Every moment spent managing complexity is a moment not spent pursuing your dreams – dreams of meaning, contribution, and true fulfillment. Simplifying your life frees up mental space, reduces decision fatigue, and aligns your day-to-day actions with your deeper values.
[Title Photo by Suzy Hazelwood]
The “Perfect” Life?
Lara had a stimulating, exacting job, a comfortable, demanding home, and a fulfilling, stretched-to-the-limit life. At work, she had the reputation of responding promptly to every e-mail and text and taking on every task that was assigned to her or that needed someone to handle it. And, so far, she had been able to keep hidden (at least, she thinks she has) the fact that she was behind on an important project and that she frequently missed deadlines.
Her home was beautifully decorated, not an item out of place. But her closets were a jumbled mess, she could never find what she wanted when she needed it, and most drawers were so packed, she could barely open or close them.
It had always been invigorating to Lara to feel she was “in charge”—at work, staying caught up with every job, large and small; at home, buying and displaying nice things and wearing the latest fashions; and with life in general, as she appeared to be well in control.
Except lately . . . Lately, Lara is beginning to feel a bit stressed and frazzled around the edges. Dealing with the endless, small, everyday tasks is taking a toll on her, physically and mentally, and keeping her “too busy” to get to the meaningful stuff. Her house, while appearing neat and inviting to the casual eye, feels like a huge, overstuffed weight on Lara’s back. And life, which had at first felt full and fulfilling, was becoming way too complicated and difficult.
The Chaos of a Cluttered Life
What Lara is experiencing is something many of us face: the silent chaos of a cluttered life that looks good on the outside but feels overwhelming inside. We strive to have it all, do it all, and keep it all together, but at what cost? If you feel like Lara, the path forward may not be more effort or better systems. It may be something simpler: less.
This is the essence of Excelerated Simplicity™, a way of life that allows you to step off the hamster wheel and into a place of clarity, focus, and peace.
Why Is This Important?
Your time and energy are not infinite. Every moment spent managing complexity is a moment not spent pursuing your dreams, dreams of meaning, contribution, and true fulfillment. Simplifying your life frees up mental space, reduces decision fatigue, and aligns your day-to-day actions with your deeper values. It doesn’t require deprivation, but it does need intention. Excelerated Simplicity™ is one way to get your life back on track.
How to Start
So what does a simpler life look like in practice? Here are a few small, meaningful shifts:
- Take a step back and identify what truly matters to you.
- Examine your commitments. Are they aligned with your values?
- Do less each day. Not everything needs to be done right now. And some things may not need to be done at all.
- Leave breathing room in your schedule.
- Eliminate non-essentials from your to-do list.
- Slow down. Savor your actions, from brushing your teeth to making your morning coffee.
- Practice single-tasking. Give your full attention to what’s in front of you.
- Drive slower. Eat slower. Speak slower.
- Identify stressors and take steps to reduce or remove them.
- Schedule solitude into your week.
- Add simple joys – walks, music, tea, fresh air — into your day.
- Be present. Practice mindfulness in ordinary moments.
- Make frugality a game, not a grind.
Lara Gets Her Groove Back
Here’s how Lara began to change her situation. She started by carving out ten minutes each morning to sit quietly with a cup of tea. No phone, no agenda. Then she started saying “no” to some requests at work, just the ones that didn’t align with her key responsibilities. At home, she picked one drawer to declutter each week. Within a month, her mornings felt calmer, her workday more focused, and her house began to breathe again.
Lara didn’t overhaul her life overnight. She just made space for simplicity. And found peace in the process.
Action!
Ready to get started on your own Excelerated Simplicity™ journey? Here are three steps you can take today:
- Declutter one small space, a drawer, your email inbox, your calendar.
- Say no to one non-essential commitment.
- Schedule one block of time to do absolutely nothing . . . and enjoy it.
The Peace – and Power – of Simplicity
Don’t be fooled: Simplicity is powerful. It gives you back your life, not the overscheduled, overstuffed one, but the one with meaning, spaciousness, and joy. As Jack Trout reminds us, clarity beats complexity. So cut the fluff, simplify your decisions, and remember that what looks like doing less is often the key to living more.
Start your own journey to simplicity today. Choose one small area to simplify and take action. Share your progress with someone or write it down. And if you’d like more guidance, download the free Excelerated Simplicity™ Workbook to keep the momentum going.
Live with clarity. Live with focus. Find the peace of Excelerated Simplicity™. It’s another step on the path to embracing your Excelerated Life™!
Are you facing (or hiding from) the chaos of a cluttered life that looks good on the outside but feels overwhelming inside?
What one small step can you take today to begin embracing a life of Excelerated Simplicity™?
Share your experience by leaving a comment below.
Excelerated Simplicity™ — freeing yourself from unnecessary complexity — is one practice for creating your Excelerated Life™, a life of flourishing and well-being, and a life of meaning, purpose, and service.
Read more about the Excelerated Life™.
Resources:
Johnson, Cheryl K. Box Lunch Lifestyle. Marine on St. Croix, MN: Traction Books, 2022.
Trout, Jack with Steve Rivkin. The Power of Simplicity. New York: McGraw Hill, 1999.
This blog post includes research information and suggestions provided by ChatGPT, an AI language model developed by OpenAI. The content was generated with AI assistance and is intended to provide information and guidance. Please note that the suggestions are not official statements from OpenAI. To learn more about ChatGPT and its capabilities, you can visit the OpenAI website.