| Just as location is the key driver to success | | | | 4. Schedule time to work on specific |
| in realestate, simplification is the key to | | | | projects. |
| success in life. Nomatter how much you want | | | | |
| your life to change, it'simpossible if there | | | | You leave most meetings with something to do, |
| is no room for change. | | | | right? Giveyourself time to work on these |
| | | | things by schedulingwork-time in your |
| We tend to fill our lives with activity and | | | | calendar. Otherwise, it will be 6pm andyou |
| with 'stuff'. | | | | get to start 'working'. |
| | | | |
| It's supposed to mean we're successful, that | | | | 5. Pick a corner. |
| we're fullyliving. The reality is that it | | | | |
| usually just leaves usfeeling overwhelmed, | | | | Divide your desk or room into sections. Pick |
| crowded and with a longing for asimpler, | | | | one section andstart de-cluttering. Try to |
| quieter life. By filling every minute of the | | | | touch things only once whilegoing through |
| day,we find ourselves with no time to be | | | | this process. Use 3 boxes or bags, |
| 'quiet', to gowithin, to find the inner peace | | | | markingthem as follows: 'Keep', 'Give Away'; |
| that allows us to becreative, productive and | | | | and 'Toss'. Ifit's paper, ask yourself 'If I |
| free. By having too much stuff, wefeel | | | | lost it, could I find itelsewhere?' If the |
| cramped, stifled and burdened. We feel | | | | answer is yes, throw it away. Where |
| restricted by | | | | everpossible, come up with a system that will |
| | | | allow you tomaintain the de-cluttered space. |
| 'too much' of everything and this impedes our | | | | [Another tip: if you findyourself having |
| ability todo what's truly important to us. | | | | trouble parting with some items, put themin a |
| | | | box, label the box with a date 6 months from |
| It's not necessary to go down to the bare | | | | now,store in garage or closet. If you haven't |
| minimum, but itis essential that we give | | | | gone into the boxby the time the date rolls |
| ourselves room to grow and timeto be | | | | around, throw it away withoutopening it.] |
| reflective. And there is a pervasive effect. | | | | |
| | | | 6. Delegate. |
| Simplifying your life in any area gives you | | | | |
| more 'space'in all areas. Try it! | | | | Stop trying to do everything yourself. Ask |
| | | | yourself 'Whereis it important that I spend |
| To get you started, here are a few ideas to | | | | my time? How do I want tospend my time?' Get |
| simplify yourlife. Get prepared for a burst | | | | rid of everything else. This includesthings |
| of energy from doing eachone of these. | | | | like getting someone to clean the house, |
| | | | usingautomatic bill-paying systems, etc. If |
| 1. Clean out your closet. | | | | you are delegatingto a work associate or |
| | | | family member, be sure to delegatethe whole |
| Throw or give away what you no longer wear. | | | | thing (how to do it as well as what to do.) |
| [Recently read agreat tip for this. Take 10 | | | | If itcan only be done 'your way', then you |
| minutes to re-arrange all thehangers in your | | | | will be the onlyone who can do it. |
| closets back-wards, with the hook facingthe | | | | |
| front. Once you've washed or cleaned | | | | 7. Automate. |
| something, hangit up with the hangar facing | | | | |
| the usual way. After a timeyou've set (3 to 6 | | | | If you have to do anything on a regular |
| months, after a 'season') get rid ofall the | | | | schedule, develop asystem that is easily |
| clothes whose hangars are still facing the | | | | repeatable. Use the tools that makethe most |
| front. | | | | sense for the job. This ranges from |
| | | | usingtemplates for written documents to |
| This is an easy and almost painless way of | | | | cleaning the house in aspecific pattern. Find |
| cleaning out thecloset!] | | | | out what works for you and then makeit better |
| | | | (and faster!). |
| 2. Keep your inbox clean. | | | | |
| | | | 8. Buy in Bulk. |
| Delete as much as possible as soon as you've | | | | |
| read it. Use asimple folder system to file | | | | Buy 6-month supplies of things you use on a |
| the rest. Use large groupingssuch as | | | | daily basis. Andto simplify even more, order |
| chronological time (January through | | | | them through the web and havethem delivered |
| December,rolling year). Filing by topic, | | | | to your house! We spend an inordinate |
| unless it is a largeproject, seldom works. | | | | amountof time running 'errands'. Keeping |
| [How often have you found 4 folderson the | | | | large supplies on handis a great way to pick |
| same project, all called something | | | | up some extra time. |
| different?]. Usethe tools available in your | | | | |
| mailbox to auto-filter email. | | | | 9. Get rid of old commitments or goals. |
| | | | |
| Choose a primary email reader and have all | | | | Sometimes we find ourselves doing things or |
| othersauto-forwarded to that email box. Most | | | | hanging on togoals that were right at one |
| email readers allowyou to automatically | | | | point in our life, but nolonger fit who we |
| delete or file mail from specificindividuals. | | | | are now. Stop to think about every |
| | | | thingyou're doing or working towards. Does it |
| 3. Schedule a breather. | | | | still fit yourlife today? If not, stop doing |
| | | | it or get rid of it as agoal. |
| If you live by a calendar, schedule one hour | | | | |
| a day to allowsome breathing space. Use this | | | | 10. You get to choose the pace. |
| to time to go through email,do call-backs, | | | | |
| read important mail. Or use it go outsideand | | | | Whether you pick 'Fast & Furious' or 'Slow & |
| get some air. Take a quick walk around the | | | | Easy',theimportant thing is to keep working |
| block. Fiveminutes away from your work area | | | | on simplifying your lifeand finding ways to |
| (even, or especially, ifyou work at home) can | | | | keep it simple. Let yourself have funand be |
| have a dramatic effect on yourproductivity. | | | | creative with this. |
| | | | |