“Purity and simplicity are the two wings with which man soars above the earth and all temporary nature.” —Thomas à Kempis
Simplifying your life will bring balance, freedom, and joy. When we begin to live simply and experience these benefits, we begin to ask the next question, “Where else in my life can I remove distraction and simplify life to focus on the essentials?”
Once we’re able to answer that, we will understand what is important in our own lives.
How to Simplify Your Life
Based on our personal journey, our conversations, and our observations, here is a list of the 10 most important things to simplify in your life today to begin living a more balanced, joyful lifestyle:
1. Your Possessions – Too many material possessions complicate our lives to a greater degree than we ever give them credit. They drain our bank account, our energy, and our attention. They keep us from the ones we love and from living a life based on our values.
If you will invest the time to declutter the non-essential possessions from your life, you will never regret it. For more inspiration, consider Simplify: 7 Guiding Principles to Help Anyone Declutter Their Home and Life.
2. Your Time Commitments – Most of us have filled our days full from beginning to end with time commitments: work, home, kid’s activities, community events, religious endeavors, hobbies… the list goes on. When possible, release yourself from the time commitments that are not in line with your greatest values.
3. Your Goals – Reduce the number of goals you are striving for in your life to one or two. By reducing the number of goals that you are striving to accomplish, you will improve your focus and your success rate.
Make a list of the things that you want to accomplish in your life and choose the three most important. Focus there.
4. Your Negative Thoughts – Most negative emotions are completely useless. Resentment, bitterness, hate, and jealousy have never improved the quality of life for a single human being. Take responsibility for your mind. Forgive past hurts and replace negative thoughts with positive ones.
5. Your Debt – If
Find the help that you need and learn how to get out of debt. Sacrifice luxury today to enjoy freedom tomorrow.
6. Your Words – Use fewer words. Keep your speech plain and honest. Mean what you say. Avoid gossip.
7. Your Artificial Ingredients – Avoid trans fats, refined grain (white bread), high-fructose corn syrup, and too much sodium. Minimizing these ingredients will improve your energy level in the short-term and your health in the long-term.
Also, as much as possible, reduce your consumption of over-the-counter medicine – allow your body to heal itself naturally as opposed to building a dependency on substances.
8. Your Screen Time – Focusing your attention on television, movies, video games, and technology addiction affects your life more than you think. Media rearranges your values. It begins to dominate your life. And it has a profound impact on your attitude and outlook.
Unfortunately, when you live in that world on a consistent basis, you don’t even notice how it is impacting you. The only way to fully appreciate its influence in your life is to turn them off.
9. Your Connections to the World – Relationships with others are good, but constant streams of distraction are bad. Learn when to power off the phone, log off social media, or not read a text. Focus on the important, not the urgent.
A steady flow of distractions from other people may make us feel important, needed, or wanted, but feeling important and accomplishing importance are completely different things.
10. Your Multi-Tasking – Research indicates that multi-tasking increases stress and lowers productivity. While single-tasking is becoming a lost art, learn it. Handle one task at a time. Do it well. And when it is complete, move to the next.
Simplifying your life is a core aspect of minimalism. To learn more about this lifestyle, visit this primer on minimalism.
Manoranjan Sahoo says
“Reduce the number of goals you are striving for in your life to one or two.”
This is an important point for me. We get entangled in the pursuit of getting more and not a single goal gets fulfilled.
Cogetumochila says
Good advices. Although I think I fulfill some of them, with points 2, 8 and 10 I have a problem. Too many connections to be able to discard in a very radical way. Another objective for 2022…
Alyssa says
All of these suggestions are great, except for reducing medications. That’s a very irresponsible thing to suggest given that you have no medical background and your education is in theology not any sort of medical science or health care practice.
Marc says
He suggested reducing OTC medications only – most people over-diagnose and over-treat themselves with medications easily purchased without a prescription. He did not suggest reducing prescriptions. And yes, I am a doctor. :)
Rad Elizabeth says
Please read over what was said about medication; it was never suggested to reduce medication it was simply suggested to reduce “over the counter” medication
JoAnne says
Perhaps this comment needs a little bit of #4. Let’s reflect first on our immediate thoughts and try to redirect to more positive ones.
Joan says
Regarding reducing medications. Some people medicate with alcohol and illegal drugs. Everyone should consult their doctor regarding drug usage.
Wangeci Kanyeki says
This is such a good article. Very practical.
Aga Ismael says
Kudos to the writer! I just translated it into my language (Kurdish Central).
Danyal Ahmed says
Joshua, this article is very inspirational and full of wisdom, I learned a lot from this article to simplify my life. thanks for sharing.
Morning Upgrade says
This was a great read with some fantastic tips. I loved your section on screen time and reducing goals. Too much screen time removes us from our day-to-day lives. And too many goals can be overwhelming. Reduce so we can focus and hone our energies, which can make us more successful in the long-term. –Ryan
Huong says
Dear Mr.,
Your posts really inspired me in many ways. I followed your blog and read your book as well. You’re my idol. I also write random things sometimes. Can you allow me to translate your post into my language? I’m eager to do that. I’ll cite the source of course. I want to share the values of your write-up with myself. Kindly forgive me if this message bothers you.
Raysa Lestianti says
Hi, Me also. Your writing such an inspiration for me. I am really trying to become a minimalist. I have been following your blog for about a year and I am currently working on my own blog too. If you don’t mind, I’ll cite your writing, I’ll paraphrase with my own language. I want to share this ideas to my friends. Thanks again.
SleeplessinChicago says
Hi Joshua,
Great points. #10 particularly resonates with me. Having worked in the US for 37 years and pushed into early retirement by COVID-19, I can attest to the hypocrisy of the concept of multitasking in the working place. With the management style deteriorating, where all that matters is completing the work with no regard to the quality of work and employee well being, the multitasking becomes an almost unbearable burden. Not only do managers not help, they also distract, delay, and frustrate the employees with unnecessary meetings and fuzzy priorities. Bottom line: to do work effectively, one needs to master the art of doing one task at a time and proceeding to the next one on the priority list.
Ellen says
This is happening in my country too. Foreign companies in my country fire alot of People, and one person end up doing the work of three People. Multitasking. And like you say calling in to meetings and hanging over you. He had to Come in every Day of the week Just to be done with it all. Even though he was suppose to work only Five days. The path on the back was getting fired before young People with alot less years in the Company. Losing all his retirement Benefits. I feel for you and those in a bad work environment.
Juliana says
Just love this article. Thank you
Muah