Simplicity Low-hanging Fruit
Posted on July 22, 2009 by LJ
Wednesdays are simplicity days at SimpleProductivity blog.
I had a professor once who used to toss a few easy questions onto a multiple choice test, then chide us: “take the low-hanging fruit when it is offered.” I was thinking of him recently during a staff meeting where our boss was talking about low-hanging fruit in our current project — those things which would return maximum value for minimum effort.
Both of these things made me look at the concept of low-hanging fruit in relation to other areas of my life. What are things that I can get maximum return for little investment in my life? Today I will look at low-hanging fruit in simplicity.
5 Low-Hanging Simplicity Fruits
To put together this list, I thought about the areas of my life where little changes would make the most difference. Focusing on managing stuff popped into my head first, followed by eliminating expectations.
- Get rid of junk mail. If it never arrives at your house, you don’t have to deal with it. Opt out of junk mail using the free service from Direct Marketer’s Association or using a paid service like 41 Pounds.
- One in, one out. Rather than accumulating things, I can tell myself if I bring something into the house, a like-item must leave. If I buy a new pair of shoes, an old one must go. This allows me to avoid clutter build-ups, and makes me think before buying something new just to have it.
- Wait 30 days on purchases. I’m not any more immune to impulse shopping than anyone else. But if I find I want something, I tell myself I have to wait 30 days. Usually I will find I no longer want it, and save myself the expense of purchasing and storing something else.
- Simple meals are good. Not every meal needs to be be a complex maze of recipes and flavors. Simple food saves me time in the kitchen, money at the grocery store, and feeds me just as well.
- Say “let me get back to you” instead of “yes”. When someone asks me to do something, I can answer “let me get back to you” to give myself time to think about whether this activity serves a positive purpose in my life. My life is prone to complication due to other’s wants. It doesn’t have to be that way.
By changing these five things in my life, I can reap the rewards of simplify with little effort.
Photo by pizzodisevo
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