In this world of tons of data, we have over complicated our lives to the max. Sometimes it takes just a little attention to simplify your life and therefore be much more at peace. I know in my house we have 6 computers, 2 printers, a scanner and storage on a wireless network. The amount of data I can get bogged down in daily is huge. I have one child in college and one that will be a senior in college. Just keeping the paper work for his test scores, college applications and checklists take a huge hunk of my time. Granted, I am an overachiever, but that’s my problem. 
So what can we do to simplify our lives? Here are some ideas I have and have borrowed from others.
· De-clutter your work area. I listen to the Oprah XM channel and there is a guy on the show that specializes in de-cluttering. He has some great recommendations that I have started implementing. Take 2 bags with you to your room. One bag is for garbage and one bag is for the Goodwill. It is amazing how my things have multiplied over the years! I have also promised not to keep another magazine without throwing one out first. Some things I have kept as mementoes, but it is amazing what I was able to get rid of.
· Clean your desktop. Every evening, I clean my desktop off and write in my planner what I need to do the next day. That way, when I start work, I feel clean. Only problem, is I am a workaholic and sometimes the work hours are sporadic!
Sitting at a desk with no clutter will keep our minds clear and thinking about the task at hand. Also, keeping your planner up to date will make you feel on top of things.
· Make your bed. Many of us don’t make our bed the first thing after we get up. I always do. I feel so much more comfortable with it made. Mostly since I work at home, it makes a clear start to the work day.
· Clear your inbox. This is one of my harder tasks. I get so much email; I have to force myself to have set times when I read email. I have lots of folders, but I still end up with a mess of email to deal with. This is one of my goals for improvement.
· Eat slowly. Sit down at the table and have a proper meal. This is hard for me. Sometimes I forget to eat lunch at all! With phone calls, webinars, writing, coaching, meetings…wait. I am doing exactly what I am preaching not to do. It is better for your digestive system to eat slowly and also to take a nice walk after lunch before getting back to the races.
· Drive slower. I am very bad with this item. Luckily, working at home helps. But I live in the Houston area and people drive crazy here. One thing I have to make a habit of doing is turning my cell phone off while I’m in car. More than once, an angle has saved me from an accident while I was turning my purse inside out looking for my cell phone! Better yet, take a walk and enjoy the beautiful nature God has given us.
· Laugh out loud or Smile. That’s one reason I listen to the XM radio channels to get in a few giggles. It does wonders for my spirit.
· Talk to people. This is easy for me since I am such a people person. The only problem is I can get caught up in talking too long! It does help break the day up. Make sure to mix business discussions with pleasurable discussions to help even out your conversations.
· Work on what is most important to you. If you have read my blog before, you know how much I believe in having a mission statement. If what you are doing does not fit in with your goals, drop it. We only have so much time and once it’s gone we can’t get it back. It is vital that you work on what is important to your goals, roles and mission. If you have a job that doesn’t allow that – find a new one. Time is too short to waste. We never know when it is our time to go so let’s enjoy life as much as we can while we are here!
Donna Ritter
Life and Spiritual Coaching 