Last updated: Thursday, April 5, 2007 | 12 Views
“As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler; solitude will not be solitude, poverty will not be poverty, nor weakness weakness.”
- Henry David Thoreau
You’ve probably heard it a hundred times or more – if you want to reduce the stress in your life you need to simplify. In the words of Henry David Thoreau, “Simplify, Simplify.” But this is much easier said than done, of course, and there is no shortage of experts who are happy to tell you exactly how to do it.
All of that advice and guidance can quickly become confusing and even overwhelming – so much for simplifying your life! So I’ve sifted through this huge onslaught of information and picked out the ten best tips I could find to help you simplify your life. These tips are my ten commandments for a simpler way of life:
I. You shall find work that is fun.
Nothing complicates your life more than forcing yourself to go to work every morning when your heart tells you that you should be doing something else. To live is to grow and change, and nowhere is that more evident these days than in the world of work. So find work that is fun and uses your natural gifts. Wise people spend their days on pursuits that engage the fullness of their natural strengths. In doing so, they always meet with success.
II. You shall laugh on a daily basis.
Laughter is very powerful medicine. It can lower stress, dissolve anger and unite families in their resolve to overcome troubled times. It will renew your perspective and rekindle the childlike enthusiasm that you may have lost. Most of us are too busy to laugh and too serious to smile. We have become caught up in our own sense of importance. We have forgotten to nourish the child within all of us who is just waiting to get out and have some fun. Never forget that children come to us more highly evolved than adults to teach us the lessons we need to learn. Study children. Learn from their natural wisdom. They will remind you that if you haven’t laughed today, you haven’t lived today.
III. You shall sell the box sitting in your living room.
Although it has the power to do good, television is eating up your free time. And do you really have anything to show for all that time you have given to the box sitting in your living room? When you deeply reflect on all the hours, days, weeks and months you have given to your television, has it done anything to raise the quality of your life? While TV has some excellent programs, don’t be a slave to it. The average American watches 3-4 hours of TV per day. Don’t lose the best years of your life spending every evening on the couch.
IV. You shall break your addiction to the news and go on a “news fast.”
News is predominantly negative. And one of the universal laws of the mind says that “as you sow, so shall you reap.” What goes into your mind determines what comes out. So break your addiction to the news. All those killings, all that violence and the calamity do nothing to add to your inner peace. If you want a simpler way of life, spend the next seven days away from the news. Read some great books or listen to some good music instead.
V. You shall get in the habit of taking daily “silence breaks.”
Slow down. Silence is golden. In this crazy age we live in, the average person doesn’t spend even an hour a month in silence. Yet silence renews us, it relaxes us, and it allows us to reflect on how we are living and make necessary corrections before it is too late. Try spending 30 minutes a day in silence and solitude. It will help your mind to relax, so you can shift from the work-and-spend treadmill and focus on what’s most important to you.
VI. You shall clean up your act.
We all collect “stuff” along the way - it is inevitable. So try spending some of your time going through a closet, a shelf, a drawer, and getting rid of anything you don’t need or cherish. What’s exciting is that once you start on these surface areas, weeding that out, the skills and mindset carry over to more complex areas like your work and relationships.
VII. You shall turn off your technology.
Are you feeling the stresses and strains of modern life? Turn off your cell phone in the evening, answer email once a day instead of constantly throughout the day, or put down your laptop computer for an afternoon. Let yourself be unconnected to the rest of the world for a little while and relish in the freedom that creates.
VIII. You shall be spontaneous.
Routine is good to a certain extent, but sometimes you just need to break free and do something different. Let yourself be spontaneous, choosing what to do and how to do it based on your own wishes rather than someone else’s wishes. You’ll feel more in control, have more energy, and lift your spirits immediately.
IX. You shall set a bedtime and stick to it.
Chronic lack of rest affects every aspect of life, from the amount of energy you have to your performance at work or in school. Simplify your life by setting a bedtime and sticking to it. Get in the habit of going to bed early and you will transform your life.
X. You shall learn what is “enough.”
Many of us are turned off by ideas like simplifying or frugalizing our lives, but it’s really about transforming your life in a conscious and deliberate manner. It is about determining what is enough in your life, so you can do more with less. Keep that in mind.
Remember what separates the peak performers from the weak performers: the first group says “no” to anything that is not important while the second group says “yes” to everything. Live a simpler way of life.
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Delightful post… and I wish I had a printer so I could print it out and post it on my wall just to remind myself every so often… but for now, I am going to do V & VII - turning off my laptop for the afternoon and taking a silent break outside in the late autumn sun.
Of all the Points …The last Point - You shall learn what is “enough.” - is Excellent , That emphasizes Simplicity a Lot… There must be limit on certain things and at the same time we must not be complacent also. It requires a good Judgment on what is required and what not.
Wonderful Post…!!!
[...] Ten commandments for a simpler way of life [...]
[...] Life becomes complicated because our attention is pulled to several directions– Relationships, business or career, studies, and even blogs! Please go to ririanproject to read the entire post. http://ririanproject.com/2007/04/05/ten commandments for a simpler way of life/trackback/, Work Life Balancespread the word:These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. [...]
Good points to follow Ririan. Nice post. Viji
In silent moments you should take time and listen to your soul.
[...] Ten Commandments for a Simpler Way of Life at Ririan Project “I’ve sifted through this huge onslaught of information and picked out the ten best tips I could find to help you simplify your life.” (tags: inspiration motivation self-improvement psychology simplicity) [...]
This is a great idea. I’ve seen this type of list before, but I really like what you’ve done with the concepts. You’ve hit the nail on the head about the media…most assuredly a negative influence. Good stuff!
[...] clipped from ririanproject.com [...]
Thank you for your kind words guys.
[...] clipped from ririanproject.com [...]
Ten Commandments for a Simpler Way of Life…
Stress is a natural physiological mechanism that drives us to get things done. Without stress, we would float about life aimlessly without any goals in mind. It is stress that makes us get up for work each and every morning and meet our obligations. We…
[...] I think there is something inherently ironic about this article, which suggest that you need to follow even more rules to enjoy more simplicity in your life. But nevertheless, the contents of the article are actually pretty good. I stand by all those commandments (or I shall prefer to call them, strategies) except perhaps for number 6 and 9. Maybe I should get started on those two myself. III. You shall sell the box sitting in your living room. Although it has the power to do good, television is eating up your free time. And do you really have anything to show for all that time you have given to the box sitting in your living room? When you deeply reflect on all the hours, days, weeks and months you have given to your television, has it done anything to raise the quality of your life? While TV has some excellent programs, don’t be a slave to it. The average American watches 3-4 hours of TV per day. Don’t lose the best years of your life spending every evening on the couch. [...]
It is a nice list. Any thing to have a simpler life is nice.
Maybe we should include talking to children or something like that. Their thinking are simple. At times they are funny, and at times, it amaze me how complex life have become for me. Or how complex I had made it for myself.
[...] 2. Ten Commandments for a Simpler Way of Life [...]
The Personal Development Carnival - April 15, 2006…
Welcome to the April 15, 2007 edition of the Personal Development Carnival!
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Samuel Peery has done an excellent overview of Applying GTD principles to your personal finances - Part 1, posted at Getting Finances Done. Since I’m a a big …
[...] Ririan presents Ten Commandments for a Simpler Way of Life posted at Ririan Project [...]
[...] Ririan presents Ten Commandments for a Simpler Way of Life posted at Ririan Project. [...]
Those are indeed powerful commandments. I particularly like the advice to switch off your technology. I have a great example from ages ago: Halfway through my year’s training for a Marathon my Walkman gave out, and I simply didn’t bother replacing it. Having nothing but the sounds around me to pay attention to was a very powerful way of connecting me to the moment, and my runs became almost a meditation period. The simple, astonishing power of a beautiful garden, for example, is something best enjoyed in stillness.
Simplify simplification…
A few days ago, I was skimming through thousands of pictures looking for eyes, preferably eyes of a strong tree out of a dream come true, but that’s another story. In my breaks, I did some day-to-day work like hopping over, actually scurrying ov…
[...] 10 Commandments for a Simpler Life clipped from ririanproject.com I. You shall find work that is fun. II. You shall laugh on a daily basis. III. You shall sell the box sitting in your living room. IV. You shall break your addiction to the news and go on a “news fast.” V. You shall get in the habit of taking daily “silence breaks.” VI. You shall clean up your act. VII. You shall turn off your technology. VIII. You shall be spontaneous. IX. You shall set a bedtime and stick to it. X. You shall learn what is “enough.” [...]
[...] Ririan of RirianProject.com with his powerful Ten Commendments for A Simpler Life [...]
Ten Commandments for a Simpler Way of Life at Personal Development with Ririan Project…
Learn the ten great advices that would make your life easier, especially when we are living in this high pace world….
You shall find work that is fun.
Yep. Done that. Alternatively you could find the fun things in your work and concentrate upon those.
You shall laugh on a daily basis.
Yes. Also remember to share the joke and laugh at other people’s jokes, otherwise people may feel you are going crazy if they see you laughing to yourself all the time!
You shall sell the box sitting in your living room.
Oooer. No, nope, no way but at least I shall be in more control of when and what I watch and do something else if there is nothing I want to watch.
You shall break your addiction to the news and go on a “news fast.”
Oh yes, yes yes yes. Has anyone else noticed (I’m sure they have) that the ‘news’ is always bad news .. murders, crime, disasters. Watching this can only make you more depressed and worried.
You shall get in the habit of taking daily “silence breaks.”
(got nothing to say about this … just do it!) Also be mentally silent, calm your mind or you ‘inner voice’. (oh darn, I thought I had nothing to say about this!)
You shall clean up your act.
Guilty! I know that I tend to collect things and am loathe to be rid of them, feeling perhaps that by getting rid I shall be ridding memories as well.
You shall turn off your technology.
Oooer, again, no way! But I shall use the technology more effectively and for a purpose other than mere entertainment.
You shall be spontaneous.
Yep, great, love to be spontaneous.
You shall set a bedtime and stick to it.
Hmm, I shall try this.
You shall learn what is “enough.”
Yes, this is a big one. Enough is enough and yet so many of us keep looking for more and becoming unsatisfied that we cannot reach a goal. By defining your goals, you are able to tell when you have enough.
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