It’s All So Complicated! 7 Ways to Simplify Your Day
Are you experiencing too many complications in your life?
Do you find there are so many things you wish to simplify but you don’t know where to begin?
When you are overwhelmed, with too much on your mind and too many things to sort out, the best thing you can do is start with just a single focus that can be achieved within the day. When you achieve one thing, you create the motivation to tackle the next task on your list.
A long bus journey consists of many stops along the way. People hop off and on at each stop. Our tasks are like bus stops where we unload our completed task and take on the responsibility of our next.
Simplify your day by taking action with one or more of these practices:
Single-task only: Avoid the once popular trend of multi-tasking wherever you can. Leaders are now aware that a single-task focus increases the quality of productivity and saves time correcting the errors made through a multiple task approach. Whatever you choose as your main priority that will have the most impact on your day, stop everything else and focus only on that. Decide where you want to get to on this task’s journey and the time-frame you’re willing to give to it. Don’t allow yourself to be distracted. No messages, no emails, no social media notifications and avoid people interruptions. Just get on and see how far you travel.
Between tasks, ensure you take short breaks: Stand up, move about and notice your surroundings. Get yourself a drink and enjoy the moment before you get stuck into your next task. This mindful moment will help clear your mind and give you some well-earned space. The great thing is it will be a little reward for having been so single-focused on your first task. A reward after effort is much more appreciated, like the shower you take after having worked outside in the weather.
Drop one thing today: Pull out of one event that you’ve committed yourself to or feel obliged to be present at: We say “Yes” to so many things and many of them really don’t make an impact on our productivity. Choose to opt out of a commitment and exercise your ability to prioritise something that is much more important to your day.
Listen to and focus fully in one conversation with someone today: It doesn’t take too much effort, and this simple habit will help you make connections and practice building a relationship with another person in your life. Sometimes, communication with another person has a greater impact on them than any of the work you do.
Declutter one space that you notice is messy: Maybe your desk or another surface. When you clear your space, it helps you to clear and organise your thoughts as well. See if you can maintain a clear desk between tasks for a full day. Use your desk drawers or filing cabinets as the space to organise things.
Keep sipping a glass or bottle of water throughout the day: Yes, it may mean you have to go to the toilet all day long; however, water aids your thinking by hydrating your body and brain. When you are dehydrated, often one of the first symptoms you experience is foggy thinking or confusion.
Break everything down: We’ve all heard the old expression,
“How do you eat and elephant?”
“One bite at a time!”
Now, I don’t condone eating elephants; however, I do condone breaking big tasks into smaller, manageable actions to make them more palatable and easier to achieve. Slice up your task into all its actions and focus on the very first thing you need to get done.
Conclusion
I have presented you with 7 things you can do today to help simplify your life. Choose only one if you like, or more if you are able.
Every day we are expected to process many things, just starting with one small task is the secret to getting yourself moving.
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