If you find you are too busy to take a day off, you are heading for burnout.
If you are successful, but cannot find time to take care of your own needs and happiness, you might end up angry and bitter with the rest of the world because nobody gets you and your drive to succeed and be the best.
Are you finding that there are not enough hours in a day to accomplish everything you want to?
These are all signs for you to examine how you have complicated your life and are entangled in emotions that you don’t need to be genuinely happy and successful. You are most likely stressed out and trying to achieve too many things at one time. This is not only draining but is scattering your energy to an extent where your focus is misplaced and your concentration shot.
Success in any aspect of your life takes focus and attention as well as the right attitude. Here are a few tips for simplifying different aspects of your life.
1 | Relationships
Your relationships with people in your life are the true measure of your success. Take a look at all your relationships, personal or professional, and note which ones are difficult and complicated. Do you really need that relationship? Were you the cause of the complication or is it the other person? Is there any way to fix it or repair it?
We lose a lot of energy and focus on dealing with difficult people in our lives. Sometimes, we just need to accept that a little distance and agreeing to have a difference of opinion is just OK. We don’t need to have others always agree with us and do things our way. We need to let go of our need to have close relationships with people who have a different way of life and respect them for the way they are and not spend energy on trying to fix them. It is not our job to teach them anything they are not willing to learn yet. Even if they may be your own children or spouse.
We waste a lot of time and energy trying to get people on a program that they are not willing to be on, meanwhile losing focus on what we really want in our own lives. If we used that energy to create a better attitude towards our goals and walk the path that was best for us, we would be achieving them sooner.
2 | Work
Simplifying our work life can result in a better balance in our life. You must have heard this everywhere, ad nauseam. But everyone fails to tell you that you need just one step to achieve this – just stop working after a certain time. It is as simple as that. It is our dreams and expectations that drive us to work more than what is required. We get entangled in the demands of our jobs because we are operating from a belief that success only comes through hard work. We attach meaning and identity to our work. We create complications and dedicate so much of our time and energy to our success at work that we forget WHY we started working.
We started working because of money. We needed money to live our lives well and do the things we wanted to, such as travel, enjoy life, provide comfort to our family and ourselves. But then, we go ahead and attach to our jobs, trying to gain respect in the eyes of the world and proving to others that we are good enough! And so begins the cycle of overworking and exhaustion. If we could recognize this and remind ourselves, every day, that our jobs are what we are proud to do and enjoy, but it is still just a means to enable us to enjoy our lives and provide comfort for ourselves.
This simple practice can free us to enjoy the things that we have forgotten that we dreamt about when we thought about growing up.
3 | Daily Routines
Simplifying our daily routines and chores can free up a lot of time. Sometimes we create complicated to-do lists and routines because we believe that is the only way to do things right. So if we could just objectively analyze these daily routines and check that they are actually serving us well and helping us stay on top of things, it will be a great place to start.
Imagine if you could leave your home for work without feeling like you already spent all your energy on getting everything right since the moment you woke up, you actually might have more energy for your work.
Simple things such as shopping closer to your work or home can save you a lot of time, instead of running to three different stores to save $10. Breaking down your chores into smaller activities can also free up a lot of time and energy.
Clean a small area of your home each day, so cleaning your home is not a full-day project once a week.
Prepping for cooking, actually cooking, and cleaning up can be three separate activities and can be easily broken up.
This saves time and also enables you to do everything with more enthusiasm and energy.
These are some easy ways to keep your life simple and easy, allowing so much time to focus on all the other dreams you have given up. Recognizing and stopping yourself from attaching meaning to activities and behaviors that no longer serve us is the first step to freedom and happiness.
Email me at info@sarikakishore.com if you need help in identifying which areas of your life are in need of simplification.
I can help you create a better and more focused frame of mind to enjoy life simply and easily.
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