The work/life balance (or life/work balance, if you like) conversation doesn't seem to be ending. And while I hope to offer a fresh voice in that dialog (see here for my view on balance and why it has nothing to do with a scale), a lot of people wonder where to begin that journey. This was the case this past weekend as I addressed 150+ educators on the concept. Growing up as the son of a teacher, I know that for talented educators, there are no clear lines between work and life. Work comes home. Life goes to school. The best I could offer this auditorium full of teachers were tips on how to start.
And now I'll share them with you. Here are 10 ways to begin clearing out the clutter (stuff, relationships, stress) in your life so you have more time, energy and space to focus on you, no matter what time of day you carve out to do so. _________________________________________________________________________________
What to get rid of
If it hasn’t been used in the past year, you don’t need it.
If you only use it once in a while, you can rent or share it.
If it doesn’t enhance your life, you should dump it.
If several things can be replaced by one thing, get rid of them all.
If you don’t know you have it, you won’t miss it.
If you have more than one, donate the rest.
If a digital version exists, purge your analog copy.
If you’ve already upgraded, don’t hang on to the previous edition.
If it generates negative energy, you don’t need it or its vibes.
If you don’t want it, then you shouldn’t keep it.
_________________________________________________________________________________ Tackle the above list one at a time, finding one thing from each suggestion to get rid of, freeing up time, space, and maybe even money.
More ideas like this are available in my book, Simplify Your Life (Kindle version is just $3.99).
More great links on work/life balance: