of Australia or high up in a Himalayan village what do you see yourself doing regardless of location?

5. What activity do you always find yourself coming back to throughout your life?

6. What activity can you just not see yourself doing without?

For me the answers to those questions are Meditation, Exercise and Teaching (blogging).  Those are the things that fit the questions and those are the 3 things I make sure I do everyday without fail.

Simply Your Life Summary

So this is what I suggest for you to do as well as the the first step in simplifying your life.  This will set the foundation for more simplification which I will suggest in future articles of this series.  Doing the things you care about most and which are the most important to you on a deeper level, will ensure that you are living your true purpose in life and ensure that you will not have regrets later in life.  It will also make sure that each day is being spent meaningfully and productively.

Another good resource for helping you determine which things you should shortlist is the article 10 Things You Should Do Everyday for a Happy Life.  This list can give you ideas on what daily activities raise your level of consciousness and make life a beautiful adventure.

Look out for more tips on how to simplify your life coming soon.

If you have tips you have used to simplify your life please do share them with us in the comments section below.

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