“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication” – Leonardo da Vinci

Isn’t life getting faster and more complicated?  I know it is for me, and I’m on a mission to simplify.

It takes work to simplify our lives and our businesses, so where do we start?

1. Decide to simplify your life
2. Identify the area of your life that is causing the most stress right now – work, home, etc.
3. Visualize how it will be to remove the stress – how will you feel?  Why do I suggest that you do this?  Because it requires change which is hard for many of us, and just getting yourself to take the first step is the biggest challenge of all.
4. Write down all of the steps required to simplify on a piece of paper.
5. Identify the first step to simplify and put it on your calendar.
6. Think of who can help you get that done – your friends, neighbors, family, staff – write the task of asking for help on your calendar.
7. Take action immediately…right now…get a piece of paper and a pen and start this list.
8. Commit to an end date for getting this first simplification process done.
9. Don’t stop until you’re done and then celebrate by doing something nice for yourself.
10. Rinse and repeat.

Why do I bring this up?  My husband and I are ready to downsize, and I was totally overwhelmed with the thought of working as much as I do and then dealing with the process of downsizing.  I had an expectation that it would all fall on me.  Once we both decided that this is what we wanted to do, he committed to helping me with the process.

It really helps to have help, so don’t be afraid to ask.  Maybe you have to trade with a friend or neighbor to do some big project with them.  Maybe you need to ask your team to do more at work.

Whatever you need to do to make your life less stressful is worth the hurdle you need to overcome.

I’ve heard (and occasionally put into practice) the idea that when you do the do the hard things first, it makes things easier, and when you do the easy things first, it makes things harder.

Making a decision is often the most difficult challenge of all.  If you’re struggling with a decision, there is some emotional reason you’re holding onto the current state.  Sometimes we think it is easier to go with the status quo, and until the pain or reward is great enough, we won’t change.

What is the reason you’re stuck?  If you’re stuck for more than three days, ask someone to help you make the decision or figure out the steps and process.  Often we think we have to do it alone, and we don’t.  There are always alternatives.

What do you need to simplify in your life? Be sure to share your thoughts on this.

One final thought that I learned from my business coach – if you have problems in your life or business, it is usually due to a lack of systems.

Sunday Morning Addendum…

The counter-intuitive concept is that you must work hard in the beginning to make it easier in the end.  You have to be willing to invest both time and money.  In the end, you only cry once.  How many times has that lesson been true in your life?  When I follow the easier path at the beginning, I always pay a bigger price.

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