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