“Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” – Confucius

Could you enjoy your life more if it were slowed down a little bit? This post will show you how to achieve that effect.

Learn to say no – Not every engagement, meeting, or event needs you to be there, nor can every task be done in one day. Be realistic with yourself and what your limits are. Communicate to those around you what your expectations are for yourself and stand your ground on your reasons. You don’t have to over-extend yourself on the explanation; just decline the invitation or speak up if you’ve been given too much work. Your stress-level and capabilities are important and should be taken into consideration.

Prioritize – Many of us don’t feel quite comfortable enough to relax until we come home, cook dinner, do the laundry, help the kids with homework, and do the dishes. But how many days will you do this in a row without any change? For the rest of your life? If you’re only waiting to enjoy your life at 9 pm, then what type of satisfaction do you truly gain? Maybe there are a few nights where the laundry is not so urgent, or perhaps the dishes can wait. Spend time with your family, work on a fun activity you love to do (like painting), or just spend some time vegging out with a book or some TV. You don’t have to live a hectic, busy life full of chores and responsibilities. If you want a simpler life, look at what can give you a simpler life: less things to do on a given day. You won’t be a bad spouse or parent or adult if you let some things go occasionally (or more).

If it doesn’t make you happy, stop doing it – This ultra-simple advice may seem a little too good to be true, but it’s worth looking into your life to at least ask why you’re doing something. Why are you still at your job that has you overworked and underappreciated? Are you building resume experience? Is the money worth the way it makes you feel? If you feel it’s worth it, then you can be satisfied with that. But if you no longer know why you’re there, it’s time to get back out in the job market. You can apply this with anything in your life. If you can’t find a good reason why you’re still doing something a certain way, then focus on how you can change it.

Love at least one thing – You might not be at your dream job or in your dream house; in fact, you may feel like nothing about your life is really your ideal anything, but with that mentality, your life is going to constantly feel like a chaotic rollercoaster as you’re waiting for it to suddenly change. You might very well be on the path to changing things, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the ride along the way. Do you love spending time with your family? Create a movie or game night. Do you love your coworkers at your job? Take a moment to be thankful for that instead of complaining about your workload. Are you working on your college degree in journalism? Refocus on your academic goals with a renewed sense of purpose. Everything in your life is there for a reason; instead of focusing on the unpleasant things, relish in what you love.

About Alex Blackwell

Alex Blackwell is the author of Letting Go: 25 True Stories of Peace, Hope and Surrender, which includes 10 free Peace and Balance tools.
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