TOP 10 STEPS TO SIMPLICITY!

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By Patty Kreamer

Excerpted from The Power of Simplicity

1.  Be on the look out for hearing and saying these statements:

 

I am so busy.

I never have any time for myself.

I am always running late.

I never make dinner…I make reservations.

I can’t remember the last time my family ate together…

I didn’t have a chance to…

I am always so tired.

I wish I had time to…

My office is so messy I can’t get any work done.

My house is a disaster area.

I never have company…it’s too embarrassing!

I never stop running all day but I get so little done.

Our family never gets together…we’re all so busy.

 

2.  Recognize that simplicity is a journey, not an event.

 

Simplicity is a choice.  A decision.  The bottom line is that only

you are responsible for what you bring into your life.  Period.

 

3.  Know that CLUTTER CAN:

Make you feel tired

Affect your body weight

Keep you living in the past

Make you put your life on hold

Induce a feeling of shame and guilt

Be the main cause of procrastination

Add unnecessary confusion in your life

Affect how people treat and/or respect you

Induce or enhance the chances of depression

Cause disharmony among family, friends, or coworkers

4.  Use the NEED VS. WANT” Filter.

 

Do I NEED or WANT this item?

 

If I NEED this item:

Where will this live when I get it back to my home or office?

If there is no room for it, the second question to ask is:

What will I get rid of in order to make room?

 

If I WANT this item:

 

Can I live without this item?

Can I wait a week to make the purchase?

Do I really want to spend my money on this item?

 

5.  Live by the ONE IN – ONE OUT Rule.

 

This is really simple: When you buy something new, get rid of something old. 

6.  Identify how you make decisions…EMOTIONALLY or LOGICALLY.

 

Emotion might bring guilt, fear, stress, and several other feelings into play.  Logic, however, dismisses feelings and goes to the thinking side of decision-making.  Looking at your stuff, it’s easier to feel what it means to you than it is to think about what it is doing to you.

 

7.  Remember what IMPULSE stands for:

 

I 

Must 

Purchase 

Until 

Logic 

Surpasses 

Emotion

 

8.  Learn to use THE POWER OF THE PAUSE.

The investment of just a few minutes or seconds in a “pause” BEFORE anything new enters your life can make a monumental difference.  The period of time before you decide to bring something new into your life can be the crucial “make or break point” in attaining simplicity.  You have to make a conscious decision whether or not you have both physical and emotional room for it. 

9.  Take Inventory.

 

Literally taking an inventory of what you have in your life will be a productive step for you.  Since clutter is what you no longer see, many times you don’t even know what you have! 

 

10. Recognize that only you can make the choice to live your life on purpose.

 

Simplicity is not easy, but you now have the essentials to successfully begin the process and achieve it.  Remember that simplicity is not an event.  It is a lifestyle, a choice, YOUR choice, a journey, and an ongoing path.

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Read a Sample Chapter of The Power Of Simplicity (PDF) 

 

REPRINT PERMISSION granted in part or in whole when the following credit appears is full:

 

© 2004-2007 Patty Kreamer

Patty Kreamer, owner of Kreamer Connect, Inc., is a professional organizer, speaker, and author of “…But I Might Need It Someday!” and “The Power of Simplicity” now available at www.ByeByeClutter.com.  Email Patty or call her at 412-344-3252.

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