How to simplify your life

Do you ever wish you were born with an instruction manual? Tiki Kustenmacher, a simplicity expert, and Dr. Lothar J. Seiwert, a professional coach, offer a digestible life guide that reads like a human spirit operating primer. Each chapter, enlivened by Kustenmacher’s adorable pictures, addresses a different aspect of life, such as managing clutter, taming finances, and setting objectives. The practical advice in these bite-sized chapters is simple to understand and apply. Their prescription for a simpler life contains helpful tips for dealing with tough emotions (jealousy) and life events (marriage, death). Although the writing is enjoyable to read, the authors bounce around and return to different topics in each chapter. A better organisation would have made the book’s advice easier to follow.

Create a Meaningful Life

What exactly is a simple life? You probably don’t understand the concept of simplicity because unwanted complications infect your brain in a variety of ways. Complexity may be found everywhere, from the financial markets to the fine language in your computer handbook. Most individuals are stuck in a cycle of “more, more, more,” more money, more goods, more time. But, all too frequently, the pursuit of more leaves you dissatisfied with your existence. The path to simplicity, on the other hand, is a practise of “non-doing.” It’s the opposite of demand. The pursuit of simplicity is a journey that begins with your stuff and concludes with your innermost self.

The First Level: Your Possessions

The average person has around 10,000 items. Organize your house, office, and car to reduce your personal baggage. Clutter and big stacks of paper indicate mental illness; random detritus threatens your well-being. Clean up and get rid of unneeded items to breathe fresh life into your workspace and wardrobe. Follow these guidelines:

• Find an empty table or surface and use the “four-quadrant” tool (even the floor). Divide it into four parts: 1) trash, 2) pass on, 3) essential, and 4) act now.  Sort through those sections until no papers remain on your desk. 
• Create a method for tackling office duties and paper work by using visual cues such as a box or suspension files, calendar reminders, and assistance. 
• Streamline your possessions – Reduce your emotional baggage at home by getting rid of the excess books, souvenirs, and clothing that bind you to the past and limit your growth. Keep one souvenir from each important individual and give the others away.
• Clean up in stages – Break down jobs into smaller chunks. 
• Take on a little space – Look for a shelf or drawer that you can clear out in a few hours. Keep going until the space sparkles. 
• Uncover your horizontal surfaces — Clear clutter magnets like the dining table, kitchen, and the top of the refrigerator on a regular basis. 
• Keep entrances clear of junk — A clear entryway will make your home more welcoming. Don’t hang anything on doorknobs. 
• Remove old data — delete when you open a file. Files should have an expiration date.

Examine your interests and collections carefully. Distinguish between genuine collections and accumulated garbage. Keep significant collections, but reject stuff that you have collected at random. Getting rid of unnecessary belongings will save you money, time, and energy.

Once you’ve established order, stick to the “six golden rules:”

1. Put everything you’ve taken out back in its place. 
2. Everything you’ve opened should be closed. 
3. Gather any things that have fallen. 
4. If you take it down, re-hang it. 
5. Make a list of your upcoming purchases right now. 
6. If something breaks, it should be repaired within a week.

Small steps lead to a path of simplification. Continue to move! Stagnation frequently results in clutter, unhappiness, and disarray. Eliminating clutter can help you lose weight, save money, and improve your concentration. Now, celebrate the completion of each task and project.

Second Level: Your Finances

Develop a new perspective on money and riches. Your happiness is not determined by your wealth; rather, true wealth is determined by your ability to be happy. Remember the saying, “A wealthy person is one who is content with his or her situation in life.” Don’t wait to be happy; instead, appreciate everything you have right now. A paradox exists in the simplified approach to riches. When you give it up, you attract more money. A tight grasp on money and possessions prevents wealth from entering your life. Spend less and pay down your debt instead.

Follow these steps:

• Get out of debt – Debt causes tension and anxiety, as well as low self-esteem. Pay in cash. Avoid taking out high-interest consumer loans. Examine your bills for any unwarranted charges or levies. Work out a debt repayment plan with your bank officer, and then reduce your spending. Commit to a monthly savings goal and “pay yourself” first. 
• Maintain high ethical standards – Ethical behaviour improves the flow of money into your life. Charitable contributions, good deeds, and charity, for example, increase self-esteem. Those who have a positive self image achieve more. Similarly, a successful corporate career will be defined by fair deals, praise for others, and strong ethics.
• Maintain your job market awareness – Even if you enjoy your current employment, assess the market annually and apply for a new role every three years. Examine job postings and establish a network. This determines your market value and aids you in negotiating a better compensation. 
• Establish career goals – Having defined goals can help you build long-term security. Spend an hour each day on self-reflection and personal development. Evaluate your skills, career progress, and outlook honestly. Create a list of extra ways to generate money. Don’t dismiss the possibility of a second job, further training, a new career, or self-employment. Keep the faith – your thoughts have the power to alter reality.

Level Three: Time Management

The key to effective time management is to define priorities and focus completely on one job at a time: 

• Set realistic deadlines and honestly assess your capacity to accomplish them. 
• Begin your day with activities that are Priority One. 
• To focus, block out any distractions, interruptions, or impediments. 
• Do not do any of your favourite chores (gardening, Internet surfing, shopping) until the first stage of that Priority One work is completed; then reward yourself. 
• By setting down your work schedule for a week, you can identify your high productivity periods and root out “inner time thieves.” 
• Procrastination can be avoided with self-awareness, planning, and well-timed relaxation. 
• Delegating tasks and avoiding information overload might help you save time. 
• Learn to decline additional assignments, demands, and commitments.

Forget about perfection. The quest of a perfect life is a dangerous path. A thorough attitude relates to illness and financial problems. Avoid falling into the perfection trap by viewing failures as chances for learning, insight, and even humour.

Step Four: Your Health

To be more productive, protect your health in the following areas: 

• The Exercise Benefit — A minimum of 30 minutes of daily exercise can help you stay healthy. Walking up and down stairs is a low-cost, straightforward exercise. Physical activity causes the body to release “beta-endorphins,” a hormone that relieves depression and pain. 
• Sleep – Getting enough “good, deep sleep” at night boosts happiness and improves health. The deprivation has been linked to a number of illnesses, allergies, and ailments, according to researchers. You need to sleep for at least seven hours every night and take a nap throughout the day.
• Eat well – A nutritious, well-balanced diet nourishes both your body and mind. Increase your diet of fresh fruits and vegetables while decreasing your consumption of meat, refined sugars, and junk food. Make an eating routine and avoid heavy nighttime meals. Fill up on water rather than caffeine. 
• Reduce stress by keeping an eye out for indicators of stress in your body. Backaches, stomachaches, and heart difficulties are all symptoms of an overloaded calendar. Take a break; go for a walk or take a mini-vacation. Share your issues. Keep your distance from personal and professional troubles. Slow down, take deep breaths, and concentrate on the present moment. Rest.

Step Five: Relationships

Networking can help you kickstart your career and enhance your business earnings. Prepare a list of goals for parties, dinners, and social occasions. Participate actively in party conversations, but don’t dominate the conversation or interrogate others. Listen with sincere and polite curiosity. Be a respectful person. Respond to invitations promptly, come on time, and bring a little gift. At parties, move about. Thank your host and go when the majority of the guests have left. Follow up with a thank-you note or a phone call.

Maintain close family bonds, especially with your parents. Listen to them and let them know that their opinions are valued. Respect their perspectives and tales. Their memories will be useful to you and your children. 

Release your rage, ill will, and envy, which you should only see as a sign that you have fallen short of your potential. Enrich your life by pursuing creative endeavours such as music, painting, crafts, or writing. And don’t try to fix others. When the flaws of others irritate you, look in the mirror.

Prepare your will and funeral arrangements as you get older. Make a plan or a list of funeral desires. Create a living will in which you indicate your preferences for emergency medical treatment or other long-term care. Give gifts to loved ones and friends while you’re still alive to simplify bequests.

Step Six: Your Partner

Develop your relationship with your spouse or partner on a regular basis. The health of your relationship is more important than your things, schedule, or contacts. Discuss important topics with your life partner on a regular basis. Set aside a certain period for candid discussions. Mutual understanding improves all element of a couple’s existence, so encourage healthy dialogues by articulating your wants and desires openly. Maintain a healthy balance between taking and giving. Avoid nagging and learn to accept your partner’s requests and decisions with grace.

Create a “affection account.” Take a romantic walk, proclaim your love, or plan a dinner date for your lover. Don’t squander your affection, which is a valuable commodity in marriage and personal relationships. When making professional or social plans, keep your spouse in mind. Accept no nighttime or weekend commitments without first consulting with your supervisor. Hold collaborative planning sessions so that both couples may assess their professional, social, and home responsibilities.

Step Seven: Simply You

Every life takes a different course. Unfortunately, bottlenecks drive you into costly detours, U-turns, and breakdowns every day. Simplifying acts as a roadside assistance to get you back on track. Do the following for yourself:

• Take stock and dare to dream — Make a list of your strengths and weaknesses to construct a road map to your genuine life objective. To reconnect with your inner dreams, make a list of your strengths. Make a list of the goals you need to achieve in order to prosper both personally and professionally. Declare your objectives in active, not passive, language. 
• Create your perfect existence — Gain self-awareness. Maintain a “simplification notebook.” On private sites, you can express yourself freely. Don’t stress about your appearance; instead, have an open and honest talk with yourself. The best time to write is in the early morning. Be patient; insightful insights may take months of writing.
• Take inventory and dare to dream — Make a list of your strengths and weaknesses to construct a road map to your genuine life objective. To reconnect with your inner dreams, make a list of your strengths. Make a list of the goals you need to achieve in order to prosper both personally and professionally. Declare your objectives in active, not passive, language. 
• Create your perfect existence — Gain self-awareness. Maintain a “simplification notebook.” On private sites, you can express yourself freely. Don’t stress about your appearance; instead, have an open and honest talk with yourself. The best time to write is in the early morning. Be patient; insightful insights may take months of writing.
• Take up the roles of director, screenwriter, and star — Refuse to be a “bit player” in your life. Edit out roles that complicate your life (committee functions, unsuitable employment choices, superfluous things). However, as you update your script, remember to incorporate and consider your spouse.

If you enjoy this book, check out our other summary book; Essentialism: Do Better with less.