Keep it simple

By MiNDFOOD

Keep it simple
The less-is-more approach can be an effective way of managing your time better and embracing freedom. Here's how to make minimalism a part of your life.

More often than not, people relate productivity with cramming as much stuff into one day as possible. Do you pride yourself in creating long to-do lists and ticking them off, only to be disappointed and overwhelmed at the end of the day when your errands are seemingly left hanging? Although misguided, we are all guilty of such a mentality.

As hard as it might be to cut back, sometimes keeping it simple, is the way to better time management and efficiency.

So how can we make better use of our time and why does it work?

Clear mind, clear life

Do your possessions spark joy? That is the central question of a tidying manual that has become something of a cult phenomenon. Marie Kondo, author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, sparked a revolution of minimalism, calling for a material ‘purging’ of sorts, to allow for greater joy in our lives.

That Kondo’s book has tapped into the zeitgeist makes sense. As the world considers the environmental and social impacts of having too much stuff, we’ve seen a trend toward downsizing.

When Kondo works with clients to declutter their homes she doesn’t ask them to throw out everything they own, only the things that do not “spark joy”.

As she writes, “human beings can only truly cherish a limited number of things at one time”. If we live with only these items, Kondo believes, we will restore balance to our homes and ourselves.”

This is true of so many aspects of our lives. By cutting down on the amount of decisions you have to make – whether they be about what to eat for dinner, where to go on the weekend or even what clothes to wear, we are giving ourselves more time to spend on mindful pursuits.

Cut it out

Multitasking effectively is a talent, but loading up our plates with unnecessary projects can be more harmful than we realise. When we are multitasking we are stretching out our attention and as such, it is harder to devote our full consciousness to one set task.

Learn to commit to a single task and see it through. you will be surprised at how much more you can get done when you are focussed, and driven.

Organise

Just as Kondo suggests culling items in our homes and offices, it is also a great idea to clear any digital clutter as well. Take some time to organise your email inbox and file away any important documents into folders. By decluttering and organising your inbox you are also ordering and decluttering your mind.

 

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