Blurts & Spasms

In answer to Quora question: "What are some things you do to simplify your life?"

Thanks for the A2A. Love the question! Here are my top 10 thoughts on this:

1) Avoid consuming conspicuously. Instead, buy stuff that lasts, that really improves your quality of life, and that helps you fulfill your purpose on this planet (rather than gratifying an impulsive whim or answering some advertisement's call-to-action).

2) Have regular techno-fasts. By this I mean taking a break from all technology - and especially entertainment and communications technology - for long stretches of time. An hour or more each day. An entire day each week. A weekend every month or two. Along the same lines, narrow your communication methods to just one or two (i.e. email and phone, or texts and Skype, etc.) so that you aren't constantly bouncing between different ones.

3) Get rid of unused crap. Haven't used it in a couple of years? Give it away or throw it away.

4) Meditate regularly. When the muddle settles, the water becomes clear.

5) Operationalize your values. Prioritize your life according to what you think is most important and virtuous, rather than any expectations of society, family or friends that compete with your values. Then have the people who are closest to you remind you of this when you begin to drift.

6) Learn to let go. As an emotional reflex, learn how to let go of grief, stress, rage, jealousy, greed, spite and all other antagonistic, counterproductive emotions, and replace them with compassion.

7) Lower your expectations of yourself, and the expectations others have on you. How long is your MBDN list (Must Be Done Now!)? Stop adding things to it until you've finished the current to-dos. How full is your calendar with events you feel obligated to attend? Cut the number of events in half, and moving forward only say "yes" to half the number you would normally attend. What is your income goal for the next three years? Reduce it by 25%. Do you have more than eight friends you consider close? Figure out which four of them really are. Involved in too many causes or hobbies? Pick your top three of each and focus on those. And so on.

Evaluate if you are being codependent in any of your relationships, and change that. (see Compassion and Codependence)

9) Schedule your priorities rather than prioritizing your schedule. I got this from Stephen Covey's Seven Habits book, I think in the "First Things First" section.

10) Practice unwavering integrity. Let your actions align with your words, your words align with your thoughts and feelings, and your thoughts and feelings align with your beliefs. Take responsibility when this doesn't happen, embrace the consequences, have compassion for yourself, and try harder next time.

My 2 cents.