I was having a conversation with a close friend of mine who pointed out to me (to put it in his own words)

“You know Rigdha, life is so complicated these days. I remember when we were little kids and we didn’t have to worry about anything at all. Heck, the most stressful thing was — how do I hide the coke stain on the carpet from my mother! But life is just so complicated now; you’ve got money issues, dead end jobs, career goals and relationships. It’s just always one thing after the other.”

Now, my friend is one of those talented, high achievers who obviously likes to keep on top of things. And let me guess you’re probably a talented high achiever too if you’re reading this blog.

I also know that it’s so easy to get into the “rut” and feel overworked and stressed. Honestly, stress has become the norm in our society. Everywhere I turn I see people complaining about stress and it really isn’t their fault at all!

Anyway, going back to the topic on hand, is life really complicated?

I think that depends a lot on who you ask. And, life can be as complex as you like it.

• Life can be complicated if you are running a multibillion dollar company or just working in a simple summer job.
• Life can be complex with or without family.
• Some people think technology complicates life but life can be complicated with or without technology (you either have a limitation or information overload).
• Life can be complicated with or without money. I know some people who are really miserable millionaires and some other people that are “Average Joe’s”.

All of this means that it’s not the things that we have in our life that complicates it. Its more of how we look at life and what we do with the things we have that makes our lives difficult.

So does that mean we need to simplify our lives?

I definitely think so. We need to make our lives simpler not just because it reduces our stress (which by itself is a major advantage) but also because in that stage, we experience limited growth and very little things going our way.

To put it all together, simplifying life helps us reduce stress and makes us more productive and successful.

So how do we make our lives easier?

Well, that’s more of a process than a one-off thing. And, we are starting a monthly feature here at Get Your Success Now to help you simplify your life one step at a time, one month at a time. Plus, I think you will be quite busy doing the suggested steps each month until they become a habit. So let’s start it off nice and slow.

1. Be honest

Being honest saves you from so much drama and unnecessary headache. Basically, I think this is the most important step in uncomplicating your life. You need to be true with yourself and with others. Be honest about what you can and cannot do and that includes your opinions as well. Keeping track of lies takes a lot of time and gives you more headache while being direct relieves you from all of those.

2. Turn off the phone and computer

Yes, there is something called quality family time even in a Smartphone world. Take some time for yourself and your family by going tech-free. You will be more energized and excited to get back to your emails and contacts.

3. Learn to forgive yourself and others

“Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.”
- Gandhi

Forgive yourself when you don’t achieve your goal or if you end up making a complete fool of yourself. You know what? Life’s too short to be too serious. Go ahead and make a mistake, that’s how you know you’re growing as a person. And, the same thing goes for other people in your life. Allow them to commit mistakes too. And give them the benefit of doubt. It simplifies your life and allows them to make their own mistakes and learn their own lessons.