If you are struggling with how to get to less in your life, try some of the following:
1) Declutter
Too much material stuff can end up owning us rather than us owning it!
Reduce the clutter around you and ensure you only have:
a) What you need
b) What you deem to be beautiful (artwork, ornaments etc)
c) What gives you joy on an ongoing basis (photos, music, books etc)
As much as possible get rid of the rest and start to free yourself from the more is better mentality.
2) Make Space
Intentionally leave space in your day. You don’t have to fill your time with back to back meetings or activity. Make some space to just breathe and be. To take in surroundings. To get in touch with you. To reset. To refuel.
We can’t sprint all the way but many of us try to live our lives in full flight all of the time. We need occasional periods of rest and reflection to truly be at our best over the long term.
3) Get Out of Your Inboxes
Spend less time in your inboxes so you can spend more time:
– in the real world with real people
– creating
– playing
– expanding your knowledge
– on your hobby/passion
Inboxes include both your email and also the modern curse of obsessively checking texts all day long. Put the smartphone down for 5 minutes!
4) Go Media Light
Too much information can lead us down the path of confusion and analysis paralysis. Not to mention bombarding ourselves with bad news can take a negative toll on our outlook and general mood.
Trying to keep up with all the information out there is impossible so why try?
Reduce the amount and sources of media, blogs and social media you allow into your life. Your brain can only take in so much information.
Limit your sources to a small pool of those you get maximum benefit from and enjoy most. Those sources that add to your life rather than just suck time out of it.
There’s a life to be led.
5) Focus on One Thing
The truly productive amongst us have a secret. They know that concentrating on one thing at a time is the way to get more done.
Multi-tasking is not the way to get stuff done. It is however the tool of choice for those that stay busy but do not really achieve anything of value at the end of the day or week.
If you feel like you are often chasing your tail, juggling many balls in the air and busy but not getting anywhere fast then try to focus on one thing at a time. I bet you’ll be surprised by how much more you start to get done.
6) Develop Selective Ignorance
To live with less in this day and age means we also need to develop the ability to shut out the external noise. We need to ignore the chatterings of more is better and focus simply on less is best.
7) Be Unconventional
Living with less in a world where more is often the goal also means living a slightly unconventional life at times. It may mean not having the latest technology. It could mean living in a smaller home (because you need less space). It could mean only having one car for the home or going completely carless. You set the rules for how you want to live and how much is enough.
Worry not, the benefits of living with less will far outweigh any negatives as you’ll soon see.