“You have succeeded in life when all you really want is only what you really need”.
– Vernon Howard
Too often in life we complicate when we could simplify.
Too often we look to chase more, when we already have enough.
We wish ahead, rather than enjoying the now.
Too often we think our lives would be better if we just had the next new and shiny thing, when actually our lives are pretty damn great already!
I have made a case for 22 Ways to Simpler Living elsewhere. However, at its heart, simpler living comes down to two fundamental ideas.
1) Identify What and Who Is Most Important to You
These are the people and things in your life that add most. They nourish your soul and enrich your life. They’re the things you want to achieve most, goals you have set yourself. Your passions. The places you want to visit most. The experiences you relish most. The people you get most out of spending time with.
These are the people and experiences you want to say yes to and make space for.
2) Remove the Excess
This is the stuff that weighs you down. The stuff that fills you with dread. The people that suck your enthusiasm, that take, that play games and spend time politicking and being devisive. The experiences that leave you empty or deflated. Work that leaves you unchallenged and unfulfilled.
These are the things and people you would rather say no to.
Once you have these two areas identified and front of mind, your outlook may start to shift. Which side of the fence certain activities and people fall on will become clear. Taking action to support this view will mean you start to live in line with your own inner compass.
Taking action will support a simpler and more fulfilling life. A life worth living.