Last week, we looked at simplicity in general as a means to have less stuff to think about. What does simplicity mean in our personal life?
Simplicity does not only mean to get rid of things you don't need. It means to remove the nonessential stuff in every area of your life and to focus on what matters most to you.
Simplicity boils down to two steps: Identify the essential. Eliminate the rest – Leo Babauta
This is what helps me to make my life simpler:
- Keeping track of my obligations and regular activities, and continually asking myself: "Is this what I want to do with my life?"
- Regularly unsubscribing from all email lists that I don't thoroughly enjoy reading
- Going through my bank charges every two months to understand what regular expenses I have, and to cancel things I don't use regularly
- Writing a gratitude log every evening. After a few weeks, this helped me to identify what consistently makes me happy and allowed me to better recognize what is essential for me
Reading Recommendations
Mindful Simplicity: Decluttering, Cleaning & Leaving No Trace : zen habits
"Our home isn’t as clean and sparse as a Zen temple, but when I see the clutter and dust of other people’s homes, it reminds me of how far we’ve come. This is not a judgment on others, nor a proclamation of how great we are at cleaning and decluttering, but a reminder of what I’ve learned. Cleaning and decluttering, for me, are mindfulness practices..."
Mindfulness and the Brain: What Does Research and Neuroscience Say?
"We have all heard the term 'mindfulness' but what does it really mean in terms of the brain and in terms of neuroscience?"
Antifragile Software Design: Abstraction and the Barbell Strategy | Effective Software Design
"In his book “Antifragile: Things That Gain From Disorder”, Nassim Taleb introduces the concept of Antifragility, which is the opposite of Fragility. The main question is how things react to volatility (such as randomness, errors, uncertainty, stressors and time). According to him, there is a Triad - Antifragility, Robustness, and Fragility: Fragile things are exposed to…"
Weekly Mindfulness Practice
Take a small piece of chocolate. How does it look like? Is it light or heavy? What does the surface feel like?
Now put it in your mouth. Keep it in your mouth until it has fully dissolved. Focus on the taste. What does it feel like?
This exercise brings our thoughts into the present moment. It is ok if your thoughts wander. Gently bring them back to what you are tasting.
End note
When this was interesting to you, there might be someone you know who will also like this. Please consider forwarding this mail to that person.
Have a great week
Simon
PS: If you found an article you think others might like and that fits this newsletter, I’d love it if you write me an email.