So You want to Simplify Your Life…

I’m just delighted to have Rachel Papworth of Green and Tidy with us again! Last Simplicity week she asked Which Life-Simplifying Devices Would Your Life Be Simpler Without? and previously brought us Five Ways to Simplify Your Life and she is back today with her third of three essays on Simplicity. 

SO YOU WANT TO SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE…

Of course you do. Why wouldn’t you? Who doesn’t want lower stress levels, contentment, freedom from debt, good mental, physical and spiritual health and time to focus on the things that really matter.

Easier (simpler?) said than done though, isn’t it?

Just how do you simplify your life?

To start you off, here are five suggestions.

Live within your means

We know money doesn’t buy us happiness yet we act as if it does, working longer and harder to earn more.

The less money you can get by with, the simpler life you can lead. Take a look at what you spend money on and see where you can cut back. Could you replace take-away food and drink with home-made? Could you walk and cycle more and drive less? Do you buy stuff you don’t really want, let alone need? Does your phone contract give you more minutes/texts than you ever use?

Use what you save to clear debts, especially debts that are expensive to service, like credit card debts and personal loans. You might even consider whether you can increase your mortgage payments. Even a structured debt with a low interest rate is a driver to keep earning as much as you can.

Declutter and organise

You knew that was coming, right? After all I help people all over the world do this. No kidding though: it’s an essential element of living a simpler life.

Clutter is both a symptom, and a cause of, stress. Most clutter is deferred decisions. We don’t know what to do with/about something so we put it down somewhere ‘for now’. Which is fine if we come back to it. But sometimes ‘for now’ lasts a long time, during which we put down lots of other stuff ‘for now’ until we’ve got a clutter backlog that overwhelms us and drains our energy whenever we step into our home.

If you’re in this situation, you’re not alone. Up to one in 20 people suffers from Hoarding Disorder and, according to a survey I ran for UK National Declutter Week in 2012, four out of five people think they have too much stuff.

The good news is that you can clear a backlog. It just takes time, and sometimes the right support to help you avoid common clutter-clearing pitfalls.

Even if your clutter backlog isn’t overwhelming, you can simplify your life by sorting through your stuff and moving on whatever you don’t want or need. The less you have, the less there is for you to manage.

Say “No”

How often do you find yourself saying ‘yes’ to something you don’t want to do? Does your life fill up with things you only do out of obligation or a sense of duty?

If you find it hard to say ‘no’, don’t beat yourself up. It takes practice! Try
these tips:

Don’t feel obliged to give a reason. Just say, for example:

No, I’m not going to take that on
No, I’m not able to help you with that
Not this time, thank you
I’d rather not.

Or keep the reason simple and straightforward. You’re giving a reason not making an excuse.

– I’d like to only I’ve got another commitment at that time
– I would only I’m committed to

If you might be willing to do the thing another time, it can help to say so.

– I’m sorry I can’t babysit for you this weekend. We’re away. I’d be happy to another time though.

If you are willing to help and just can’t do the specific thing they’re requesting, don’t be afraid to counter-offer.

– It doesn’t work out for me to babysit for you on both Friday and Saturday this weekend I’m afraid. I’d be happy to do either Friday or Saturday though.

Don’t be afraid to ask for time to consider a request. Let the person know when you will get back to them, and get back to them when you said you would. This can give you time to think through how you will frame your response. (Keep it neutral though so you don’t get their hopes up, only to dash them later).

Be clear and direct with your body language as well as your words. Shake your head as you say ‘no’. Maintain eye contact while you’re speaking. Speak firmly, and loud enough to be heard clearly. Be polite and friendly as you say ‘no’.

Choose who you spend time with

Notice how you feel when you’re with friends. Have you got friends who seem to drain your energy? Choose to spend your time with those friends who always lift you: the ones you can count on to get where you’re coming from and celebrate your successes.

Unsubscribe…

Unless you’re genuinely interested in what they contain, unsubscribe from email lists, snail mail mailings, discussion group updates, magazine subscriptions…

…and subscribe

Or at least sign up…to anything that removes a ‘thing to do’. Pay bills by direct debit for example so they’re paid automatically and you can budget accurately. (You often get a discount too).

Have you simplified your life? How did you do it? Post below.

 

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Rachel Papworth runs Green and Tidy. She helps people all over the world declutter and create homes they love – homes that support them to live the lives of their dreams. A trained coach with a Psychology degree, and a self-confessed decluttering and organising geek, Rachel loves the way decluttering your stuff declutters your mind, and the contribution decluttering and organising makes to living a low impact life. For a free masterclass ‘How to declutter and stay decluttered FOREVER’, join the Green and Tidy community at http://www.mygreenandtidylife.co.uk.

You can also follow her on Twitter, Like her Facebook Page, check out her boards at Pinterest and watch her videos on YouTube.