47 Different Ways to Simplify Life and Live Happier

One of the reasons why people are unhappy is that they have made their lives too complicated. If you want to live a happier life, then you must simplify your life and get rid of all the things that make it complicated. Read this list of 101 different ways to simply life and use it as a guide to simplify your own life today. Not every item in this list will work for each person who reads it, but you will surely find something in this list that will help you save time, energy, and space and therefore make your life a little less complicated.

47 Ways to Simplify Life:

1) Make a simpler definition of “success” Many people are unhappy because they believe they are not successful in life. They fail to feel successful because their definition of “success” is too complicated or impossible. “I am a success if I live in a $10 million mansion” or “I am a success if I drive a $500,000 car” are some examples of poor definitions of “success”. Make simpler definitions of success such as “I am a success if my family is happy” or “I am a success if I excel at my job”.

2) Don’t shop unless it is necessary In other words, do not browse catalogs, stores, or auction sites looking for something to crave or need. You will feel happier when you feel that you don’t need anything and there is nothing missing in your life.

3) Avoid advertising in your mind Sometimes you may find yourself wanting something that you cannot have and you keep advertising this item in your mind and encouraging yourself to buy it. You will be much happier if you become content with what you have and not think of anything else that you might need.

4) Don’t buy a car Cars only make you worry about gas, repair costs, parking tickets, etc. Don’t buy a car if you can ride a bike, walk, or take public transit to where you want to go.

5) Downsize your home A smaller home means lower mortgage, fewer rooms to clean, lower rent, and lower utility bills.

6) Learn to enjoy without owning You don’t have to own something in order to enjoy it. Learn to enjoy viewing the paintings in an art gallery or the flowers in your neighbor’s garden without getting them for yourself. You don’t need to buy the paintings or plant flowers in order to enjoy them.

7) Learn the concept of “enough” If your needs are already met, you don’t have to acquire more in order to be happy. Being greedy and wanting more than enough will only lead to frustration.

8) Realize that you are not in the spotlight

Your life will become much simpler if you will realize that you are not the center of everyone’s attention. You must realize that people do not really care about (or even notice) what you are wearing, what you own, or how you look. You don’t need to buy expensive, stylish clothes or color your hair like you’re some kind of celebrity.

9) Develop an attitude of gratitude You will live a happier life if you develop an attitude of gratitude. Learn to be grateful for even the little things that you have and avoid stressing yourself out over the things that you want to have.

10) Do not be a drama queen (or king) Do not make mountains out of molehills because it will only make your life complicated. If something or someone upsets you, get over it quickly instead of spending several days crying or being depressed about it just like those scenes you see on the daytime soaps.

11) Do not hold grudges Learn to forgive and forget and don’t hold grudges against anyone. Forgiveness will help ease your tensions and stress and will give you more energy and time for positive pursuits.

12) Do not be overly sensitive

Understand that other people may sometimes speak without thinking and accidentally say something that will make you upset. Just forgive them, forget about their careless remarks, and don’t let it ruin your day.

13) Think before you speak Once you say something that offends someone else, you cannot take it back. Make sure that you think before you speak. Don’t say anything unless you plan to say something nice.

14) Think before you act Do not act on impulse. You can save yourself a lot of trouble by thinking first before you act. Think about the possible consequences of your decision before you do it.

15) Be yourself Do not live according to the expectations of others and do not feel obligated to do what everyone else is doing or wants you to do. Be yourself and be original.

16) Don’t compare yourself to others Comparing yourself to others will only make your life complicated and make you feel unsatisfied with your own life. Stop wishing that you had what others have and instead be happy with what you have. People will love and respect you because of who you are and not because of what you have.

17) Do not meddle in other people’s business Avoid worrying or meddling in other people’s business. Concentrate on improving your own life.

18) Live in the present Learn to live in the present and do not dwell on the past or worry about the future. Focus on what you can do right now to improve your life instead of being depressed about the mistakes that you have made in the past or being afraid of what the future might bring.

19) Accept other people for who they are You can also make your life less complicated by accepting other people for who they are. Learn to live and let live. Do not worry about the personality, goals, or preferences of other people.

20) Keep an open mind You can make your life more pleasant and interesting by keeping an open mind. Learn to consider and accept viewpoints, beliefs, and opinions that are different from yours; you just might learn something new or realize something about yourself.

21) Strive to make friends, not enemies Your life will be much happier if you have lots of friends and no enemies. If someone has made you upset, forgive him or her and try to work out your differences as friends.

22) Do less, not more Improve your productivity by learning to do less, not more. Avoid cramming and trying to do many things in a short amount of time. Free up your schedule so that you will be more productive. This can also help you avoid getting stressed out.

23) Share your expertise with other people Do not keep all of your skills and expertise to yourself. Sharing useful information with others will make things easier and less complicated for everyone. You will also want others to share what they know with you since these may contain the solutions to some of your problems.

24) Ask for help No one can achieve great success without the help of others. Asking for help or advice from others will eliminate confusion, mistakes, and the time you spend having to resolve them all.

25) Remove clutter from your to-do list Remove the unnecessary, unimportant, or unfulfilling activities from your to-do list. Replace them with activities that are more important or use your free time to relax.

26) Consolidate your errands

Consolidate your errands to make your life simpler and save time. Plan your trips to the dry cleaners, post office, grocery store, etc. so that you can finish them all in a single trip.

27) Consolidate your tasks Consolidating your tasks will also allow you to save time. It will be more efficient for you if you can answer your emails, pay your bills, and do your ironing in one sitting.

28) Fix small problems before they become bigger problems Small problems can become big problems if you do nothing about them. Therefore, fix your small problems as soon as possible before they give you headaches later on.

29) Forget about perfection Nobody is perfect and no one can become perfect. Be satisfied whenever you do a good job and don’t waste time and energy trying to make everything perfect.

30) Be flexible Learn to adapt to different situations instead of being stubborn and doing things “your way”. Always pause to think of the best way to handle a situation.

31) Go with the flow

Learn to accept that some things are beyond your control and there is nothing you can do about them. Instead of trying to take control, go with the flow, let it happen, and just keep moving on.

32) Choose your battles Not all battles are worth fighting for. There are many small problems that you can just ignore and let go. Choose your battles wisely and don’t let the small problems get in the way of the things that are truly important.

33) Do not expect too much

When you expect too much, you are only setting yourself up for disappointment and stress. Nothing good will come from expecting too much of others and yourself.

34) Limit your commitments You can make your life less complicated by limiting your commitments. Avoid increasing your number of obligations and drop old obligations to make room for new ones.

35) Learn to delegate Don’t try to do everything yourself. There are people out there who are always ready to lend a helping hand. Get other employees to help you with projects and ask your spouse and children to help you with some of the household chores.

36) Learn to say no For a lot of people, it is very difficult to learn to say no. Saying “No” means someone is going to be disappointed, but you need to do it in order to have enough energy and time for the things that really matter.

37) Take a break from using the internet The internet is full of unpleasant things that make your life more complicated such as news about disasters, online stores with overpriced merchandise, rude Facebook comments, and more. Disconnecting from the internet for one day or one weekend can be a very liberating experience.

38) Check and answer your emails during defined periods If you are constantly distracted by incoming emails, it takes longer to finish the task at hand. You will be more productive at work if you answer your emails during defined periods only.

39) Reduce your Twitter time Tweeting can significantly reduce productivity. Reduce your Twitter time and don’t check your account while working so that you can focus on the important tasks that need your attention.

40) Reduce the number of blogs that you read Reading blogs is a good pastime but it may also cause you to ignore the work and chores that need to be done. Reduce the number of blogs that you read and avoid subscribing to many blogs in order to free up your time for more important work.

41) Quit Facebook Facebook is a major time sink and a huge digital commitment. Quitting Facebook is difficult for most people because it is the only way that they can get in touch with

their loved ones and friends who live far away. If you can’t quit Facebook, you should at least limit the time that you spend on it.

42) Purge your internet bookmarks regularly Many people tend to create bookmarks of websites that they have found interesting. However, if you create too many bookmarks, you will find yourself wasting a lot of time scrolling through your bookmarks and not reading anything. The stuff that you found interesting in the past may be boring to you today, so purge your bookmarks regularly and remove those of websites that do not interest you anymore.

43) Organize your computer files You can make your office life less complicated by organizing the files on your computer. Put similar files in one folder and create file names that make it easier for you to search for them. This way, you will not be wasting a lot of time wading through hundreds of files to find what you are looking for.

44) Sort incoming paperwork immediately While working in the office, sort your incoming paperwork immediately so that you will know which ones you need to do immediately and which ones can be put off until later.

45) Throw away junk mail immediately Junk mail and solicitations should not be brought to your house or office. Keep a trash can near the door or mailbox and throw away junk mail immediately so that they won’t clutter up your house or office.

46) Work from home It is more relaxing to work at home and you will be able to work more efficiently because there are no colleagues bothering you. If possible, arrange to work at home at least once per week to save on commuting costs and finish your tasks sooner.

47) Get rid of your TV Get rid of your TV if you don’t use it anymore. These days, many people prefer to watch movies, sports, and newscasts on their tablets or smartphones. No TV means less exposure to commercials, lower electric bills, no cable subscription fees, and more money in your wallet. I don’t own a TV and I find that I read a lot more and take much more pleasure in it.

This was written by Luca Samson, an experienced meditation instructor who has studied many forms of meditation. You can visit his blog at Meditation Techniques for Beginners for some free resources on how to meditate and live a happier, more

fulfilling life.

For a full list of 101 different ways to simplify your life and live happier visit the following link, I’m sure you are going to absolutely love it! 101 Different Ways to

Simplify Your Life and Live Happier.

Cheers, Luca Samson.

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