As has been said many times, by all manner of people in recent years, the modern world seems to present many unique issues — some of which have rarely, if ever, been a factor in the life of the average person before in history.
As our material well-being and technological sophistication grows by leaps and bounds, measures of life satisfaction and happiness across the developed world nonetheless remain overwhelmingly static, or even decline over time, relative to ratings in previous times when conditions overall were markedly more difficult.
One of the number one reasons that gets frequently proposed for this odd dynamic, is the fact that we are all more likely to be completely distracted, and to feel like our lives are immensely over-complicated and stressful, these days. This isn’t just empty conjecture, either.
When all is said and done, each and every one of us is subject to an immense and never-ending flow of information these days — and that information is coming at us from every conceivable possible source, and then some others, too.
You may have the day off work, but you’re almost certainly going to end up bombarded by dozens, or hundreds of news headlines, clickbait article titles, book suggestions, product ads, and more, without so much as a moment to pause and catch your breath. Then you get to worry about the image of yourself you’re presenting on social media. And then you get an email from work that you need to respond to.
It seems like one thing that we virtually all need, or at least, could do with more of, would be simplicity and the opportunity to pause and catch our breath once in a while.
Here are a few tips for simplifying your life in order to ultimately enjoy a more meaningful life.
When you relax or have fun, do it in a way that has some benefit and isn’t just a waste of time
Everyone, obviously, likes to relax and have fun. A life without a bit of relaxation and enjoyment would be a pretty terrible life indeed, and as the old saying goes, “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”
But the fact that you shouldn’t spend every waking hour of your day grinding away and missing out on every possible laugh and smile has to offer, doesn’t mean that you should just waste your time on activities that have no ultimate benefit aside from idle fun or relaxation, either.
The best thing to do, is to simplify your life in this regard by cutting out or at least significantly reducing all of the idle activities that you participate in, that have no real benefit. For example, spending hours upon hours watching TV series by yourself, in bed, on Netflix, is not likely to enrich your life in any real or substantial way. Sure, you may have some fun doing it, but couldn’t you find some other way of having fun that had more of a payoff
Even just watching your TV shows with your partner, or with some friends, or family, would be something — as the experience would turn into a social event of sorts.
Then again, you could also read literature that carries you away to other worlds while simultaneously deepening and enriching your imagination. Or you could go to a museum with friends, or practice drawing. There are many ways to unwind and have a good time that will help to enrich your life overall, and there are also many ways of unwinding that won’t.
Seriously consider using web blocking tools to restrict the amount of time you spend surfing the web
As a modern, 21st Century person reading this article, you clearly have web access. Of course, since this post is hosted online, it’s not going to make the argument that the internet, or internet articles, are “bad”. In fact, the internet is one of the most powerful tools for growth, and the pursuit of self-improvement and new opportunities, ever created.
That being said, though, the internet is also likely to be the number one source of distraction in your life, and the biggest time-sink you’ll ever encounter.
What starts as a straightforward and reasonable web-browsing session for the sake of investigating a particular topic for a while, soon devolves into an absolute whirlwind of procrastination, lost focus, and wasted energy and time, spent clicking from one eye-grabbing headline or photo to the next, on, and on, and on.
If you care about simplifying your life — and subsequently being able to enjoy a more meaningful life — it’s really in your best interest to limit your web browsing time. Not only will this reduce the amount of time you waste outright, but it will also make the time you do spend online more meaningful and focused.
To achieve this, you should seriously consider using web blocking tools to prevent you from casually wandering off onto an absent-minded web-binge. Freedom is one of the most popular subscription web blocking apps, and works for both your computer and phones and mobile device.
Cold Turkey Blocker is another option for your computer, and requires only a small one-off payment.
See what you can do to become more self-sufficient in your home and life
This suggestion has more to do with “simplicity” in the sense of adopting a more deliberate and focused pace of living, than “simplicity” in the sense of a more straightforward life. Nonetheless, this form of simplicity, too, can have a major positive impact on your quality of life.
The suggestion here is fairly straightforward — see what you can do to become more self-sufficient in your home, and in your life, overall.
This could mean having water tanks installed in order to collect rainwater and be less dependent on public utilities. It could also mean planting your own vegetables in your garden, so that you are more capable of supplying some of your own food. It could even mean organising your life via a physical paper notebook instead of by using web apps and programs, so that you don’t have to be dependent on some external service.
Taking on a more self-sufficient mindset, along these lines, helps to turn you into a more focused, autonomous, confident, and capable person.
Suffice to say, this can go a long way in helping you to feel like your existence is more meaningful — and like you’re participating in it, rather than just being carried along for the ride.
Go through a process of focused de-cluttering, to identify and appreciate the things that actually mean something to you
There are probably a few good reasons for the recent popularity of Marie Kondo and her Netflix show, which is focused entirely on the concept of decluttering. For that matter, there are probably a few good reasons for the recent prevalence of “minimalism” in general.
When your home is permanently cluttered, it will inevitably be the kind of place that generates feelings of stress, anxiety, and a lack of focus. In addition to this, it will also almost certainly cause you to take the bulk of your belongings for granted, and to not view them with the degree of respect and appreciation they deserve.
When you go through a process of focused de-cluttering, on the other hand, you not only get rid of all the assorted items that don’t add much, if anything, to your life, but you also simultaneously identify and are better able to appreciate the things that actually do mean something to you.
At the end of your de-cluttering mission, it should be only these meaningful items — and a few purely functional ones — left behind. And that, alone, will lead to a significantly more positive and meaningful life.
Reduce the number of hobbies and goals you’re trying to pursue at any one time
With the sheer amount of options we all have access to these days, in every domain of life, it’s not uncommon for people to be frantically trying to pursue half a dozen or so different hobbies at any given time, and consequently failing to actually make any meaningful headway in any one of those domains.
The same is true for goals — both personal and professional. You are not likely to manage juggling 5 startups at once, and having even a marginal level of success with any one of them. It’s unlikely you’re going to simultaneously become a great cyclist and powerlifter, while also learning 3 languages.
In order to make meaningful progress in any domain of your life, you simply need to be able to reduce the number of hobbies and goals you’re trying to pursue at any given time, and focus your attention and time on a core few.
Not only will this help you to actually make headway with a given hobby, or hobbies, not to mention your overall goals, but it will also diminish that guilty sensation that you just aren’t living up to your potential, or making any progress.
Pause. Take a deep breath. Take a step back. Do less. Simplify.
