Simplify

Beautiful decoration to some, dust collecting device to others. (Image by Anne Thys)

The best advice I have is this: simplify.

If you don’t have any problems, you might not need this advice. That’s great! Otherwise, simplify.

You can reduce physical clutter in your physical environment. You can strip away the emotions from a decision that ultimately doesn’t require them. You can do less, slow down, and eliminate tasks, projects, and routines from your life.

Even if you’ve simplified already, you can simplify even more. It’s like scrubbing the grime off of a window. When you have cleared enough away, you will see the light shining through. Until you do, keep removing layers.

Choices are wonderful. But when choices make us overwhelmed, they are not. We don’t have to weigh each of our options equally. When we find something that lines up with what we want, we can go for it. There is no requirement to read the entire menu or peruse the whole catalog.

We are under no obligation to go beyond the requirements of a given project. We can do just enough to get the job done and obtain the desired outcome. Most of the time, there’s no A for effort. We can do the work that makes the difference, and no more.

Some of us have an illusion that more is better. But once we meet our obligations and set a bit aside for a rainy day, we have to call it and cap it. Otherwise, we might labor infinitely to reach a goal we’ve already attained. People do it all the time.

You’re allowed to quit things. You don’t have to stick with every hobby you’ve ever had and maintain a relationship with everyone you’ve ever become acquainted with. You can change your mind about almost anything.

When you let things go, you’re not just making room for what’s next. You don’t even have to know what’s next. You can enjoy the empty space forever, whether it’s on your calendar, in your home, or on your phone. You can revel in the stillness, free from pings and obligations.

If we know what really matters to us, we can focus on that and let the rest fall away. If we’ve lost that thread, we can let things fall away until we uncover what really matters. This work is a lifelong process, and it can be a joyful adventure if we allow it to be.

Today, I’m going to delete a few things from my to-do list, snack on vegetables from the garden, and throw away a shirt full of holes. How might you simplify your life today?