Someone once said “it takes a genius to live a simple life” and I totally agree with that.
In this world of “dramatic distraction” and information overload it is too easy to become overwhelmed, lose focus and be swept away from the things that matter most.
Here are 16 tips that I have learnt form other leaders, blogs and books, and have been trying to apply in my life to de-clutter, un-complicate and become more intentional about how I spend my time…
1. Turn off all technology for 60 minutes a day and focus on doing your most important work.
2. Don’t check your email first thing in the morning. (This one in particular has been life-changing for me!)
3. Start your day with exercise. (or even better, learn how to surf – no better way to start the day!)
4. Be obedient to the sabbath! (That means learning how to really rest and refuel – taking one full day a week as a complete recovery day.)
5. Learn to say no.
6. Plan your week ahead. (I spend 10 minutes every Sunday evening looking at my diary for the upcoming week and planning spaces for work, rest, exercise, relational meetings etc. It helps me to stay focused on that which is important and gives me permission to say no to that which isn’t.)
7. Don’t answer your phone every time it rings.
8. Get up early.
9. Go to bed early.
10. Eat a big healthy breakfast.
11. Clean out your closets. Get rid of things you never wear or don’t use anymore.
12. Stop watching TV. Or at least cutback to no more than 1hr per day. (Jess and I haven’t had a TV for the nearly 6 years we’ve been married. When you don’t have it, you simply don’t miss it.)
13. Make sure you plan a decent holiday break once a year. (I find it should be at least 10 days for it to become truly regenerative.)
14. Learn to protect your time. The data says workers are interrupted every 11 minutes. Distractions destroy productivity and complicate your life.
15. Do your banking online.
16. Use Evernote. Seriously, it’s an amazing piece of software.

In the end, it’s about priority. About deciding what really matters and, as Stephen Covey says, “putting first things first”! And so, as you simplify your life, may it increase your productivity and grant you a greater sense of purpose, and may it bring you great freedom and peace.