We live in an information-filled, distraction-rich world.
Most modern humans have become products of the big information companies without even realizing it.
So they use apps and consume low-quality information as a byproduct of the technology around them instead of cultivating a strategy themselves for how they want to use and consume information.
This is a problem for many reasons, but it is hazardous for you, the individual that wants to live your best life.
If you don't control your environment, other people will control it for you. In that case, you're not likely to enjoy the outcome. This is the worst kind of gambling.
A simple life is the answer.
By eliminating most of the distractions vying for your attention, you will take conscious control over your environment, which will give you the power to control the results you get in life.
This article will cover the benefits of a simple life and then some strategies for building your own.
Let's first start with the many benefits of living a simple life.
1. By removing complexity, you focus on the big important things that matter
The results from this are beyond your compression—they are massive.
2. You eliminate 99% of the drama in your life
You don't have time for gossip or drama and people that engage in such time wasters.
It becomes EASY to ignore dramatic people.
3. You eliminate self-conflict
By removing the mass of noise in your environment, you are less likely to fall into the comparison trap. You aren't going to worry about what other people worry about because you've already tuned it out. It won't even enter your mind as an option.
This will eliminate most of the expectation-based self-conflict that arises when you are too often internalizing other perspectives and opinions.
4. You attract more of what you want
When you spend most of your time on the things that matter, you attract more of them into your life.
This effect will compound over time.
5. You give yourself the best chance at getting lucky
In a world with unlimited competition for attention, your simple life allows you for more focus, which you will use to get MORE results with the few things you decide to pay attention to. This is the secret to success in the modern world.
6. You benefit from compounding
The best results in life come from meaningful COMPOUND results.
Compound results are your most significant benefit to living a simple life—because a simple life is a focused life.
Most people get pulled in countless directions. You won't
Since you'll eliminate so much of the noise out there, your focus will naturally move to the big important things.
The more you do big important things, the more results you'll get.
Every great human ever to accomplish anything meaningful has focused intensely on a few things as possible.
7. You will be happier
The human mind is stressed the more information it has to contend with and process. The human mind craves security and a simple understanding of good vs. bad.
When you remove extraneous information, you give our brain a break from having to sift through and label everything. This gives you more control over your emotions and more space to focus on what matters.
As you keep your mind clear, you will allow for happiness and gratitude to flourish. And they will.
8. More Time
You will have more time to do the things that matter. This results in more enjoyment, more results, and more happiness.
9. You will have better relationships
Since the benefits of focus come through compounding, there is no better example of the power of long-term focus than your relationships.
Think about your closest and longest relationships. Now compare that to people you talk to every so often.
The difference in trust, comfort, and enjoyment is night and day.
The more you invest in your relationships, the more you get out of them.
Tips for Living a Simple Life
Now that we covered the benefits of a simple life, let's cover strategies for creating one.
Keep in mind that this list could be massive, so don't think of this list as all-inclusive. There are many other strategies you should try.
How you cultivate a simple life is based on your personality, goals, and current situation. You may need more or less intervention than others, depending on what's currently going on in your life.
The key is to focus on the basics and to keep the end-goal in mind. Then learn and adapt along the way.
1. Reduce or eliminate your social media use.
If you are going to use social media, create a strategy for how you will use it. Examples include: not checking the feed, only posting, not checking notifications, and so on.
Build a strategy for using social media to make sure you are using it and not the other way around.
2. Cut toxic people from your life
Just don't spend time with them.
Don't go out with them.
Don't feel pressured to eat lunch with them if they are co-workers, etc.
If they are family, learn how to change the subject when contentious topics come up. If they decide to rant on politics, leave the room.
If you don't control your environment, it will control you.
3. Create a solid daily routine
Your routine should include work time, focus time, leisure, health time, walk and think time, family time, and time for some fun.
The more you refine your daily routine, the better results you'll get.
4. Stay healthy
Eat Real Foods cooked at home. Avoid sugar, grains, and seed oils, and anything cooked/prepared by a large corporation.
Move daily. Lift weights weekly. Get outside as much as possible. Laugh. Breathe. Let things go. Don't worry and stress.
5. Stop comparing
Your comparison muscle will stay strong as long as you flex it. Let it atrophy.
6. Stop buying stuff
Your buying muscle is just like your comparison muscle—the more you flex it, the stronger it will remain.
Put off purchases for a few days. Stop window shopping. Stop desiring things under the false premise they will make you happy or solve your problems.
7. Donate and sell as much as you can
eBay is amazing for selling stuff at home. You can also use Facebook marketplace.
You won't believe what stuff still has value. People buy everything.
Generate some cash while cleaning up your environment.
8. Stop watching the news and anything mainstream
This tip alone can have a huge benefit for making your life better if you're one that watches the mainstream regularly.
Just stop.
Mainstream media and politics are nothing but theater. They are pro wrestling. It is fake. It is contrived. It is all a show.
And worst of all, they offer no benefit to your life while taking a toll due to their polarizing, toxic, tribalistic nature.
Cull them completely.
9. Ignore celebrities and pop culture
This is another example of a fake theater that offers little in the way of value or betterment yet drains you mentally and emotionally.
Eliminating your hero worship of celebrities will also help atrophy your comparison muscle.
10. Focus on principles
Consider writing a list of your principles. You want to build a list of life principles that you can often reference to serve as a reminder to live your best life based on WHAT YOU WANT rather than just responding to what the world wants.
A simple life is a better life
It's a more successful life. It's a more fulfilling life.
You will become happier and achieve an inner peace of mind.
Finding the signal amongst the noise makes you focus more on the big things that move the needle.
And as you do this, you'll get better results in every area of your life that is only possible through compound interest.
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