Simplicity is vastly underrated.
The world around us is magnificent in its detail; in its layers; in its complexity. Many of us live lives that involve constantly hopping from one task to the next, always juggling different elements, having to cope with the constant varying demands on our mind. Some of this complexity is wonderful and makes life worth living, but is always a good thing?
The Value Of Simplicity
The simple answer to the question above is “no”. Complexity may be beneficial and wonderful at times, however simplicity should not be taken for granted. Imagine yourself going through life with the simplest possible scenario always playing out: would it not be freeing not to have to worry about all the various issues that usually dominate your mind?
Simplicity has fallen by the wayside in these information-rich times, when we are all constantly distracted by a thousand and one different options and ideas. If you frequently find yourself feeling stressed, anxious, or overwhelmed, then adding more simplicity to your life could be the answer that you have been waiting for.
Focus On The Small Changes You Can Make
If you want to simplify your life, then you have to examine it holistically. It is not impossible to achieve simplification in a few areas of life; it has to become a full mantra, something that you absolutely commit to throughout your life. While it is important to simplify the fundamentals, such as your working habits and your romantic relationships, you have to think smaller scale too. These changes can be incredibly basic and seemingly irrelevant, like putting your family all onto the same cellphone calling plan or using the likes of Optimum to group your TV and internet packages, but they all have the same basic effect: they lighten the load. It is one less thing to think about; one less detail to remember — and if you do this in enough areas of your life, these small and inconsequential things will begin to add up.
Challenging The Big Areas
When it comes to examining the bigger areas of your life, then simplicity is often more difficult to achieve. This means that changes may take a little longer to achieve, but if you take steps in the right direction, you should be able to make significant advancements in the following areas:
- Simplify your social life by setting aside one or two days per week on which you will see friends and family, rather than having a haphazard and ever-changeable diary.
- Simplify your cleaning regime by dedicating a couple of hours to clean once per week and getting by with minimal top-ups for the other six days.
- Simplify your finances by instituting a budget and always ensure that you follow it to the letter.
These changes rarely happen overnight, but by doing a little at a time and shifting the way you approach tasks, you can make a substantial difference.
In Conclusion
When it comes to simplifying your life, any simplification is a victory. You do not have to have a completely streamlined existence, if you can make any change, no matter how small, then you are already making a significant contribution to your future, simplified, happiness.