post written by: Marc
11 Easy Ways to Uncomplicate Your Life
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
- Leonardo Da Vinci
Life is actually pretty simple, but we insist on making it complicated. Here are a few easy ways to uncomplicate it:
- Learn from the past, and then get the heck out of there! – Past mistakes should teach you to create a wonderful future; not cause you to be afraid of it. Don’t carry your mistakes around with you. Instead, place them under your feet and use them as stepping stones. Never regret. If it’s good, it’s wonderful. If it’s bad, it’s experience. Success is not about where you are standing at any given point in time; it’s about how much you’ve learned and how far you’ve come to get there.
- Focus on what’s truly important. – Identify what’s most important to you. Eliminate as much as you possibly can of everything else. No wasted time, no fluff, no regrets.
- Focus on being productive, not being busy. – Don’t just get things done; get the right things done. Results are always more important than the time it takes to achieve them. Stop and ask yourself if what you’re working on is worth the effort. Is it bringing you in the same direction as your goals? Don’t get caught up in odd jobs, even those that seem urgent, unless they are also important. Read The 4-Hour Workweek
.
- Give what you want to receive. – You get the best out of others, and every situation, when you give the best of yourself. Start practicing the golden rule. If you want love, give love. If you want friends, be friendly. If you want money, provide value. It works. It really is this simple.
- Stop trying to be everything to everyone. – Don’t try to be friends with everyone. Cultivate closer relationships with fewer people. Start focusing on being everything to someone. Helping or pleasing everyone is impossible. But making one person smile can change the world. Maybe not the whole world, but their world. So narrow your focus and be yourself.
- Do what you know in your heart is right. – Stop doing immoral things simply because you can. Start being honest with yourself and everyone else. Don’t cheat. Be faithful. Be kind. Do the right thing! It is a less complicated way to live. Integrity is the essence of everything successful. When you break the rules of integrity you invite serious complications into your life. Keep life simple and enjoyable by doing what you know in your heart is right.
- Organize your space. – Start clearing clutter. Get rid of stuff you don’t use and then organize what’s left. Keeping both your living and working areas organized is crucial. If you have a cluttered space, it can be distracting and stressful. A clear space is like a blank canvas, available to be used to create something great.
- Be efficient. – Stop being inefficient simply because you’ve always done it that way. If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting. Many times we live with unplanned, complex systems in our lives simply because we haven’t given them much thought. Instead, streamline your life by finding better ways of handling common tasks. Focus on one system at a time (your cleaning system, your errands system, your paperwork system, your email system, etc.) and try to make it simplified, efficient, and logical. Then, once you have it perfected, stick to it. Read Getting Things Done
.
- Let things be less than perfect. – Smile every chance you get; not because life has been easy, perfect, or exactly as you had anticipated, but because you choose to be happy and grateful for all the good things you do have, and all the problems I know you don’t have. You must accept the fact that life is not perfect, that people are not perfect, and that you are not perfect. And that’s okay, because the real world doesn’t reward perfection. It rewards people who get GOOD things done. And the only way to get GOOD things done is to be imperfect 99% of the time.
- Let go of needless drama and those who create it. – Never create unnecessary drama, and don’t surround yourself with those who do. Choose friends who you are proud to know, people you admire, who love and respect you – people who make your day a little brighter simply by being in it. Don’t walk away from negative people, RUN! Life is too short to spend time with people who suck the happiness out of you.
- Forget what everyone else thinks and wants for you. – One of the greatest freedoms is simply not caring what everyone else thinks of you. Sometimes you need to step outside, get some air, and remind yourself of who you are and what you want to be. The best thing you can do is follow your heart. Take risks. Don’t just accept the safe and easy choices because you’re afraid of what others will think, or afraid of what might happen. If you do, nothing will ever happen. Don’t let small minds convince you that your dreams are too big. They aren’t.
Photo by: Rosie Hardy
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52 Comments
March 8th, 2012 at 12:28 pm
Very practical advice. I need to carry this list around with me. Thank you!
March 8th, 2012 at 12:40 pm
I love your site, and I love your simplicity tips in this article. Very helpful. Thank you so much for sharing these with us!
March 8th, 2012 at 12:52 pm
I just wanted to say thank you for creating your site and sharing what you share. Everytime I read some of your ‘tips’ it brightens my day and gives me something great to think about.
March 8th, 2012 at 12:59 pm
I always look forward to reading the life tips… They always seem to fit into something I needed to read or learn. Thank you!
March 8th, 2012 at 1:09 pm
I think what I always have the most trouble with is time management and productivity. It often seems as though I get a lot of things done and am always busy, but for all the wrong reasons. And like you said, being busy is useless if the things keeping me busy aren’t pushing me in the direction I want to go toward! Thank you for this lovely dose of inspiration.
March 8th, 2012 at 3:14 pm
Love the inspiration and reminders here. Especially #1. Anyone can gain knowledge from past mistakes, but it is what we’ve learn our mistakes or experiences and then what we do with it that shows true wisdom abd growth. I will use mine as stepping stones not stumbling blocks!
March 8th, 2012 at 6:17 pm
Lot’s of truth in this post. I absolutely LOVE this! Thank you!
March 8th, 2012 at 8:50 pm
This is so nice. I check out your site every single day hoping for a new post. I just love reading articles here… so moving. Thank you!
March 8th, 2012 at 9:46 pm
Great list to declutter the mind, heart and soul, and create more space for what is truly important in life. Thanks Marc and Angel!
March 8th, 2012 at 11:57 pm
I’ve been going thru some especially difficult months - my hours were cut at a job I loved; my elderly grandfather passed away; my new job lasted only 6 weeks before I was told I wasn’t a good fit.
Luckily I’m a wife to the most gentle and loving husband and mom to two terrific kids! But it’s been hard to relax and accept their love during these stressful times. You’re blog has really helped me focus on the important things in my life, to accept life’s ups & downs and has seen me thru a couple rough & teary days. Thank you SO much for being present and helping me accept and believe in the love my family has for me.
March 9th, 2012 at 3:53 am
This blog post was very helpful. The points here are things I struggle with in life. I love reading your articles. You discuss so many important truths. I am always looking at life in a positive manner. But, this article gave me some new insight and direction.
Thanks.
March 9th, 2012 at 7:35 am
Thank you for creating such a wonderful blog… I love reading your posts! This one is perfect!
March 9th, 2012 at 8:39 am
Great information, especially about letting go of perfection. I go with the “good enough” idea, if it is good enough than it is ok. I also like the de-cluttering idea. Clutter takes a lot of energy and is draining. After a person de-clutters it can feel like losing weight.
Thanks for your blog!!
March 9th, 2012 at 8:51 am
I loved this post! Great reminders for a Type-A person like myself. Thanks, you two! I liked it on FB, tweeted and sent it to my Linkedin account!
Nancy Jill Thames, Author
March 9th, 2012 at 8:53 am
To my mind, #2 “Focus on what’s truly important.” is key.
It is through knowing yourself that you gain the power to decide what you should and should not spend your precious time, thoughts, and energy on.
Ask yourself these questions:
Who are you?
What do you love doing?
Why do you love doing these things?
The third question is the hardest and also the most important.
With answers to these questions you have a wonderful foundation to implement all the other suggestions.
March 9th, 2012 at 9:11 am
I do practice most of these in my life, but I see a couple areas I need to work on. Great reminder!
March 9th, 2012 at 10:14 am
Thank you. I stumbled upon your site a few months ago, and I am now a faithful fan. I share your wisdom with my friends and my students on a daily basis. It is truly inspiring and thought-provoking to read your blog. Keep the tips coming!
March 9th, 2012 at 10:31 am
Another insightful read. Thank you so much for your posts. You’ve really continued to help me re-focus and change my life for the better. Thank you.
March 9th, 2012 at 10:51 am
Great post! Thanks for the insight and continuing to put such positive articles together.
March 9th, 2012 at 11:49 am
Thanks for this article! Reading your blog always provides lots of inspiration! I loved the point about letting go of needless drama and those who create it. I can especially relate to this point in my current situation.
March 9th, 2012 at 12:24 pm
Need to print these out, they are perfect. Shared widely… Off to put a link to this article on Pinterest. Thanks so much!
March 9th, 2012 at 1:15 pm
As always… LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!! Thank you!
March 9th, 2012 at 1:35 pm
Again a great post filled with practical advice. Your blog has truly helped me to overcome so many of my problems.
March 9th, 2012 at 2:03 pm
You two are so wise for your age! I’m consistently impressed, with each blog post. Thanks for sharing, keep ‘em coming. I often print them out and put them on my bulletin board to keep these ideas on the top of my mind.
March 9th, 2012 at 4:19 pm
Yes, simplicity is great! Thanks so much for your posts! They always make me smile and love my life more after reading them.
March 9th, 2012 at 5:03 pm
This is my first comment on your blog and I wanted to say that thank you very much for writing these posts. I have to learn that I can’t make everybody happy. I have to stay away from negative people whether online or offline. Your advice helps me with this.
March 9th, 2012 at 5:04 pm
love your tips. #11 Forget what everyone else thinks and wants for you.
People spend to much time worrying and wondering what someone else is going to say or think. This takes up to much time and they are most likely not going to remember what they think or wanted you to do in the first place.
Life is to have fun your way (as long as you don’t mess with the laws) LOL
Your tips are always full of wisdom.
thank you and have a wonderful weekend,
Debbie
March 9th, 2012 at 7:39 pm
I adore this kind of reading material. I live for it! I was hoping you could write one about how to meet a significant other who values self improvement.
March 9th, 2012 at 8:23 pm
Great post. It contains some things that I live by, and a few things I should strive for. I’ve always been a fan of tip # 1 - Learn from the past and get the heck out of there! And thanks for reminding of tip #9 - Let things be less than perfect. It’s something that I need to be aware of and put into practice more often.
Love your site!
March 9th, 2012 at 9:43 pm
Thank you. I have been trying to simplify some of the complications in my life of the last few months. These tips are spot on.
March 9th, 2012 at 9:56 pm
Love, love, love this!
March 10th, 2012 at 2:41 am
Man this is soooo awesome! I don’t know how you cook-up these kind of posts and the strong headings, but I love them
March 10th, 2012 at 3:53 am
Nice post, I love every tip. Thanks.
March 10th, 2012 at 5:57 am
Your advice here will certainly help me simplify my current situation. Thank you.
March 10th, 2012 at 7:56 am
I like your tip #11. A lot of people don’t trust us for we to make our own choices and to live our own life. They don’t trust themselves too. We can seek someone who trusts himself. He will trust us as well. He will know that we can be the leaders of our life.
March 10th, 2012 at 10:34 am
I think key for me is to forget what others think of me. I just need to live my life for me! Thanks for reminding me.
March 10th, 2012 at 7:50 pm
I feel like I comment the same thing over and over. This is a great list, full of reminders that are perfect.
I think #10 and #11 are the best and also the hardest. Letting go of difficult people and the drama they create is so complicated in itself, but the gains are worth it.
March 10th, 2012 at 8:01 pm
Simply great! I just found your sight on “Stumbleupon” Going through many of your posts…very nice. I will read more later. Lot of knowledge for such a young couple. Keep it going.
March 11th, 2012 at 2:59 pm
Thanks for this lovely site. I find so many of your articles to be useful.
March 12th, 2012 at 6:07 am
Really liked you post very helpful. Thanks for sharing.
March 13th, 2012 at 12:53 am
I love your site! I feel so lucky to have stumbled upon your beautiful site. Thank you!
March 13th, 2012 at 2:45 am
Your blogs as given me a great insight and brought brightness into my life… thank you.
March 14th, 2012 at 5:41 pm
As Inspirational as always !
I could never see my deep inside and know my self yet i visit your Page !
You are like my best Adviser Friend , just being in my life for 20 or 30 minutes you make my whole week.
Thanks !!
Keep Posting !
Fardeen Alemi
Afghanistan
March 16th, 2012 at 9:17 am
Marc, reading the post a 2nd time… simple and awesome! Commenting on it again, forgot to thank u earlier. Keep writing!
March 17th, 2012 at 9:42 am
You guys are just the best you making me think positive thoughts and getting to understand a lot about life. Thanx so much and keep up the good work.
March 20th, 2012 at 6:25 am
I love your work! Inspirational! Keep it going mates!
April 8th, 2012 at 1:06 am
I love your site!!
February 17th, 2013 at 11:24 pm
Excellent article and awesome reminder to not make life more dramatic or stressful than it needs to be…thank you!
February 20th, 2013 at 6:55 pm
This post is helping me find my inner peace. Thanks.
April 22nd, 2013 at 10:20 pm
Excellent advice!
THANKS
April 23rd, 2013 at 2:25 am
I enjoy your blog. It’s a choice to be happy even when I don’t feel like it. This message is so good because it restates what I already know, I choose my happiness and no one else. Today, tomorrow and everyday until there are no more for me I choose to be happy with the good, the bad I choose happiness. I could be sad but I’ve tried that and it does not work. I’ve watched others try foolish things in an effort to run from their own personal truths and haunts. Today, I choose to be happy and hang all the dumb excuses for not. What an amazing waste of time and a sad state of “being”. I choose to only have people who embrace love and light any thing must go. Recently, I have rid myself of those and things that do not serve me…what a precious release, a purge of the oh goodness not you again be gone. Thank you both for such refreshing words of wise and knowledge.
April 23rd, 2013 at 12:33 pm
Great thoughts. Thanks for sharing.
I write about 6 types of relationships that are crucial to all of us here (linked above). I think it is so important to sift through our relationships and focus on those that are life giving instead of life draining. So often we waste our energy on people that don;t care about us or want what is best for us.
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