After extensive reasearch a.k.a my life thus far …… here are a few attitudes and habits to adopt if you would like to make your life a bit harder, less simple.  If you choose not to make it that way just do the opposite of the list – as always your life is what you choose it to be.

THE LIST:

1.  Get rid of your weekly plan – and especially your daily, yearly and 5 yearly one

2.  Always think about the past

3.  Always focus on what doesn’t really matter – sweat the small stuff

4.  Keep all irrelevant pieces of paper

5.  Always let stress get the better of you

6.  Always accept interruptions when you work

7.  Procrastinate all things

8.  Don’t have lists for anything — this one doesn’t count

9.  Let the day free flow – don’t schedule anything

10.  Do lots of things at the same time

11.  Never feel proud of yourself for accomplishing anything you do

12.  Don’t have any goals

13.  If someone asks you to do something always say yes – their stuff is more important than yours

14.  Rush through everything you do

15.  Do not prioritise

16.  Have as many useless possessions as possible

17.  Do everything yourself – don’t delegate to anyone

18.  Always keep your desk and work surfaces messy and cluttered

19.  Never believe you will do anything

20.  Surround yourself with friends who do not support and encourage you

Enjoy

..

Other postings you might like to read:

Delight in all the turns of your life

Simplicity Thursday – 5 things to do whilst boiling the kettle

Unburden yourself here – it’s free & freeing

In the silence are all the answers you seek

.

Last Monday’s post was my most successful yet – comments and hits wise that is and possibly one of the most  successful in a helpful way too – unfortunately that doesn’t come up on the analytics .  I would like to thank everyone who released emotions which they no longer wished to carry the full weight of and trust that in some small way it has made you feel lighter and added to your inner growth.

I will take a guess here and surmise that for some of you a fear had to be overcome to place a comment  and I wanted you who did over come a fear to know that last Monday I had a fear too.  It wasn’t in writing the post as only I was seeing it, yet as I went to push the publish button I hesitated, I doubted myself and quavered.  My last  post was different from my usual Monday sort, a move away from my comfort zone.  I could feel the build up inside me, I was a bit scared and put it down to maybe it wasn’t a good time to do a post like this  – what if I offend someone, what if no one comments, what if this and what if that…

As I sat there thinking whether ‘to publish or not to publish’ I began to wonder if maybe the feeling was just plain old fear; fear of doing something differently, of expanding, of growing.  Which one was it?  Then I remembered a piece I read in a magazine about a woman who had come through an experience of cancer.  When asked what positive had come out of her experience she said she would no longer waste another day not feeling totally liberated to be whoever she wanted to be.  Then I thought of all those people who have done great things in their life and often when asked, they too, say that they had to over come personal fear.

I decided then it was just plain old fear so proceeded with finishing off the post.  All the while the feeling kept chipping away, but I pressed on reminding myself not to succumb to it for it was only trying to keep me living a ‘small life’.   By the time I had finished doing all the extra bits like picking the picture etc it was too late for fear to grip me fully.  I had walked through it and was already on the other side with enough inner oomph to push the publish button.

~~ When I feel fear rising within I usually picture it as a wall of sheer muslin type curtains [hence the above picture], don’t ask me why, it’s just how it appears to me.   Obscuring what I want to see, do and be yet at the same time powerless to hold me back if I choose to move forward.  The curtains offer the illusion of resistance but really there is none for it is all self imposed.  So I picture myself walking through them and feeling the fear/curtains gently waft over me as I pass through.  No harm can be done as the fear is weightless  in comparison to the motion of me moving forward – both physically and mentally.  The fear becomes insignificant.  Only not moving forward stops me from being all I can be as only not moving forward stops you from being all you can be.

Which of your fears will you walk through?

Enjoy

Photo by independentman

Other postings you might like to read:

Delight in all the turns of your life

Simplicity Thursday – 5 things to do whilst boiling the kettle

In the silence are all the answers you seek

Micro productivity, for me, is not only about utilising all those unoccupied moments it is about recognising them.  Being mindful enough about the happenings during the day that I notice when I’m not living the moment.  It’s about living in the now.

So here are 20 to start you off and hopefully give you a few ideas:

At home

1. Throw out any old newspapers etc hanging around

2. Put away that coat or jumper that has been dumped on a chair

3. Fold a few pieces of washed clothing and put them away

4. Empty the bin

5. Wipe your kitchen sink or bench

6. Load the washing machine

At your desk/computer

7. Delete something unwanted from your desktop

8. Put away the file that has been in your tray for awhile

9. Put new paper in the printer

10. Decide what the next step is of something you really don’t want to do is

11. Take the first small step of the thing you really don’t want to do

12. Sit up straight as you type or browse

Anywhere, anytime

13. Drink a glass of water

14. Sit and breathe deeply for a minute

15. List all you are grateful for in your life – in your head, on paper or computer

16. Text someone just to say hi, thinking of you or to say thanks

17. Jog on the spot for a minute for a burst of cardio

18. Delete a few messages on your phone

19. Relax and let who you truly are come through

20. Visualise achieving a goal/goals

If you have any other suggestions on how to fill the odd spare moment then please leave a comment

Enjoy

Other postings you might like reading:

Are you are participant in your life or a bystander?

Are you living your true self 24 hours a day?

Honouring your core values

Simplify your wardrobe

How this is done is personal and you should do it in a way that makes it important to you; in a way that carries meaning.  Whether it is big or small is beside the point as it is the symbolism that it carries for you which is of importance.

So have a think over the next day or so and see what you would like to do.  If you are working or busy on the 31 December you still have time afterwards or even before to do something or you could imbue your whole day with the spirit you wish to mark.

A few ideas to get you thinking:

Make a list if you like of all the great things that happened to you during 2009 as well as all the things you achieved then congratulate yourself.

Cook a nice dinner for yourself and family or friends and chat about the year you have all had.

Do something that you wanted to do all year but never got around to as a send off to the year and to remind you in the coming year to get on with things.

Go for a drive somewhere and take in how wonderful nature can be and sit for a while and remember your year.

I am sure you will have some other fantastic suggestions of your own that are personal to you.  Whatever you decide to do, do it with your whole heart.

Enjoy

.

Other postings:

Simplicity can be simple

Our choices make our life

Honouring your core values

.

image by Sirkullay via Flickr

KITCHEN SURFACES

Working and preparing food in a kitchen that is functional, clean and streamlined is always more pleasurable than in one where nothing can be found or where there isn’t enough room to butter a piece of bread.  Many kitchens do not come equipped with adequate bench space so by the time the paraphernalia that ends up in the kitchen arrives there really is none to speak of at all.  As with many things to do with home life, keeping objects on the kitchen counter tops is just a habit.  If that habit is not working for you or is causing you hassle then it is time to change it – especially with the coming festive season approaching fast and all the extra cooking that it often entails.

ANY OF THESE SEEM FAMILIAR?

The toaster on the bench all day & night for toast made only a few mornings a week?

The juicer to remind you to drink the freshly squeezed fruit and veggies – last used 5 months ago

Six months of mail, old magazines you will read with a cuppa, supermarket specials from last Easter, recipes and folded paper bags all in a stack in the corner

A ceramic jar which was bought to put biscuits/sweets in but now has become a receptacle for old dockets, buttons which need to be sewn back on, elastic bands etc

Water bottles, things to go in the recycling/compost bin and a fruit bowl which hasn’t looked appetising for the last two days

THE TASK

1. Look at your work surfaces in the kitchen.  If your surfaces are really cluttered then it may be best to work on one section at a time.
2. Set timer for 30 minutes (anymore and you will get distracted, so best to work in increments)
3. Remove everything from the section
4. Clean the bench (or table top or cabinet top)
5. Ask yourself
   • ~ What do I use that area for?
   • ~ What really needs to be there?
   • ~ What does not need to be there?
6. Put back only what is worth moving every time you want to wipe the surface.
7. Put the rest of the objects where they belong, recycle them, put them in the bin or give them away.

If you cannot find 30 minutes or you cant bring yourself to bother with doing it for that time, then each time you are in the kitchen boiling the kettle take one object and put it where it belongs or throw it out.  It’s amazing how after a few cuppas things start to look a bit different!

If an object on your bench does not serve a useful and current purpose then it has no value being there & taking up space.

Enjoy

.

Other postings:

Top 3 habits to simplify your life

Simplicity to do #5

Simplicity to do #4

We want it to be made faster, ship it further, make record profits and we want to move onto the next thing; we want the latest of everything and we want it now.  Trouble with that is there will always be ‘the latest thing’ so one can ever have it for more than a fleeting moment.  Instead of getting the latest it seems we are getting lost in our own sense of lack.  We want more because we feel a sense of emptiness, a yearning for something.  What must be realised is that the stopper for the feeling of lack is not a new gadget or a bigger house but the growing of our own sense of self worth.

By wanting everything yesterday we live not in the present but in a future which may not always turn out like we think.  If we are only concerned with acquiring money, we must now ask ourselves what exactly do we want the money for?  How much do we actually need to sustain a lifestyle which will truly make us happy?  Money is nice – I am quite fond of it myself – but I am fonder still of peace within myself, with feeling a unity with an energy greater than myself and with finding joy within life.

Ask yourself ~

How much income do you really need to live your life

according to what will make you truly happy or what you truly value?

.

Related Posts:

• Are you a participant in your life or a bystander?
• The external journey is so passe

Change what you are spending your energy on and you will change the energy that comes to you.

You may not realise that you are in control of all that comes into your life.  By changing what you have as your main focus during the day you can greatly improve your life and multiply the good aspects of it whilst decreasing those that no longer enhance the way you wish to live.

1.

Decide where to focus your attention.  How do you want to feel?  Do you want to look at the bright side of life or all the negative parts of whatever is happening?

2.
List goals (or you could just start with one) and put them where you will notice them.  Live your goals as much as possible now – that way your attention is on them.

3.
Only have positive and uplifting things and people around you.  Don’t have anything around you that doesn’t make you feel the way you want to.  As soon as you notice something that has a negative effect on your state of mind….release it from your life

4.

Don’t be too hard on yourself when you drift off course for a day or so.  Noticing when you have strayed from how you truly wish to live your life is good too.  It means you are gaining a better understanding of your relationship with where you want to be.  Be thankful for the stray, find the learning in it and then return to where you wish to be.

5.

Celebrate and give thanks.  By celebrating, you are refocusing on positive things and the areas you wish to increase in your life.

.

When you make a conscious decision to focus on the positive aspects of not only what is happening to you but also all around you, you are saying yes to having more positive things in our life.  To accomplishing more of what is important to you.

Enjoy

Related posts:

5 steps to change a non useful internal possession

Habits are the basis of our successes

Are internal possessions cluttering your space for potential?

>

By streamlining activities that must be done regularly you can automate a portion of your life and allow more time for activities which bring you greater joy and purpose.  If you do not contain the time allowed to perform ‘life maintenance tasks’ then it is all too easy to have those tasks take up a large portion of your day.

Parkinson’s Law:

work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion

So it does and if you do not set boundaries to accomplish these maintenance tasks then it is all too easy to look back on the day or week and think that nothing other than these have been accomplished.

Here are just a few simple actions that can be put into practice straight away to help you minimise the time spent on menial (although sometimes necessary) tasks

Top 3 ways to simplify your life

1.      Don’t possess anything that doesn’t enhance your life now or help accomplish your goals.

a.       What is important to you in your life? (your core values)

b.      What do you want to achieve in the next 5 years?

c.       What gives you joy?

Anything that does not help you achieve the above is unnecessary in your life and especially in your household

- get rid of it. Why?

i.      You are spending time cleaning/storing something that offers you no benefit

ii.      It is taking up space in your life where that space could be filled with something more beneficial.  All spaces in your life don’t have to be filled with material objects.

iii.      Just because you spent money on it in the past and it was of benefit then does not mean it is of benefit now.  If you no longer use an item it turns from being useful to being a dead weight slowing you down from the life you want.

2.      Tidy as you go – always.

Even if you only did this one thing it will make life so much easier and less stressful.  By spending that extra few minutes or even seconds sometimes putting away an item makes life run a lot smoother.  Why?

a.       the item is always where it should be

b.      your environment looks neater

c.       you don’t spend extra time looking for it next time around because someone else has moved it again!

d.      you don’t have to put it away later when cleaning (which makes the time spent on cleaning even longer)

3.      Sort mail the first time you handle it

a.       action items that need it (replying to a call or answering a letter)

b.      put any old envelopes and useless paper items from the mail into the recycle bin (shredding anything with your details on it first).

When you look at the mail make sure you have the time spare to attend to it, often it only takes a minute or so.

ARE YOUR INTERNAL POSSESSIONS HELPING YOU LIVE HOW YOU WISH, OR DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING ELSE IN THERE?

.

When people think of clutter they think of an untidy attic, unwanted knick knacks or drawers overflowing.  That type of clutter is the obvious type, it is our external clutter, but there is another sort – our internal clutter.  Those beliefs and habits which are not supporting the way we would like to live our lives and are just there because we never got around to removing them or making new ones.  We either inherited them many years ago as children or we were given them and just started to use them as they were there at the time.  They are the habits and limiting beliefs that clutter up our potential in life and stop us from achieving all we can achieve.  They get in the way of us being all we can be by clouding our aspirations and weighing us down with negative thoughts and self sabotaging patterns of behaviour.  Just as we give our houses a spring clean and throw out things we no longer need so we should do the same with our internal ‘possessions’.

Identify one habit or belief that is no longer useful to you and get rid of it.

Now, this is not as easy as external decluttering because we cannot just throw it out or give it away in one swoop.  Internal decluttering is different as we do not ‘chuck out’ our old internal possessions but must swap them for another which is better suited to our needs.  Habits/beliefs cannot be disposed of but they can be changed to one that is more suited to the way we now wish to live.

Once you have identified your habit/belief then you must decide what the replacement will be

A lot of what we do on a daily basis is habit, so it is in our interests to have habits which will support us the most in achieving what we want to achieve.  Different things work for different people but I find that notes put up as reminders work for most people.  These have the effect of constantly reminding us of our new habit in the early stages when the old one is still dominant and the new one has not yet been embedded.  A bit like learning to drive acar where we must be conscious of all we do in the early stages – remembering to push the clutch in to change the gears and to look over our shoulder when manoeuvring etc.  It all seems very mechanical in the beginning and we think it will never be easy and flow but after a while it does and it all becomes automatic (as long as we press on and continue and not give up).  So it is with changing a habit or belief.  It may seem like a struggle in the beginning to remember to do it the new way because our system is set up so that we automatically do it one way and it can be hard to change that after many years.

Five steps to changing an internal possession (habit)

1. decide which habit or belief you no longer want to use
2. find another to replace it with
   
3. put up notes and reminders to prompt you to do it the new supportive way
4. be conscious of when you are doing it the old non supporting way
5. keep pushing on until the new habit is embedded and stay alert for the old one returning so you can nip it in the bud

If you liked this then you may also like reading

RELATED POST:

Habits are the basis of our success

~C Northcote Parkinson

.

related posts:

• Habits are the basis of our success
• another quote