Reset. Simplify. Double down.
We've all experienced it. Our computer or TV or phone starts to act funny, freezes or begins to malfunction and what do we do? We turn it off, count to ten and turn it back on. Or, hit the reset button and everything works smoothly again.
Like our devices, we can use a reset as well. When we're overwhelmed, can't think straight, or feel we're spread out too thin.
So many things to do.
So many responsibilities to take care of.
So many bills to pay.
So many people to look after.
So many duties to perform.
So many places to be.
And there's just one of us.
One person.
One body.
And yet, there are people who make it look easy. They're successful in their careers or businesses while still having a thriving and exciting personal life.
We all have the same number of hours in a day. And yet they appear to accomplish more.
Why?
The question, actually, is how?
They're able to accomplish so much because they've eliminated all the fluff, all the distractions, trimmed the fat, shut out all the noise and distractions and cleared the clutter, all the unnecessary things in their life and doubled down on the things that truly matter.
They focus on a single project or task at a time, say no to a lot of stuff, including invitations, meetings and opportunities that aren't aligned with their goals. They have simplified what those goals are and have developed a system that makes everything else manageable.
In short, they live a simple life.
They are:
1. Clear on their priorities, the things that truly matter, and
2. Focused only on those.
As a result,
1. They don't spread themselves out too thin across many unrelated endeavors.
2. They gain significant traction on their goals because that's their only focus, and
3. They're able to have more free time to enjoy themselves, their family and a handful of their closest friends.
They may appear to be masters of "work-life balance" but in reality, there's hardly any balancing act going on. It's just a by-product of them honing in on just the one thing that makes the rest look easy to manage.
Life is simple.
Not easy. They still have challenges. Those will always be a part of life. But since they only have one focus, they have way more time on their hands to solve problems and get over obstacles faster.
A simple life is a beautiful life.
That's all we've always wanted. We just got pulled by many different distractions along the way.
A life with less stress, less chaos, less drama, less toxic people, and more freedom, more creativity, more enjoyment and higher chances for success.
A life where you don't feel like you're being pulled in ten different directions, expected to be in two different places at the same time and handling more people and projects than you can count, all constantly needing your immediate attention.
A simple life is what we need to maintain our sanity.
A simple life is our chance to create something meaningful.
A simple life is the key to a life well lived.
If you feel your life is chaotic, that it's getting to be way more than you can handle...
If you wish you had more hours in a day...
If you want a chance to become the best version of yourself...
If you want to do something great...
If you want to set the best example for your children...
You need to:
1. RESET
2. SIMPLIFY
3. MAXIMIZE
Reset everything going on in your life. Pause and think/write down the one thing that's important to you. Not necessarily one thing across the board. It could be one thing in each of these areas:
1. Career/business
2. Family
3. Health
4. Personal Growth
5. Community
Ask yourself what's the one thing that's important for you to accomplish in each of these areas. For example, it could be:
1. Career - to become a trusted writer in the field of {fill in the blank}
2. Business - to create the best product/service to help {fill in the blank}
3. Family - to be able to spend quality time with your family on weekends and weeknights
4. Health - to keep your body in shape
5. Personal growth - to learn or advance your skills in {fill in the blank}
6. Community - to nurture friendships with a handful of friends/relatives/associates
Once you've done a reset, Simplify your life. Say yes only to those things that align or support the things on your list. Say no to everything else.
It will be difficult at first. Everything that's new, is. It gets better with practice. You'll notice it as you start feeling better. You'll notice it as you find yourself less and less in places you don't really want to be and more in places and circumstances that you do.
This is when you Maximize. After you've simplified the items on your plate, the things that you've decided are really worth your time and attention, double down on them. With the time you've freed up, you have more resources, more of you to pour into the things that matter to you, gaining the traction that you've previously struggled chasing.
We only have this one life, this year, this day, this second - none of which we can take back once it passes us by. Let's make them count. Let's give them meaning by focusing them on the things we can look back to in the end when we can proudly say we've lived a full life.
"The first step in crafting the life you want is to get rid of everything you don't." - Joshua Becker
Marge
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