read a fascinating article about Steve Jobs last night (on my Macbook Pro, with my Ipad and Iphone next to me). It’s clear that I am a huge fan of his work!
Jobs said he owes his success to 2 things – focus and simplicity.
Of course, we know that focus is a significant key to success, but simplicity? How did simplicity create the most valuable company in history?
Jobs said, “ Simple can be harder than complex. You have to work hard to get your thinking clean and make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.”
If we stop for a moment and look around, we will see that our lives are filled with mental, physical and emotional clutter. We worry about things, people, the past and the future. This noise takes up a ton of brain space. We could be more productive, relaxed and happy if we cleaned out our lives.
“Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” ~ Confucius
Here are a few tips to get clear and calm:
Begin by getting productive. What activities do you engage in regularly that are completely unnecessary? Or things that bring you down? Eliminate these activities and fill that time to with something else, even if it’s just to relax and reflect.
Think strategically – Have a plan. In John Maxwell’s book, How Successful People Think, he talks about the importance of Strategic Thinking. “Strategic thinking takes complex issues an long term objectives and breaks them down into manageable sizes. Anything becomes simpler when it has a plan!”
Get rid of the clutter. Clean out your closet, organize your office. Clear out things you no longer need.
Eliminate toxic relationships. Relationship issues cause havoc in our daily lives. Either fix it, change your perception of it, or end it. A constant stream of emotional stress will affect your work, health and exhaust you at the end of the day.
Simplicity applies to your thoughts too. Train yourself to be distraction-proof. Occupy your mind with thoughts that are productive and enjoyable. Practice “thinking up”.
Take action or dump it. We all have things in our life that are incomplete. This causes guilt, stress and feelings of inadequacy. Schedule time to do it – even if it’s 6 months in the future – or delete it.
Be content with what you have, rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” ~ Lao Tzu
A busy, crazy life can cause extreme stress and stress can shorten your life. Reduce the clutter and soften the noise. You will find that you will do less and get more of what you truly want in life!
