You take a look at my desk with everything going on. Hard to pick up the sign I have there that states “Keep it Simple”. But, its there if you focus and know what you’re looking for.
This is the same practice we have to take at how we are looking to spend our day. There is so much noise around us and added to our days, we often leave a lot of half finished or half realized goals on the table. We have to work harder at seeing what is most and least essential. What is meaningful?
I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet, simple things in life which are the real ones after all. – Laura Ingalls Wilder
It’s not always easy to get there. I’ve learned getting started, then moving into being honest with myself on what I can handle, and then a deeper dive with harder questions as a best practice toward what’s essential.
Getting started, when looking at your work and personal daily work to accomplish, what makes you smile when you look at it? Very similar to what brings you joy that Kondo teaches about our physical spaces, do the same with our mental spaces is a great practice. If it doesn’t make you smile, why is it on there?
When you take the next level to simplifying all the noise looking at things what is the most essential, must do, part of your daily routines? Anything that is non-essential needs to be dropped before you even get going. This is how you start to take some of those really big rocks in your life and really start to simplify it down to the most important rocks.
Last step down, go deeper. What memory of your day if you completed it would be worth recording as a part of your legacy you want to be known for? This is where things really start to get paired down to the work that has the greatest impact. When you really let go of things that just doesn’t bring meaning to your life mentally, you will make a lot more room for what you want to be. You will get rid of things that just don’t belong or deserve your all.
Now you’re ready for the day. With practice and daily use, those three levels of filtering your work and life before the day begins will have a huge impact. I’ve been able to get it down to about 30 minutes before I start my day. About the time it takes to drink my first cup of coffee in the morning.
No doubt our lives can get complicated and cluttered with all the commitments we pile on. Most of which are non-essential commitments. Set the day up for a win before anything else can grab our attention and time. Let nothing else get added. Anything new that wants to get added to your day, gets added for filtering tomorrow AM.
There is power in limiting our choices. We find the problem with time as we see it is that we have so many choices available. We often struggle just to make a choice at all, and try to achieve it all. Greed again, is our worst enemy. Counter this by being much more purposeful through limiting your work to what’s essential or most important.
Thanks for reading. Hope your start to the week is a great one and purposeful!
✌🏻 Shawn
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