7 Ways to Simplify Your Life

7 Ways to Simplify Your Life 

‘Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify.’ Henry David Thoreau

It is my habit to rise amidst the burgeoning¹ daylight of each day before even the kookaburras let forth² a recognizable burst of uncanny laughter from their bushy perch³ that is my backyard. I even beat the chickens that let forth their egg laying cackle. These are the feathered and quite comical friends that my wife recently purchased to deliver a constant glow of edible⁴ specimens⁵ – from what has become an organic free-range egg factory.

The older I get the more simplicity⁶ I desire in my life.

Over the past twelve months in particular I have worked hard to remove many of the overheads that have encumbered⁷ my personal and business life, and I know for a fact that in the years to come I will move deeper into the Australian bush – for therein I find simplicity and a place to rejuvenate⁸ and refresh while still reaching out globally through the power of technology.

So does that mean I cut myself from humanity, business and everything else that can so often cram⁹ so much detail into our lives – so much so that we don’t even have room to breathe?

No.

It simply means that we must begin to see what is of greatest importance to us personally and then pursue that, and that alone.

Please allow me to share what are the ‘simple’ things that create order and progression in my life on a daily basis.

Some may or may not suit you, but may I exhort¹⁰ you to pursue simplicity, for therein is found peace and joy.

So here are just 7 simple things that I apply to my life on a daily basis.

1. Early To Bed, Early To Rise

By making this part of my daily routine I find that I get the bulk of my work done before midday. I am far more creative in the morning hours and it is nice to get to the middle of each day having completed the necessary tasks that are moving my life and my business – both online and offline – forward.

2. Afternoon Meetings

As much as possible I schedule meetings with other humans – one on one – in the afternoon – generally in a relaxed atmosphere so that my mornings are left as much as possible for my creative efforts. Obviously, when I’m communicating with associates on the other side of the world I may need to break this for a productive Skype session. So flexibility¹¹ is the name of the game.

3. List Of 6

Every day is greeted with a plan in place – a list of 6 things that need to be completed that day. The list is prepared the previous day and left on my desk, and throughout the morning I work steadily¹² to complete each task and cross it off. Any things on that list that are left undone¹³ are shifted to the next day. If for some reason a task continues to be moved from one day to the next I ask myself whether or not it was really that important after all.

4. Leverage¹⁴

If a task is not in line with my strengths I delegate it or outsource it to those who are strong in those areas. I cannot do everything and don’t even try. Having a team of professionals to assist me empowers my life and keeps things simple.

5. Passion

As much as possible I spend the bulk of my time in the outpouring of my passion. Work is not work. It’s pure joy as I continue to create and navigate¹⁵ in a sea of passionate¹⁶ activity.

6. Rest & Rejuvenate

Doing nothing – or being engaged in activities such as gardening, reading, walking, exercising, spending time with family and friends are the times when some of my most creative thoughts are birthed. By making this part of my daily routine I find that I am never found wanting when it comes to ideas – and these times also afford me the chance to dream BIG dreams.

7. Journal

The recording¹⁷ of thoughts has expanded my capacity and proficiency¹⁸ as a writer and as a communicator – and my more than 50 journals, that I have carefully stored away in my home office, are a constant source of fresh ideas whenever I take a peek¹⁹ back at what I have written – sometimes decades ago.

But with all that aside, one of my greatest pleasures enjoyed is to simply sit in my garden and listen to the wind whistle through the leaves in the bush land that surrounds my home and watch as flickers²⁰ of reds, greens, gold’s, or whites flutter through the trees accompanied by an array of birdsong that lifts both my spirit and delights my soul.

Simply simple.

Motivational Memo²¹: To simplify is simply the best thing to succeed in an often complex world.

To discuss: How can you begin to simplify your life?

1 burgeoning   

adj.迅速成长的，迅速发展的v.发芽，抽枝( burgeon的现在分词 )；迅速发展；发（芽），抽（枝）

参考例句：

• Our company's business is burgeoning now. 我们公司的业务现在发展很迅速。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• These efforts were insufficient to contain the burgeoning crisis. 这些努力不足以抑制迅速扩散的危机。 来自辞典例句

2 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

3 perch   

n.栖木，高位，杆；v.栖息，就位，位于

参考例句：

• The bird took its perch.鸟停歇在栖木上。
• Little birds perch themselves on the branches.小鸟儿栖歇在树枝上。

4 edible   

n.食品，食物；adj.可食用的

参考例句：

• Edible wild herbs kept us from dying of starvation.我们靠着野菜才没被饿死。
• This kind of mushroom is edible,but that kind is not.这种蘑菇吃得，那种吃不得。

5 specimens   

n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人

参考例句：

• Astronauts have brought back specimens of rock from the moon. 宇航员从月球带回了岩石标本。
• The traveler brought back some specimens of the rocks from the mountains. 那位旅行者从山上带回了一些岩石标本。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 simplicity   

n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯

参考例句：

• She dressed with elegant simplicity.她穿着朴素高雅。
• The beauty of this plan is its simplicity.简明扼要是这个计划的一大特点。

7 encumbered   

v.妨碍，阻碍，拖累( encumber的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The police operation was encumbered by crowds of reporters. 警方的行动被成群的记者所妨碍。
• The narrow quay was encumbered by hundreds of carts. 狭窄的码头被数百辆手推车堵得水泄不通。 来自辞典例句

8 rejuvenate   

v.(使)返老还童；(使)恢复活力

参考例句：

• The mountain air will rejuvenate you.山里的空气会使你恢复活力。
• Exercise is perhaps the most effective way to rejuvenate your skin.锻炼可能是使皮肤恢复活力的最好手段。

9 cram   

v.填塞，塞满，临时抱佛脚，为考试而学习

参考例句：

• There was such a cram in the church.教堂里拥挤得要命。
• The room's full,we can't cram any more people in.屋里满满的，再也挤不进去人了。

10 exhort   

v.规劝，告诫

参考例句：

• The opposition can only question and exhort.反对党只能提出质问和告诫。
• This is why people exhort each other not to step into stock market.这就是为什么许多人互相告诫，不要涉足股市的原因。

11 flexibility   

n.柔韧性，弹性，（光的）折射性，灵活性

参考例句：

• Her great strength lies in her flexibility.她的优势在于她灵活变通。
• The flexibility of a man's muscles will lessen as he becomes old.人老了肌肉的柔韧性将降低。

12 steadily   

adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地

参考例句：

• The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
• Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

13 undone   

a.未做完的，未完成的

参考例句：

• He left nothing undone that needed attention.所有需要注意的事他都注意到了。

14 leverage   

n.力量，影响；杠杆作用，杠杆的力量

参考例句：

• We'll have to use leverage to move this huge rock.我们不得不借助杠杆之力来移动这块巨石。
• He failed in the project because he could gain no leverage. 因为他没有影响力，他的计划失败了。

15 navigate   

v.航行，飞行；导航，领航

参考例句：

• He was the first man to navigate the Atlantic by air.他是第一个飞越大西洋的人。
• Such boats can navigate on the Nile.这种船可以在尼罗河上航行。

16 passionate   

adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的

参考例句：

• He is said to be the most passionate man.据说他是最有激情的人。
• He is very passionate about the project.他对那个项目非常热心。

17 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

18 proficiency   

n.精通，熟练，精练

参考例句：

• He plied his trade and gained proficiency in it.他勤习手艺，技术渐渐达到了十分娴熟的地步。
• How do you think of your proficiency in written and spoken English?你认为你的书面英语和口语熟练程度如何？

19 peek   

vi.偷看，窥视；n.偷偷的一看，一瞥

参考例句：

• Larry takes a peek out of the window.赖瑞往窗外偷看了一下。
• Cover your eyes and don't peek.捂上眼睛，别偷看。

20 flickers   

电影制片业； （通常指灯光）闪烁，摇曳( flicker的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The fire flickers low. 炉火颤动欲灭。
• A strange idea flickers in my mind. 一种奇怪的思想又在我脑中燃烧了。

21 memo   

n.照会，备忘录；便笺；通知书；规章

参考例句：

• Do you want me to send the memo out?您要我把这份备忘录分发出去吗？
• Can you type a memo for me?您能帮我打一份备忘录吗？