Your Simple Life Manifesto - Part 2

It is almost February and you are well on our way to fulfilling our New Year promises – if not, that’s OK. It isn’t too late to get yourself together. As mentioned in the first part of this series, achieving simplicity in your life is not a straight line. Savor what happens along the way, and remember that if something works for someone else, it doesn’t have to work for you.

The second part of this three-part series focuses on ways to simplify the professional aspects of your life: finances, work and technology. These hints are not for everyone, because this is your own journey.

Money – You need money to sustain your lifestyle, to have a home, a car, groceries and the basics. It also allows for life experiences, enabling us to take vacations or finance an education for our children. It may be tempting to hide from your money troubles, praying it will all work out, but there are steps you can take to simplify your finances:

• Save money regardless of your income. Design a budget that takes care of the absolute basics, saving the rest for a rainy day.
• Always use cash. It is easier to see where your money is going if you have physical cash, and if you don’t have it you won't spend it.
• Think before you buy. Is the item something you really need?
• Save your receipts. It will save a lot of heartache if you need to return something.

Work Life – You spend a large part of your life working. For some, you may spend more time working than you do with your family or friends. If you are working longer hours, take a moment and ask yourself what you are really getting out of it?

• Can you work fewer hours? Could you readjust your spending habits to make more time for yourself?
• Leave work at work. If you are bringing work home, it may be time to reassess why you are not finishing it at work. What value do your and your workplace get by you taking work home every day?
• Stop working weekends. It may not seem like a big deal, but eventually this will catch up to you and you will burn out. Block off every weekend for the next few months – from now on, not a single one can include work.
• Simplify work tasks. A never-ending list of to-do tasks is unproductive because there is no way to get it all done. Prioritize; do what is necessary then move forward.
• Work from home. Are you spending a lot of time commuting to and from work? Is there a way to work from home a few days a week to take some of the pressure off and save money on gas?
• Breaks are essential to productivity. Even if your work is your passion, breaks are important to keeping you motivated and refreshed. Step away from the desk to enjoy lunch or take a walk to get a fresh perspective.
• Clear the clutter. A clear desk paves the way for a clear mind. Uncluttering removes distractions and keeps you organized. Schedule a day, perhaps every Friday afternoon, to clean off your desk before leaving work.
• Technology – Your online life can quickly turn into a big mess, with websites that you forgot about signing up for, unread emails and various bookmarks.
• Purge it. Do a massive purge of all things that are cluttering up your computer, do it regularly, and keep things simple. Set aside time to address emails, and answer, file or delete them once read.

• Go on a media diet. TV, Internet, radio, magazines, etc. can be major time suckers if you allow them. Take regular media fasts (maybe try weekends) where you are completely unconnected to your phone, video games, or television. Set timers on areas known to be time-suckers if you are concerned about how much time is spent online. Enforcing regular breaks will simplify this part of your life dramatically.
• Communication. Email pings, phone rings and texts are a convenient and useful way to communicate with people. If you aren’t careful, these can ruin productivity, proving to be a major distraction. Set aside one time per day to answer emails, make phone calls and return messages.

Stay tuned for part three of Your Simple Life Manifesto as we explore ways to simplify your personal and mental health. Keeping things simple leads to less worry with more time to do what you love with those you love.