DOWNSIZE YOUR LIFE: 10 EASY WAYS TO SIMPLIFY

by Kelly James-Enger

       Is your in-box out of control?  Bedroom closet so crammed you can’t find your favorite black skirt?  Time for a crash course in Simplicity 101—ten ways to de-stress your life that will leave you more time and energy for the things you want to do:

        Adopt a different attitude.  “If you want to make your life simpler, one of the first things you have to realize is that you can’t do it all,” says author and simplicity guru Elaine St. James, author of Simplify Your Life (Hyperion, 1994).  “Recognize that in not doing it all, there are things that you will miss out on and that’s OK—the tremendous improvement in the quality of your life will more than make up for anything you may miss out on.”

        Trim the “FAT”.  Desk a disaster area?  Clutter postpones decisions, warns professional organizer Barbara Hemphill, author of Simplify Your Workday (Reader’s Digest, 1998).   To eliminate paper pileups, she recommends the FAT system—either File, Act on, or Toss every piece of paper that comes across your desk.   File documents that you may need in the future; keep documents that require a response until you’ve handled them; and toss everything else. 

        Put it in writing.  Invest in a planner for appointments, frequently-called numbers, and all those assorted stray bits of information.  It doesn’t matter whether you choose an inexpensive daybook or a top-of-the-line Palm Pilot—just pick something you’ll use.  At the end of the every day, list your priorities for tomorrow—you’ll be more organized and less stressed. 

        Cut up your credit cards.  Less is more when it comes to plastic.  Pay off any outstanding balances, and ditch all of your cards except two—one for tax-deductible expenses and one for personal expenses, says Hemphill.

        Simplify your wardrobe.  First, get rid of everything you haven’t worn for a year (donate it to charity or swap with friends).  Then select a limited color scheme, and build your wardrobe around it—whenever you buy something new, it should coordinate with what you already own.  Choose machine- and hand-washable clothing over expensive fabrics that must be dry-cleaned.  And finally (this is the toughie!), limit your shopping to several trips a year—you’ll waste less time and save money to boot.   

        Eliminate dead-end relationships.  Grown apart from former friends but stay in touch out of guilt?  Just because someone was once important to you doesn’t mean the relationship must be permanent.  Free yourself from relationships you’ve outgrown so that you have more time for people who add something to your life now. 

        Turn off the tube.  Television is both a huge time drain and noisy distraction.  If you turn it on as soon as you get home, leave it off one evening a week—you may be surprised at the time you suddenly have (and you can always tape ER!)  Newspapers are another major time-waster—you don’t have to spend an hour reading the paper every morning.  Scan the headlines to see if anything interests you and then move on with your day.

        Ignore the phone.  Even if you can’t screen calls at the office, don’t be slave to a ringing phone at home.  Let your machine pick up—if it’s important, they’ll leave a message.  When you do get those annoying solicitation calls, resist the urge to hang up.  Politely say you’re not interested and ask the person to remove your name from the company’s calling list.

     Junk the junk mail.  All those catalogs, credit card offers, and advertisements take time and energy to sort through.  Write to Stop the Mail, PO Box 9008, Farmingdale, New York, 11735-9008 and request that your name not be sold to mailing list companies, recommends St. James.    

        Take time for yourself.  Make a point to schedule some downtime every day.  Get up early and write in a journal or take a quiet bath before bed—no TV, radio or other distractions allowed.  You may be surprised at what a difference this makes in your day.  “It’s those quiet times,” says St. James,  “that give us that feeling of fullness in our lives.”