My main goal for 2013?
Simplify. Everything.
Over the past few years, I have worked very hard to simplify my life – to focus on the essential, important things, people, and opportunities in my life.
In my relationships, with friends and family, at church and in the community, I have learned to connect with and care for people who add to my life. This is not to say that I have no time or room for those from whom I cannot directly benefit – but, rather, I have learned to be influenced only by those who truly care about me. In short, it’s awesome to have a life filled with good, positive people.
I have adopted extremely simplified techniques for managing our finances:
- A budget is created
- Income is received
- Deposits are made
- Bills are paid
- Retirement contributions are withdrawn
- Paperwork is filed
- Life is lived
Several years ago (2008, according to Amazon) I purchased an awesome time-management resource: Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
I am applying my Simplify. Everything. philosophy to my eating as well. As has been well-chronicled over at No. Calories Needed, I have struggled with my weight. I have tried all kinds of diets – but I finally realized, I can’t diet forever. So, I’m just focusing on being healthy – eating real foods and moving. I am spending more time out-of-doors (when it’s not freezing cold) and exercising. I have a simple, edges-of-the-grocery-store shopping plan. I buy what I need, prepare it, eat – and get on with my real life.
Spiritually, I have, as a part of my daily routine for nearly two decades, spent time studying the Bible. As a Christian, nothing in life is more important than my relationship with Jesus – and I am consistently stunned by both His grace and His mercy. I have learned to simplify, even when it comes to my spiritual life, and to really focus on the things that matter, the important things that God teaches us – and to ignore what Paul called “meaningless discussions”. There is too much good to be done to waste my life debating irrelevant issues.
Our home – due to the awesomeness who is my wife – is extremely organized. Her organizational skills have impressed me so much, I have become a better organizer. We plan for activities, keep a clean house, avoid clutter like the plague, and routinely give away stuff that we no longer need. I wish I could take more credit, but our home is the way it is because my wife is the way she is – and I’m blessed by her.
I am always looking for ways to simplify – areas that need to be focused on – and ideas to make things easier. I want to spend as much times as possible with the people for whom I care, so simplifying the other areas of my life is critical.
2013. Simplify. Everything.