Maintaining A Level of Simplicity
Posted on September 28, 2011 by LJ Earnest
Categories: Simplification
Wednesdays are simplicity days at SimpleProductivity blog.
There are so many books out there on how to simplify your life. And they are good books. They give you step-by-step instructions on how to get rid of clutter, free your schedule and live a less-hectic life.
And then you put the book down, and slowly things creep back.
It’s Not A Task List
Things creep back into complication because simplicity is not a task list. You can’t just say, “well, I cleaned the bookshelves, gave away old clothes, and now my life will be simpler forever.” It doesn’t work that way.
Even if you are thorough when you start down the simplicity path, you will not remain there without more work. And not the sort of the work that comes in large bursts, but the daily commitment to the simplicity you have instilled in your life.
Simplicity Is A Practice
That’s because simplicity is a practice. It takes regular devotion to keep yourself on the path you started down.
A garden, left untended, grows weeds. It is the nature of the earth. Our lives, left untended, grow complicated. It is the nature of interacting with life and people.
Making Simplicity A Way Of Life
Thankfully, it doesn’t take much to maintain a simple life mindset. We just have to be present.
It means not mindlessly bringing things into our lives. What comes in must be considered and accepted. Other things may need to go away in order to avoid the complication we shed before.
It means no living on auto-pilot or cruise control. You must think about what you are doing, and really ask yourself if you will benefit from what is in your life. It may mean getting rid of things that worked before, and bringing in new things. It applies to people, “stuff” and activities.
Have you simplified? How do you keep simplified? Or have you grown complicated again? Share below.
Photo by h.koppdelaney
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