English translation of a Persian article from the WebTarget archive. The date above is the original publication date. Some advice, especially technical details, may be outdated.
Ten practical ways to make life simpler
Different people spend their time in different ways, so a simpler life means different things to each of us. Many of us want more time with people we love, or for the activities we enjoy: recreation, exercise, and personal interests. Without a little planning, tiring obligations can gradually fill the day. We look around and realise there is no time left for those things. Are our activities taking us towards our goals? Are they useful to our lives? These are questions we need to answer for ourselves.
This article offers a few simple, practical suggestions for making life less complicated and using our time more effectively.
1. Decide what really matters
Identify what is important to you and what you want from life. This is the first step towards simplifying it. Once you know your priorities, you can arrange tasks and activities around them. Choosing the work that contributes most to your goals can also reduce the worry of wondering whether you should be doing something else.
2. Review your current routine
Look at how you actually spend your time. Does your routine support your work and your health? Does it leave room for friends and family? Are activities ordered by their importance and their contribution to your goals?
If some of your activities work against those priorities, it is time to change them.
3. Organise the flow of information
Much of the information we encounter each day seems useful, and some of it really is. The question is how to plan our use of that information so it serves our own goals.
Do you have a plan for reading newspapers, websites, blogs, and email?
Reading without a plan can reduce its value and leave your mind crowded. Organise information into categories such as work, news, science and technology, sport, and recreation. Give useful material a place in your schedule according to your priorities. Reading news or enjoying an article can still be part of the plan; the aim is to choose rather than to be swept along by the flow.
4. Simplify tasks at home
Household work is easy to overlook when thinking about productivity. Yet poorly organised chores can take a great deal of time. What are your responsibilities at home? Which ones do you repeat every day? Make them simpler and plan when to do them, rather than allowing them to expand without a clear result.
How could you arrange household work to remove unnecessary tasks?
These are questions worth answering for yourself.
5. Let go of things you no longer use
Look through your shelves. How many books have you never read, or read once and will not read again? How many films, magazines, or other belongings are no longer useful to you? Consider giving them to someone who would enjoy them, or selling them to pay for something you need. Personally, I prefer giving them away: knowing they can be useful to somebody else is more satisfying to me.
6. Avoid buying things you will not use
Many of us have bought a book, film, piece of clothing, or other item in the excitement of shopping, only to discover that it was not useful to us. Paying for something you do not need is an unpleasant feeling. For things you will use only occasionally, consider borrowing or renting instead. Borrowing a set of books or films from friends also gives you a chance to hear their opinions before deciding whether it is right for you.
7. Keep your surroundings organised
Our surroundings influence how we feel and work. Keep your workspace, desk, home, and personal and work files reasonably organised. A tidy environment can make everyday activities easier and support a simpler routine.
8. Try using less paper
Look at your desk. Is it covered with notes whose purpose or date you can no longer remember?
Storing some of this information digitally can make it easier to categorise and retrieve, while keeping the workspace clearer. Paper is still useful for certain tasks. The suggestion is to choose a suitable method, rather than to let loose sheets accumulate without a system.
9. Ask other people for help
As your work grows, trying to do everything alone can leave you exhausted. The strain can affect the other people in your life as well as you.
Share tasks with friends and colleagues, and delegate work to people who can do it well. Getting help gives you more time to focus on the activities where you are most effective, and can reduce unnecessary pressure.
When you hand over a task, choose somebody with the skills to carry it out at least as well as you could.
10. Take time away from everyday dependencies
What do we depend on every day? The internet, a phone, music, transport, and many other conveniences can occupy much of our attention. Set aside some time each week, or occasional days, to step away from the usual routine. Use that time for yourself: do something you enjoy but usually postpone, spend time with people you love, go outdoors, and make room to enjoy living.