<p>Living in debt adds stress to our lives. In the case of a mortgage for the home of your dreams you can afford to pay off on, then maybe this is a debt you can happily live with.</p><p>Otherwise, if you can't afford it now maybe now is not the time to have it.</p>

Live Debt Free

<div><p>Too much physical and mental clutter is not good for us. </p><p>Streamline and declutter regularly. If you don't need it or it doesn't serve a positive purpose, eject it.</p></div><div></div>

Declutter

<div><p>The things that give us the rosiest feelings or that we're most proud of often involve giving or providing a service to someone else. <b>Make giving back a constant goal. </b></p></div><div></div>

Give Back

<div><p>How much do you really need? Not as much as you probably already have.</p></div><div><p>Make sure anything you have in your life has a reason to be there and gives you something back. If not, get rid of it.</p></div>

Own Less

<div><p>Make sure you're saying yes to the right invites that mean you get to spend time with those you care about, or on things you care about and goals that are important to you.</p></div><div><p>Learn to say a polite <strong><em>"No, thank you"</em></strong> to invitations that don't fit this bill. The ones that don't add to your life in some way.</p></div>

Learn the Power of No

The paradox of our time is that we have so many choices available to us that many of us struggle to make any choice at all. <p>Counter this by purposefully limiting your options at times. </p>

Limit Choices

<div><p>Multitasking is a great way to spin plates and do lots of things sub-optimally. It means we're not fully engaged with what we're doing but rather thinking about what's next.</p></div><div><p>Forget multitasking and instead focus simply on one thing at a time until completion and then move onto the next task.</p></div>

Don't Multitask

<div><p>We are spending more and more of our time plugged in. We're in danger of letting life pass us by while we click away.</p></div><div><p>As fantastic and powerful as technology is, we need to make regular time to disconnect as well.</p></div><div></div>

Spend Time Disconnected

<div><p>You can't be in constant motion and be at your best. You need to know when to take your foot off the gas and just rest a little.</p></div><div><p>Ironically slowing down can also mean we get more (not less) done.</p></div>

Slow Down

<div><p>Living simpler means we streamline and hack away the things that are not essential.</p></div><div><p>What that version of simpler actually ends up being is however a personal choice. What works for me may not work for you.</p></div>

Your Personal Simpler Living

<div><p>Pareto's 80/20 rule states that in any particular pursuit that we undertake, approximately 80 percent of the results may come from just 20 percent of our efforts.</p></div><div><p>If we identify and focus on the 20 percent that really matters we are more likely to live a simpler life more on our own terms.</p></div>

Forget the Small Stuff

<div><p><em>"I don't have time"</em> is becoming one of the most overused phrases in our culture. What it often means is we don't see something as a priority or perhaps we have our priorities slightly skewed.</p></div><div><p>We need to <span>make time </span>for those things and people that are truly important to us in our lives.</p></div>

Make Time

"It's not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential." -- Bruce Lee Our lives can get hectic. Lots of commitments, lots of things we want to do and lots to keep up with. It's no wonder many of us become overwhelmed. Simplifying our lives can help us combat these feelings.