Wake Me Up: Morning Positivity - Morning Motivation for Simplicity | Focus on Less & Do More

Episode Date: November 9, 2022

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If you'd like to enjoy Wake Me Up completely ad-free and get access to exclusive bonus content, check out the link in the show notes for the Wake Me Up premium feed. Hey there, and welcome to Wake Me Up. I'm your host, Tyler, as always. This week, we've been diving into the topic of simplicity. It's a worthwhile idea because it reminds us to connect to the most important things in our lives. Simplicity is the key to awareness and connection in our otherwise complex world. It gives us a clear view of what matters most. And really, simplicity is just an aspect of mindfulness.

We all know that mindfulness can be challenging at times, but after listening to this episode, I'm sure that you'll feel more grounded and inspired to let simplicity guide your day and your life. Before we get started, just take one moment to pause. Wherever you're at, just stop for a second. Notice the beauty of a quiet moment. Whatever that might look like to you.

Perhaps you enjoy hearing the sounds around you, looking at the sun through your window, or the sound of silence in your room. Whatever it is, be aware of something that's simple, get beautiful to you right now. And then take in a deep breath, hold at the top, and exhale. Let's do that one more time

and really enjoy the simplicity of a breath. Inhale, hold, and release. Great. Now, feel free to go about your morning routine, making your tea or coffee, having a stretch, going for a walk, even journaling if you'd like. whatever it is that you prefer. And while you do that, let's dive deeper into simplicity.

Have you ever read a short quote or heard a very simple phrase and thought, that's exactly what I needed to hear? Or maybe something happened in your life, which made you think that the answer was sitting right in front of you all along. Isn't it interesting that some of the most profound thoughts and best ideas are the simplest. While simplicity makes us feel good, clutter and complexity can often make us feel disconnected.

Chaos happens when we overcomplicate things, and chaos can cause anxiety. As we all know, some of the best moments in life are the simpler ones, like looking up at the stars on a clear night, or a deep and meaningful conversation. But with the all-encompassing presence of technology, simple moments have become few and far between for many of us.

We all know social media is addicting, but perhaps the less obvious element of technology is the decision-making fatigue that it creates from having so many options at our fingertips. Just think about buying something on the Internet. You can spend hours reading all of the reviews for one type of product, trying to decide which brand and which model to buy. What about deciding where to eat or what show to watch?

We're faced with so many decisions every day, from small to large, and our brains were never designed to deal with all of that. When you see it like this, you recognize that technology has undoubtedly made life more complex. And just to be clear, I don't think technology is a bad thing. But I do think that we have to make a very conscious effort to simplify when we can. So why is simplicity so important? Well, first of all, it offers clarity of mind. And clarity gives us greater awareness of ourselves and the world around us.

When our awareness is heightened, we treat ourselves better, we treat others better, we make better decisions, we feel happier and more fulfilled. and let's focus on the happiness aspect of that for a second. We all know there are very wealthy people in this world who have no financial limits, yet they are wildly unhappy. In fact, plenty of studies show that once your basic needs are met, more money tends to make people less happy. So having more stuff doesn't necessarily make you better off. In fact, having access to.

to everything you could possibly want, creates a stress of its own. Simplicity stops us from overthinking, overconsuming, and overspending. Bruce Lee said that simplicity is the key to brilliance, and I think that's pretty spot on. With simplicity, we literally get to streamline our lives. It allows us to focus on the things we want

and altogether avoid the things that don't see. serve us. So this leads to the question. How can we simplify? Well, you don't need to make drastic changes to simplify your life. All it takes is keeping simplicity at the forefront of your mind. Focus on minimizing your choices and your distractions. Cut out the things that you don't care for as much.

That will give you more time and resources. for the things that you do care about. Hone in on those handful of core aspects that are most valuable to your happiness, health, and fulfillment. And just spend your time on those. And remember, simplicity is a part of mindfulness. So as you go about your daily tasks,

especially the mundane ones, try to keep your thoughts simple. Don't pick up your phone and try to multitask. You'll just be wasting time, and focus. This, of course, takes practice, but nothing good in life comes easy anyways. Here are some other helpful examples

on how to simplify. When you're talking with a friend, listen intently and respond with purposeful words. When you're faced with a problem, let go of anything unnecessary and boil it all down to basic truths. then work from there. Another really helpful thing

is to minimize the amount of decisions you're faced with. Steve Jobs is just one of many successful people known for wearing the same outfit every day to reduce decision-making fatigue. And maybe that approach isn't for you, I certainly understand. But we can all find ways like that to work simplicity into our lives.

Let go of what you think you should, do or how you should look and spend that effort and energy going after your dreams and goals. These are just examples. So remember, this is your life and you can do anything you want with it, but you can't do everything. You have to choose how to spend your time and energy. So use simplicity to your advantage. If you simplify your life, you'll be rewarded with time and time. of extra time to spend on the things you love. As far as I can tell, you don't get to redo this exact life that you're living right now.

So get out there, simplify your life to the things that are most important and make them happen. That's all for today. Thanks so much for tuning in. I hope you go out, chase the things that are most important to you, and have an absolutely fantastic day.