9 Rules for a simple day

Our days go by so quickly, and they are so busy and full of distractions that they feel like they are slipping away.

It is a huge source of stress for many people, and stress can be the single most important factor in determining whether we are healthy or sick. So how do we simplify our days? It’s not incredibly difficult, but I’ve found it best to do it step by step. These are the steps I followed, and of course, calling them “rules” means that we should test them and break them as needed. No rules should be followed blindly. However, I have found that these really work.

Check out my June challenge below to help you implement a simpler day.

These are the rules I propose:

Visualize Your Perfect Day .

It’s not so much about how this “perfect day” will be real as it is about understanding what a simple day means to you. It’s different for each person – for me, it might mean meditating, writing, and spending time with my wife and kids. For others, it’s yoga and painting and a hot bath. For others, it’s time to focus on important work, but still do other things later in the day. Take a minute to visualize what that means to you.

Know what’s important.

The simple version of simplification is “identify what’s important and eliminate the rest.” So take the time to identify the most important things in your life (4-5 things), then see what activities, tasks, projects, meetings, and commitments fit into that list. Take the time each day to identify 1-3 Most Important Tasks (MITs) at the beginning of your day. Or the night before, for the next day.

Say no to extra commitments.

Now that you’ve identified what’s important with the “perfect day,” you need to start saying “no” to things that aren’t on your list of important things and that are interfering with the perfect day. The biggest thing you can say no to is a commitment – ​​being on a committee, joining a project, coaching or participating in a team, going to an event, being a partner in a business, etc. List and evaluate your commitments (professional, civic, and personal), and say no to at least one. It may require a call or an email.

Group small tasks, then leave them.

Emails, paperwork, small things at the bottom of your to-do list (create a “small tasks” section at the bottom), minor phone calls, etc. These shouldn’t get in the way of your important tasks. But they should still be done at some point (if you can’t put them off, then whenever possible is best). If you have to do them, group them and do them all at once. It’s best to do these later in the day when your energy is down and you’ve done the important tasks of the day. Don’t let small tasks get in the way of big tasks. Once you’ve done a bunch of small tasks (including email processing), leave them and go. You don’t have to do this all day, or even half a day.

Set aside time that is free from distractions.

When are you going to do your most important task? Schedule it with a time frame (1 hour, 2 hours, 4 hours, whatever works for you). Make this your most sacred meeting. Be communication-free. Turn off the internet, all notifications, all calls. Do only the most important task, and then do the next one if you have time.

Limit your tasks.

Every morning, list your 1-3 most important tasks. List other tasks you would like to do. Say no to some of them. See if you can limit your list to 5-7 tasks per day (not counting the small ones, which you will group). Limiting your tasks will help you focus and accept that you can’t do everything in one day.

Mindfully Single Task.

Stop multitasking. One task at a time, focusing fully on that task. Practice mindfulness while you’re working it’s a form of meditation. Watch your thoughts drift to what needs to be done next, but then return to the task at hand. As you practice being present with your current task, your day will become much simpler and much more enjoyable.

Slow down.

We spend our days in a constant state of constant movement, filled with a single, frantic anxiety. Instead, slow down. Life doesn’t fall apart if you don’t rush from task to task, email to email. You can stop, reflect, smile, and enjoy the task at hand before moving on.

Create space between.

We cram our tasks and meetings together, leaving no space between them. The space between things is just as important as the things themselves. Leave a little space between meetings, even between tasks. Take a break to stretch, take a walk, have a glass of water, maybe do a simple breathing meditation for a minute or two. Enjoy the space.

Commit to practicing in the 3 core pillars of the Brave Path so that you can fully access your life to create a meaningful life..