Simplicity

This month at the Well, we’ve been focusing on the topic of Simplicity, and having just started with my new role as Assistant at The Well, the topic has been rather timely. Simplicity is something most of us long to have more of, but ironically, we are often too busy to find a way toward it. Not everything is going to work for everyone, of course, but perhaps some of the things I’ve tried lately will give you some inspiration.

The first and most successful thing that has brought simplicity to my life is cutting down on the hours I spend online. My eyes were really opened to the time I was wasting mindlessly scrolling through feeds when I read the book Make Time by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky. In the book, they speak about Infinity Pools, which are the always-on, infinite sources of information that are constantly replenishing (such as Facebook, Insta, TikTok, YouTube, Netflix, etc.).

It’s impossible to eliminate these sources altogether since we often use these tools for business or other important areas of our lives, but it can be eye-opening to become a bit more mindful about how we’re using them, and perhaps even limiting our time spent on these constantly updated services.

Another excellent tip that I’ve been using came out of one of The Well’s Coffee & Connection events, which was the use of an app to help keep on task. After seeing the suggestion on our Mighty Networks community, I downloaded Focus Keeper, and have been using it ever since. It’s a 25-minute timer with 5-minute breaks between sessions, which encourages the user to focus on one task at a time and hopefully avoid outside distractions.

I’ve personally found it shocking how much more productive I am when I focus on one task, and spend less time with the to-do list rolling overwhelmingly through my mind. 

The last tool that has helped keep life simple in all areas is getting better at saying no. In particular, I try to challenge myself to say no when someone asks me to do something that I’d rather not. It may not always be possible, of course, but I’ve realized that doing things out of guilt and obligation rarely serves anyone’s interests. 

Being able to say no with kindness and simplicity—such as a short “thank you for thinking of me, but I’m afraid I’m not available”—has been an important ingredient in regaining control of my own life.
It’s not easy, but hopefully some of this can help us all find a little more simplicity in our lives. Happy Summer everyone! 

Sacha