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7 Simple Ways To Make Life Simpler (Even If Your Life Is a Little Crazy)
“Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex,
and more violent. It takes a touch of genius—and a lot of courage—to
move in the opposite direction.” ~E.F. Schumacher
I used to live the most complicated life you could imagine.
I tried to be perfect at everything. All the time.
I was constantly proving myself. Trying to climb the corporate ladder
while juggling work and family life. I would step into my boss’ shoes
whenever she went on leave, no matter how little notice she gave.
I’d extend my hours to ensure I had her work covered, along with my own. That’s right, I’d happily do two jobs at once.
Was I insane?
Looking back, it certainly seemed that way. Whenever anyone would ask
how I was, I would answer, “I’m crazy-busy. I can’t stop and talk right
now.”
I kept thinking that I just had to work smarter and put in more effort to get over the “hump.” But I never got over the hump.
For a while, I was too busy and overwhelmed to determine how to get
out of that mess. I even thought I was having a nervous breakdown, so I
went to see my doctor, and she put me on stress leave.
That’s when it hit me—my job was costing my sanity, and my life was too precious for me to be stuck in that vortex.
I had to make some serious changes to make my life simpler, easier, and more enjoyable. Here’s what I figured out.
1. Don’t hide what’s inside.
You might invest a lot of time and energy trying to be the way you“should” be and conforming to all those things that you think people
expect of you. If so, you don’t even do it consciously.
But in adhering to what you think other people expect of you, you’re
adding a layer of complexity that you don’t need. It’s like you’re
trying to be someone else.
Start getting to know who you are and what you value so you can shed the extra layers and live on your own terms.
Life is simpler when you satisfy yourself and meet your own expectations rather than try to satisfy everyone else.
2. Reframe bad situations.
We all have crappy stuff that happens to us. But when you find yourself thinking negative thoughts, stop and reframe.I don’t mean paste a smile on your face and try to convince yourself everything is rosy. That doesn’t work.
But looking for the silver lining, or finding the opportunities behind the challenges, really improves your outlook.
My workplace became a nightmare, and my doctor put me on stress leave
because I was a mess. But that’s what gave me the necessary push to rebuild my life.
Even when I was in the middle of the mess and feeling like my life
was falling apart, I kept thinking maybe this is an opportunity; maybe
this is just what I need to make a change.
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