Q. How do I simplify my life?

Because, like most, I have a plurality and diversity of interests that at times can get overwhelming. 

Think of it like selecting a capsule wardrobe for your mindbody.

Start with an overview. Get a sense of the various aspects of your life which are feeling complicated. Review them in a vista, mentally, or write them down on a sheet of paper so you can see them. Mix big and small. Any project that feels like a point of pressure, an annoyance, or a commitment that generates a sigh when you see it come up on the calendar.

What’s the harm in letting those things go?

Do so responsibly. If you need to give notice to a volunteer committment or project where others are involved, do so with time to spare and respect for the people who have worked with you. Don’t let these obligations reach a point of crisis or neglect.

You want your life and your schedule to have elasticity in it, some give, some slack. Having that extra gives a place for creativity to emerge and play.

After you’ve assessed all the areas of your life { work – community – home – family – body – spirit – soul – growth } – and understood which projects provide joy and point towards the future, and from which you need to move on – the pathway to moving on will start to clarify.  Just acknowledging that a project or time commitment has served its purpose is the first step- the most important step.

Carefully, graciously, and consciously remove yourself from obligations, projects, and people that are no longer aligned with your current trajectory.

With all that time you have freed up, you will no doubt start to notice the extra things in your life. Read this book by Marie Kondo if you haven’t already. She deals beautifully with things.

Finally, turn to simplification of thoughts and emotional patterns. It’s necessary to have the space, first in terms of time and schedule, and then in terms of things and objects, prior to really dealing with thoughts and emotional patterns. And wouldn’t life be dramatically simpler if these aspects functioned perfectly?

Remember you are a mindbody. The body-emotions-thoughts continuum will always rise and fall in tandem. For most, caring for the body is the first and easiest place to start because it is tangible. Resculpting thoughts is abstract business. Don’t forget that the objective of caring for your body is to create the bodymind harmony.

When you let go of a time-obligation in the real world, it doesn’t usually come back to visit you the next day (that is, if you have let go of it properly.) The same is true with objects- once you give them away they don’t return to sit in your space the following week.

But thoughts and emotions are different. Try as we might to let certain ones go or give them away, they are prone to returning the next day. It’s necessary to pick new thoughts to replace them, and cultivate new emotions- primarily through physical activity- to replace the old.

Think of it like selecting a capsule wardrobe for your mindbody.