Simplicity is simpler!

The over-commercialized world we live in loves to sell us complexity wrapped in a bow. We are told we need a multi-step morning routine, a kitchen gadget solely for slicing avocados, apps to track our breathing, and even how well we sleep at night (who stays up to check?). Suddenly, managing our life becomes a full-time, unpaid internship. I lived like that once. But as I get older, I’m realizing that life can be so much better.

Now my approach is simple: Eliminate “extra stuff”, materially and emotionally. I don’t get attached to things, just people. It makes my life easier. This way I don’t have to worry about who invited whom last, how many avocado slices my gadget produced, or how to dispose of large items, excessive clothing, umpteen books when I’m old.

For me, keeping things simple is the ultimate life hack, and it requires zero effort. It means realizing that a closet with ten outfits you actually love beats a wardrobe full of “maybe one day” outfits. It is acknowledging that sometimes saying “no” to a social obligation is not selfish; it is a free evening spent in jammies.

We overcomplicate things for ourselves. We collect digital clutter, emotional baggage, physical “stuff”, and any number of old receipts for things purchased decades ago. But the happiest people are not the ones with the most moving parts. They’re the ones who have figured out that a good cup of coffee, a quiet room, a tidy home and a cleared calendar are the ultimate luxury.

I have friends and colleagues who hoard. Not in the real sense where there’s no room for them in their homes for the number of things filling up the space. But in terms of taking on too much and holding on to things. They fill up their calendars with social engagements to the point where there are two dinners on the same day. They buy things spontaneously, not considering whether they need the item. Worst of all, they compete with others, trying to outdo them. Then they complain that they have too much in their heads, their homes, their lives.

So I say: Delete the extra apps. Eat the same breakfast twice. Hide your credit cards from yourself. Start politely declining some invitations and accept more of your own ……to yourself.

Your life is not a corporation, you don’t need to optimize, or project manage it. Keep it simple!

Email me: bernadette@gogettercoaching.com .