How to Simplify Your Life and Be Happier

I’ve often found that people make their lives more complicated than they really are. To be sure, life is not easy in today’s nonstop-action world. However, it doesn’t have to be that complicated. We often put imaginary obstacles in our way. Decisions that can be made quickly are made more complicated than necessary.

Here are some things you can do to simplify your life.

Develop Clarity

Sit down for a few minutes and decide what you really want out of life. Imagine your ideal life. Make it as vivid and as detailed as possible. What kind of house do you want? What income and net worth would you like to have? What about family? If you don’t have a partner, imagine what your ideal partner would be like. Ask yourself as many questions as you can think of. Use your imagination to its maximum potential.

Next, develop some goals to help you achieve your ideal life, and write them down. Studies show that writing down your goals and reviewing them on a regular basis dramatically improves your chances of achieving them. Be specific. If you have a target income in mind, write down exactly how much you what to earn and by when. Do this with all your goals. Make them SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timed.
Manage Your Time Better

Focus on the things that give you the highest ROTI (return on time invested). Do only the things that matter and give you a good return on your time. Delegate smaller-value things to others, or don’t do them at all. Focus on doing the important things first.

Also, use time-chunking. This is a method where you dedicate a chunk of your time to one task only. Don’t work on several projects at the same time (the old multitasking model)—this will only frustrate you. You can work on several projects at once, but dedicate time to only one task during a specific period of time.

If necessary, wake up an hour earlier, or go to bed an hour later each night. I often start my day at 7 a.m. and begin writing, long before my staff comes in and the phone starts ringing. I focus on one thing only for several hours.

Drop the Losers

Did you know that a lot of your success and progression in life has to do with the people you hang out with? We humans are like sponges: we constantly absorb information. Whether we like it or not, we get influenced by the people we spend time with. Make sure you stop hanging out with negative people that waste your time and energy. Find positive, successful people, and spend more time with them.

Don’t be embarrassed to ask a successful person if he can spare a few minutes for you. Ask him out to lunch. You’ll find that successful people are willing to teach others who are eager to learn. However, be respectful of his time, and make sure you don’t overdo it. Work around his schedule. Record or write down his recommendations and habits, and implement them in your own life.

Motivate Yourself

Read and listen to motivational material. The fact that you are holding this book in your hands is a good sign. It’s a great starting point. Seek out the authors that motivated you the most, and read their other materials. Go to their Web sites and register for their newsletters, if they have some.

Avoid Bad News

I always skim the newspaper in the morning, but I never read the bad news. When I read about human tragedy, it just depresses me. Of course, you should always remain well informed, but skip the gory details of the bad news items. Listening to bad news all the time has the same effect as hanging out with negative people. You have to be selective about what you let your subconscious absorb.

Make Decisions

It is better to make a quick decision than to make no decision at all. Making decisions will set things in motion, and it is much harder to stop once you get going. You can always correct your mistakes and learn from them as you go along. Here’s a great quote on decisions: “Good decisions come from wisdom. Wisdom comes from experience. Experience comes from bad decisions.” Also, make sure you don’t suffer from “paralysis by analysis.” As the esteemed sporting shoe manufacturer tells us, “just do it!”

Release Your Stress

You have to find ways to release all the tension that builds up over the days and weeks. You can do various activities like martial arts, going to the gym, meditation, yoga, or even simple things like taking a hot bath. A massage from time to time might not be a bad idea. Find something that relaxes you, and do it on a regular basis.

Don’t Stop!

Implementing these simple steps will help you simplify your life and overcome any complexities—real or imagined. Beware, there will be setbacks! However, if you keep your goals firmly in mind and keep taking action, you will be able to overcome them and start living your ideal life.

** This article is one of 101 great articles that were published in 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life. To get complete details on “101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life”, visit http://www.selfgrowth.com/greatways2.html.