Written by Nicole White,
author of the masters of health care degree blog.

Organizing your life can be a tedious task which requires some soul-searching to determine what you can rid yourself of in an effort to cleanse yourself from anything extraneous. Depending on how much you want to change, it becomes a task which few truly ever take on in their lives.  If you own a lot of material possessions, it becomes evident that you need a release from this type of happiness in order to find a peace that does not rely on cluttering your life.  Additionally, plotting out the goals that you wish to accomplish in your life can help you build a structure to the tasks you take on.

Much in the Zen way, a key to beginning to organizing your life is removing the clutter from it; many people save so much of what they have collected over the years, and if you think you will have a use for it, then do so, but if not, then you should rid yourself of it.  While many of these items are bound to be nostalgic, it is important to sift through what you really want to hold on to instead of keeping boxes of mementos stored up in your attic for the rest of your life.  Additionally, increasing your material possessions only adds to this increased amount of clutter; many stores thrive on selling random bits of house wares which you can do without.  No one needs a constant display of “knick-knacks” as it presents a feeling of chaos in your home which does not lead to a very peaceful state of mind.  Relieving yourself of these extra possessions can lead to a new outlook on life which presents you with the motivation to change the way you were living your life.

Setting goals is another way to get your life on track.  Where do you want to be in 5, 10, 20 years?  Once you discover the answers to these questions, you can compile a set list of ways in which to accomplish these goals.  Perhaps you need to change your career, or invest more time in a certain endeavor; writing down your goals assists in determining methods to reach these goals over the span of a few years.  Family goals are also important to many people: do you want to have children in your future, or if you already have children, where do you want them to be in life in the next decade?  Hashing out various methods which will help you reach your goals becomes very life-affirming and once you begin to reach the earliest goals (maybe ones you set for within the year) your life becomes even more rewarding.  Setting up a structure for life can be a difficult task to get started on, but it requires a peaceful state of mind and the will to strive to do these goals you set.

Nicole welcomes your feedback at
nicole.White222 (at) gmail.com

Image by Aldo Gonzalez

There’s little chance of doing or enjoying what must be done. But it’s great to complete a challenge. So why not think of what must be done as a challenge to your personal qualities and motivation?

Here are some good reasons for that…

What we have to do (like work, studying, house tasks) usually has a future benefit for us. It’s different from what we usually do or what we would like to do, so we take it as an obligation. Yet it still will improve our life when complete, won’t it?

Even a simple chore like washing the dishes now will leave you more free time later. So instead of thinking about before and later, like we usually do when faced with an obligation, think of now and just start doing it.

Little by little, you’ll get committed to completing it successfully and motivated to do so. You’ll realize you needed to do it. And in the middle of the task you’ll know you want to. Just because you’re doing it now.

Having a clean home means having a clear mind. It helps you become more concentrated and reduce stress levels (because everything has a place and you never wonder to find anything).

How to create a zen-like home environment

Clear any flat surface. The only things you should see on top of your desks and on the shelves is what you regularly use. This usually means pens and books. Everything else can be easy to find in drawers, hidden from your eyes. A minimalistic room creates a simple and relaxing atmosphere.

Check out some photos of great workspaces over at Unclutterer.

Don’t put too many things in one place. A shelf that has books should only have books. Your computer desk should only have a computer and printer, not your monitor cleaning spray, not magazines and newspapers.

Create a place for everything and put everything in its place. Try to store books in one corner of the room, on a particular shelf. Place incoming prints, papers or documents in a particular drawer. Don’t mix up your possessions, unless you want ot mix up your mind.

Zen is all about simplicity

Simplify any part of your life that you can. This applies to more than home or office organization. It applies to your way of thinking, to your social contacts, to your business. Less is always more because you reduce what’s unimportant and only leave what you need.

Image by marcello u.

People who live simpler, have fewer possessions and contacts have a better chance of being happy. Minimalism is all about having and doing what counts – things and actions that improve your everyday life. So here are my top ten tips for living a simple life:

1. Clear your mind. Try writing down and analyzing your own thoughts (check this out). It really helps having a clearer mind and being more concentrated. Don’t expect to have a simple life if you have complicated thoughts and feelings.
2. Unclutter your home. It’s a good idea to have and use only what you need. Clean up your desk and shelves – anything that you use only from time to time should be hidden from the eye so as to avoid visual clutter. A cleaner home means a cleaner mind.
3. Reduce your possessions. Do you really need all those books you’ve already read? Give them out to the library or sell them somewhere. Anything that you don’t use, you don’t need. Really.
4. Limit your tasks. When I wake up each day, I think of three or four most important tasks that I should complete. Creating the unbearable challenge to finish off too many tasks stresses you out.
5. Do one thing at a time. Don’t multitask. When you’re doing something, abstract yourself from the world around you. Turn off your ringtone, don’t check your emails and don’t chat with friends. I’ve found out that doing one thing at a time means doing it faster and better, leaving me more free time to spend on myself.
6. Simplify your social life. On my phone’s contact list, I only have about 10 mobile numbers. The ones that belong to people who I communicate with regularly. All those business numbers and various contacts are on a separate piece of paper I carry with me all the time.
7. Create some free time. Spend some time alone, drink tea, read self-improvement books. Meditate. Exercise. Increase your free time so that you have more time to make your life better.
8. Don’t rush. There’s no need to hurry. If you’re late for that meeting, getting nervous about it won’t help. Face the facts like a normal person and remove those stressful feelings and thoughts.
9. Have one place for everything. A simple life means less worrying and more organization. Have a place for everything and always put everything in its place. It’s hard to do from the beginning, but once you’ve formed the habit you’ll feel fantastic about it.
10. Lessen or stop watching TV. It overloads you with information – news, commercials, people you don’t really care about, films you don’t really need to see. I’ve reduced my TV time to 20-30 minutes per day.

I hope you found that useful. Not enough? Check out Leo Babauta’s Simple Living Manifesto. It contains 72 ideas to simplify your life.

Collecting (or writing down) thoughts and ideas is a great way to stay concentrated and to never forget.

I carry a simple notebook with me all the time. When I’m working and I come up with a new idea, even if it’s unrelated to what I’m doing now, I collect it. This way I don’t feel stressed about forgetting things and I get new thoughts out of my mind quickly.

If you’ve ever had a great idea before going to sleep, you know what kind of stress I’m talking about. This happens to me regularly and before I cultivated the habit to store my thoughts, I couldn’t go to sleep for hours. Now I just write it down and sleep like a baby.

You should try this as well. Take a notebook, a portable computer or a PDA with you and use it as your thought bucket. Whatever new occurs to your mind, throw it there and don’t let it clutter your current thoughts. You’ll be amazed by the level of concentration and calmness you’ll be able to achieve.