Sometimes a little simplification to your routine is all you need.

Focus on mono-tasking.

Multi-tasking just isn’t what it’s been cracked up to be. Less is sometimes more.Do the opposite of others. Instead of trying to do it all, do one or two things, and do it well. Not only will it simplify the amount of work and tasks you have to get done, it will provide a good razor sharp focus on what you’ve zeroed in on as being “the most important thing”. If someone is trying to be the best parent at the school, and the best baker on the block, and the best mom who throws the best parties for her kids, she will end up overwhelmed and delivering a mediocre performance, as her efforts and energies have been exhausted by doing too much. One project at a time. One commitment at a time.

Clear your plate of all distractions

Twitter? Off. Email? Shut it down. Facebook? Finito. By clearing all other distractions out of the way, and saying: for the next half hour I am going to finish this report, you will get it done. Then for the second half of the hour, you can goof off. Instead of using one full hour to get a simple report done because you’re so distracted, you finish your work earlier, did it well and you even have a whole half hour left to do whatever you’d like.

More than 3 choices is too much

My magic number is three, for choices. Got lots of ideas floating in your head? Want to do them all? Well, write them down on paper, and start crossing them off the page until you have 3 of the best choices left. Choose one from those three. Have 15 choices of ice cream flavours you’d like and always end up holding up the line because you can’t decide? Choose 3, and then pick one from the three. Or in this case, take all three. By narrowing down your choices through your Magic-3 filter, you will be able to focus on what is most important factor to determine your choice for the task at hand.

Don’t get fancy

The simplest way to simplify (what a mouthful), is to stick to the basics. Use a basic packaged-with-your-operating-system text editor instead of a special whiz-it whoz-it program you’ve downloaded and set up on your computer. The simpler, the better. How about just moving to a pen and pad of paper? I always have one beside me for quick ideas or “Must Do Now”. I cross off the items as I accomplish them during the day, and can still see what I have left to do.

Do a little bit each day

Sometimes I lack total motivation to do anything. I know it’s a big project. I know it needs to get done. I don’t do it. But to gain momentum, I force myself to do a little bit each day. I focus on one section of the project, tackle it like a wrestler and get it done. Then the next day, I do another section of the project and finish it. At the end of the week, I’ve done the whole thing, and now I just need to edit or proofread. The same goes for writing posts. One at a time. Small steps for big results in the end.

There’s no need to rush into bigger, badder and bolder things

On very rare occasions, I will even get so excited about the project, I don’t even stop, because I’ve generated such a large amount of enthusiasm and adrenaline that I can’t help but finish the entire project at once. Then, I just take the entire week that I’ve allotted to the project, off as a little reward “me” time. I’ve already allotted the time to the project, and if I’ve finished early, why not enjoy the time off? We don’t always need to cram things into our day to feel good about being productive. Sure, you’re over productive, but to who’s detriment? Yours, of course. Productivity can always be enhanced with laziness and a bit of downtime. I read somewhere that North Americans now produce and work twice as much as they did in the past, but now feel as though we have half the free time than before. If we’re constantly running at full speed, we’re going to smash into a wall and burn out. Slow down a little. Take a walk. Eat a pumpkin flavoured cream cheese-filled Starbucks muffin. Simplify your life by allowing yourself to unwind.