on December 9, 2016
5 WAYS TO SIMPLIFY IN 2017
When I come to the end of another year, I tend to spend an inordinate amount of time thinking. I reflect on the previous year and I look ahead at what’s to come. I also think about on a “theme” for the coming year.
As I look to 2017, I think it might be time to revisit the theme of simplifying. Clearing the clutter. Getting rid of the junk that muddles up my mind, my space and, ultimately, the path to what I’d consider a “successful” year.
I’ve tried to simply in fits and starts over the years, but haven’t given it the attention I think it truly deserves. I want to really look at everything – from my morning routine, to how my office is organized, to how I use my calendar, to how we set goals and market our services. I want to see what’s taking up space simply for the sake of taking up space; I want to know what I can leave alone, what can be streamlined or made more efficient, and what I can remove all together.
I want to focus the finite amount of energy I have on the things that are MOST important – my family, growing my firm and empowering my team, my (long-neglected!) hobbies and interests, volunteering, and anything else that passes the “this will add to my life/bring me joy/not hold me hostage/not overfill my closet” test.
I’ve spent the past several weeks reading, researching, and delving into what it means to simplify, and I found a few common themes.
1. Habits are everything.
This is huge. We’re all hard-wired by our habits, most of which we don’t even give a second thought. Hell, it’s why they’re called habits. But, in order to make positive change, every habit needs to be explored, understood, and ultimately “allowed” into our lives.
I read quite a bit on the topic of habits; one of my favorites is the popular, “The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business.” A big takeaway was finding the “keystone” habit, which has the power to change everything. You change that one simple habit and it dominoes into every area of your life. Study after study showed how finding and changing that one keystone habit changed lives (people who chose to quit smoking were, a year later, running marathons).
The trick is turning something new into a habit. It’s not easy, and it takes a pretty high level of consciousness to re-wire your brain. But, once you do, the new/better habit becomes automatic and you don’t even think about it anymore.
We often don’t consider habits as “mental clutter,” but sometimes they are … especially if those habits are resulting in other clutter-inducing choices.
2. Don’t focus on your goals. Focus on the system instead.
Ask any entrepreneur, executive, or other successful professional and they’ll all tell you setting goals is the only way to get from point A to point B. But, what you often don’t hear is that while it’s great to shoot for the stars, unless you have a plan to get there, it’ll stay out of reach.
This piggybacks on the idea of developing good/new/better habits, and it’s about setting and following a simple system, pattern, or routine. It’s not sexy. In fact, it’s boring and requires a lot of discipline before it becomes automatic.
Increasing revenue by 50% is great, but it’s worthless if you don’t spend every Monday following up with at least 10 prospects, following your marketing calendar without missing a single deadline, reviewing your numbers every week, and otherwise developing and following systems and routines to get where you want to go.
But, on the flip side, that new system or routine will eventually become habit, and you’ll do it without thinking (reducing your mental clutter while, at the same time, getting closer to your goal every day!)
3. Meditate. Every day.
Want to learn how to be more present and not get caught up in your own inner chatter about fears or the future? Learn how to meditate. I have yet to run across anything negative about incorporating meditation into daily life. It doesn’t matter if it’s an ancient Buddhist practice, part of a Yoga discipline, or simply quiet reflection or prayer.
Learning how to quiet your mind … and keep it quiet … is a skill that can be learned and has been scientifically proven (read more about that here, here, and here) to help decision-making, reduce stress, increase productivity and find greater happiness. As a result, your life isn’t nearly as cluttered with negativity, worry, panic and fear, which breeds even more unnecessary and unproductive clutter.
4. Say no.
When you’re asked to sit on yet another committee, are considering launching yet another new product or service, or are looking at that gadget/trinket/book/sweater at the store … stop. Set a litmus test of its value based on what’s important to you.
Yes, the committee needs you (otherwise they wouldn’t have asked), but will it add value to your life? Are you excited and motivated about it? Do you know what you’re getting yourself into (and do you want that)? If the answer is yes, then go forth and Godspeed. But, if you say yes simply because they asked, or because you feel guilty, or because it’s what you think you should do, then learn to say no.
The point is to simplify and declutter. That includes your calendar and commitments.
5. Purge your stuff – from your to-do list, to your commitments, to the junk on the shelf.
This is one the most immediately liberating things you can do. Just ask Marie Kondo. While it’s tough to get rid of the stuff you’ve been looking at on your desk/on the shelf/in drawers/in closets forever, if it’s not adding value OR if it’s something you might get to “someday,” get rid of it. Don’t be held hostage by “someday” projects – they funk up your motivation and don’t allow room for more valuable/profitable/creative/immediate opportunities. (“No, I can’t do that cool new thing because I’ve still got that crappy old thing I’m still hanging onto that’s sitting on the shelf. I should do that old crappy thing instead since I’ve been putting it off for so long…”)
Do that with your to-do list (delegate, delegate, delegate!), your calendar (only add stuff that’s directly in-line with your goals and/or values), your piles of paper (action it, file it, or toss it … those are your choices) and anything else that takes up space.
What are your tips for simplifying?
As I continue my quest for simplifying and clearing my head space in 2017, what tips do you have that have worked? Share in the comments below!