Stretch Your Imagination

The visionaries who paved the way to where we are now must be commended for their work. They took a dream, a simple dream; they took the time to map out all the different possibilities to set their dream in motion. They stretched their imagination as far as it could go, and it worked out great for them. Sure, there might have been a few dreams that didn't turn out as planned, but in the end, they watched their dreams transform into a life of their own.

Some examples of great visionaries are: Henry Ford, John Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, and Thomas Edison to name a few. You can do exactly what they did by stretching your imagination. The thing about the imagination is, there are no limits, nothing is impossible. It is easy, clear your mind, totally clear it. Think of nothing, just be. Once you do that, you can start to let your mind wander. See what pops up; it can be a word, a phrase, an idea of how you can simplify your life, a new idea, or something that you've always wanted to do. Once you do that, the planning starts. What steps do you have to do to make it come alive? Again, let your imagination flow, the possibilities are endless. Map it out, draw it out, and work continuously to make it happen. You have to keep your dream alive; you created it and it is your responsibility to make it happen.

Our famous frontiersmen and explorers had a dream. They traveled to places no one has gone, they let their imagination go and they had no boundaries. Some of them were: Lewis & Clark, Christopher Columbus, Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett, and James Bowie. Our world is so vast that it makes you wonder. Has every stone been unturned to reveal all of its history that lay beneath the soil? Have our footprints touched every inch of our world? You can focus on a part of the world that you want to visit. What is it that draws to you to that place? Have you seen all there is to see?

Risk is the common denominator that all of these people, and so many more that weren't mentioned, have in common. They took risks, they dared to dream, and they watched it become a reality. You can do the same thing. But you have to be willing to let yourself go, to take risks, and to realize that your possibilities are endless. Many people have paved the way for us; they have had struggles along the way and have made many sacrifices for their dream to come true. Now it's your turn. Stretch your imagination and make your dream come true.

https://ezinearticles.com/?Stretch-Your-Imagination&id=8800550

How To Simplify Life When You Have Kids

Life can be hectic and chaotic in general, but add kids into the mix and it seems to double responsibilities and obligations. If you have children, it's even more important to simplify your life, not only for your sanity but also to be a good role model for them. Teach them early on that no matter what society says, they can choose to live a simple, peaceful life. Below are 4 simple tips on how you can start doing so.

#1 Have each child choose one extracurricular activity

Some parents are run ragged by getting their kids to all their various activities. This is certainly the case when there are several children in the family. Decide now that each child can choose only one extracurricular activity per year or season, depending on how much you feel you can handle. They may grumble in the beginning, but they too will enjoy a less stressful schedule.

#2 Create an out-the-door basket

Set up an area right beside the door that you go out of in the mornings and designate a basket for each child (and adult). Before bed, each person is responsible for gathering up everything they need to take with them the next day and putting it in their basket. This makes mornings go much smoother!

#3 Create a weekly lunch menu

Before you go shopping for the week, sit everyone down and come up with one lunch menu for everyone for the week, with very little variation. In other words, no one is allowed stuff that no one else likes. They can have that at home during the week.

For example, buy turkey and ham and the kind of cheese everyone agrees on. Buy one or two types of fruit and vegetables only. Purchase one type of bread that everyone likes, even if it's not their favorite. Then on Sunday late afternoon, gather everyone in an assembly line and together, make all the lunches for the week at once. Since there's very little variation, this will make it go quickly and be one less thing you have to do each morning during the week.

#4 Move more slowly

No matter what you do. Build in more time between activities so you aren't rushing through eating dinner, for example, so you can get homework and dishes right away. Set rules for no running in the house, no dashing out the door without sitting down to breakfast. Start savoring your time with your family, it's one of the best things you can do for all of you.

http://ezinearticles.com/?How-To-Simplify-Life-When-You-Have-Kids&id=9583194

How To Simplify Your Life With Gratitude

Simplifying increases your gratitude. And more gratitude makes you want to simplify even further. Why? Here's a few reasons why it works in life.

#1 It keeps you focused on what you have, not what you want 

It's easy to focus on what we want. After all, we are told to set goals and strive to get what we want. But there's a lot to be said for appreciating what you have and where you are in your life!

When you simplify, you have more time to appreciate the little things in life-a child's laughter, the sunset, and even a decadent dessert! Having and doing less makes it so much easier to appreciate what you already have.

#2 It reminds you that the best things in life aren't things 

We've been conditioned to buy, buy and buy. We've come to believe expensive things and having a lot of stuff are what everyone is striving for.

But image the simple joy of coming home each day to a streamlined evening route, pre-planned meal, and a clutter-free house! Getting rid of all the extra, unnecessary stuff gives you the time and energy to enjoy the simple things in daily life.

#3 It helps you see how much you already have 

In the West, we often take for granted how lucky and abundant we really are. Most people around the world survive on a few dollars a week, while we think we are destitute if we can't get the latest iPhone! But if you really think about what you need, you probably already have it.

Do you have a safe, warm place to come home to? Do you have an income, even if it's not as large as you'd like? Is there going to be food for the whole family to enjoy today? When we pare down our busyness and take a look at what we have, we can start to realize how blessed we truly already are.

#4 It makes you think about those who have very little 

When you de-clutter, it feels amazing to donate your stuff, knowing that it's going to go to someone who needs it and will truly appreciate it. If you are finding it challenging to donate things because they are still good or it feels wasteful, think about the homeless person, for example, who will end up with a warm coat this winter... thanks to you.

If you are still having trouble, spend some time finding places to donate that are close to your heart, like animal shelters, veteran organizations or a local domestic violence shelter. When you compare what you still have to what they do, you will feel instantly grateful and generous.

http://ezinearticles.com/?How-To-Simplify-Your-Life-With-Gratitude&id=9583182

4 Ways To Simplify Your Life Right Now

In a period of information overload, there's never been a better time to simplify life.

The raging struggle of modern existence can lead to inner turmoil if we're unaware.

The key to living an inspired life is to simplify it. To gain clarity on what's important, let go of unnecessary conditions and tune into what you value most. Most people chase material possessions believing they'll be happy, only to realise it makes matters worse.

The more clutter in your life, the less capable you are of knowing what's important to you since you are distracted by insignificant issues that vie for your attention. Naturally, you react to what is taking place before you instead of what's essential.

Health, relationships, family and living my purpose are central aspects to my life nowadays. It's taken an entire lifetime to reach this point, yet it's well worth it. That which brings you joy and happiness require the least effort.

I'm drawn to the quote by Henry David Thoreau who said, "As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler; solitude will not be solitude, poverty will not be poverty, nor weakness weakness."

The Law of Least Effort functions according to the principle of simplicity. Given that we evolve from nature, it makes sense to adopt this way of being in our life.

The following are four valuable points to implement right now. Apply them gradually and don't be discouraged if you don't see results at first. It requires patience and persistence for something of value to yield results. Akin to a plant, the initial stages begin with the seed sprouting beneath the soil, invisible to the naked eye. Yet, with nurturing and time, it grows into a healthy plant and so too with your habits.

1. Surround Yourself With Remarkable People

These include: friends, family, romantic partners, co-workers and those who offer you support and encouragement. Significant people are those who encourage your personal growth. They are your humble ambassadors in times of need and don't desert you through crisis. The company of such people leads to simplified living because your needs are met through close connections.

Great people inspire and strengthen you, not drain your energy. Energy vampires rob you of your vital force, so be aware them. They want to gain something and are unwilling to offer anything in return. Steer away from them, they will deprive you of your long term happiness.

2. Let Go Of What No Longer Serves You

I've written about this in earlier articles. Letting go of what no longer serves you is essential to simplifying life because we free ourselves from what consumes our energy. This includes: people, things, places, relationships, travel, behaviours or habits. If it doesn't bring you joy, remove it from your life or distance yourself from it. However, don't fill the void with something else, simply allow it time to recede, so you have less to focus on. In doing so, you free up mental and emotional resources for more important matters. Create a space for something wonderful to appear and trust it will take its place, since Nature abhors a vacuum.

3. Focus On Experiences, Not Things

The lie that happiness comes from material possessions is one many fall victim to. Sure, it might offer happiness for a short while, although once it wears off you yearn for something more.

Newspapers are filled with stories of people who inherit millions of dollars, only to find themselves more miserable than before. This is not due to money per se, rather the stress associated with managing large sums of money. Accumulating material objects amplifies insecurities already present in a person.

Focus on experiences and surrounding yourself with friends and loved ones. Travel more, perform random acts of kindness, do charity work if that appeals to you. The key is to find fulfilling experiences that embody who you are. For example, I enjoy creative hobbies and feel lively when engaged in these endeavours. Find time for these activities and you'll be happy and content.

4. Be In Tune With Your Nature

When you're in tune with your nature, you connect to your source. I'm not talking about religion or spirituality, yet something greater. You are the expression of Mother Nature in all her glory. Everything from your thoughts to your body reflects the infinite powers of universal intelligence. Stay connected to your source and you'll feel the aliveness of the universe permeate through you.

How do you stay in tune with your nature? Here are steps to consider:

• Be kind and compassionate to yourself and others
• Think empowering thoughts
• Live a healthy life
• Eat whole food close to its original state
• Balance your giving and receiving
• Create fulfilling relationships
• Be of value in your local community
• Respect Mother Nature
• Be of service to others
• Be at peace with yourself
• Think globally, act locally

We're on the verge of a new way of life, uniting spirit and matter to become conscious creators of our destiny. The old paradigm is gradually falling away to make way for the new. This isn't about a new world order, for it's much simpler than that. It's an expanding of consciousness and fading of primitive thinking, once dictated by our primal urges.

The changes herald a new way of perceiving the world via our sixth sense. People are harnessing their intuition to make sense of the world around them. Be willing to upgrade your model of reality to coincide with the change. Remove preconceived ideas about how life should play out since these concepts keep you trapped in the past.

Simplifying life brings immense joy because we need little to make us happy. Economic studies in Australia suggest households on a combined income of $40k per annum are no happier at this threshold. In the US, the figure is $75k, which confirms we needn't accumulate vast amounts of wealth to be happy.

Mother Nature is more intelligent than we give her credit for. She provides us with the inner wisdom to make sense of our lives, yet we're controlled by our impulses instead of focusing on what's meaningful. Don't succumb to the out-there model that suggests your inner needs originate from outside circumstances.

Make a vow to simplify life and reduce your impact on the environment. Reduce your waste and non-renewable resources.

Strive to live a clean and uncluttered existence.

The reward is a conscious life imbued with simplicity, instead of what you believe will make you happy.

http://ezinearticles.com/?4-Ways-To-Simplify-Your-Life-Right-Now&id=9496630

7 Basic Hacks To Simplify Your Life And Accomplish More Each Day

Life is fast moving and complicated. There's a lot you can do to simplify your life and still get more accomplished. There's an apparently endless supply of "hacks" online. There are hacks for work, your love life, exercise, and everything else under the sun. Making it through all of the hacks requires a hack of its own.

Keep things basic and focus on a few effective strategies:

1. Make a list. The fewer things you aim to accomplish, the more you'll get done. Make a list of the 2-3 crucial things you wish to get done at work.

Before you drive home, make a list of the 2-3 crucial things you want to get done at home. Make a new list for the weekend.

The act of making the list will force you to prioritize so you can achieve the most important jobs.

2. Concentrate on one task at a time. Changing back and forth in between 2 or more tasks doesn't work very well. Discover how to concentrate on one job until it's completely finished prior to proceeding to something else. Attempt this for a week and notice the difference it makes.

3. Streamline your diet plan. The next time you're at the grocery store, stick to the edges of the shop. What do you discover there? Lean protein, vegetables, fruits, and dairy products. Throw in some nuts and healthy whole grains and you have a healthy diet plan. You'll conserve time and money at the store and do marvels for your health.

4. Attempt to limit your emails to 5 sentences. If an email is five sentences, no one will complain that your e-mail is too short or too long. You can keep relationships without spending a lot of time typing a ridiculous e-mail. Use the phone as each scenario requires.

5. Go to sleep early. Any additional time you're awake during the night most likely isn't really being used efficiently. It's most likely invested in watching TV while nodding off in your favorite chair. Get to bed early and get up early. You'll get more done each day.

6. Arrange your mail as soon as you arrive home every day. Each day, get the mail and stand above the garbage can. Throw away the junk and sort the rest. Put all of it away in the appropriate location.

Prevent the frustration of lost bills and clutter. Conserve your energy and time for more vital jobs than going through a huge stack of junk mail each time you need to find a bill or other important paper.

7. Work offline. It seems that increasingly more work must be finished on the computer, however there are pitfalls to working online--the internet. The internet is both the best and worst thing ever created. It supplies tremendous resources, but it's also the best way to get distracted and waste a great deal of time.

Would you rather complete the billing report for your employer or watch a video of kittens riding on the back of a goat? See how easy it is to get sidetracked?

If you're at home, pull the Ethernet cable or turn off the Wi-Fi. You can find a comparable option at work.

One famous author once specified that the only way he could get any work done was to glue the Ethernet cable into the port and after that cut off the cable. He couldn't control himself if he had access to the internet. Try out these seven hacks and see how they impact your life.

What other hacks would you include? Think about where you seem to waste the most time. This is a prime area for developing a hack of your own. Keep your life simple and it will be much easier to get through the day with a sensation of achievement.

http://ezinearticles.com/?7-Basic-Hacks-To-Simplify-Your-Life-And-Accomplish-More-Each-Day&id=9490031

5 Ways To Simplify Your Life In 5 Minutes Or Less

We spend most of our time adding new stresses to our lives. Taking on more responsibility at work, visiting the in-laws, saying yes to every wedding invitation (even the destination ones). In isolation, these things aren’t bad. But when you add them to all your other obligations, an activity that should be more fun than stressful becomes the opposite.

Smack in the middle of the holiday season, there's probably even more stress than usual jammed into your days. Here are a few low-investment, high-reward ways you can lighten the load and simplify your life.

1. Just decide already.

We drive ourselves nuts analyzing the nuances of each possibility, agonizing over the least-stressful option versus financial and other concerns, when our best shot at saving ourselves stress might just be to make a choice and let the chips fall where they may.

Major decisions warrant some serious considerations (like whether it's okay to turn down your 12th invitation to join a wedding party this year). But if you're weighing the pros and cons of which casserole to make for the holiday, close your eyes and point. Now move on.

2. Outsource.

No one can do everything all the time. Delegating is key to holding on to your sanity in especially stressful periods. It can be a tough leap at first, but once you give yourself permission to try not doing everything yourself — just once — you'll realize how much more effective it makes your efforts everywhere else.

I use a service called Fancy Hands to do research, make appointments, and even make annoying calls to customer service for me, but there are a ton of services like this (think Task Rabbit), as well as task-specific companies that will deliver groceries or meals, pick up and drop off laundry and dry-cleaning, and complete any number of other time-consuming chores.

3. Make your workout clothes your pajamas.

If you exercise in the morning, sleep in the clothes you're wearing to the gym. Eliminating that extra step saves time and might mean the difference between deciding to snooze through the workout and making it there.

Laying out your work clothes at night has a similar de-stressing, time-saving effect. Making decisions when you feel less rushed not only means you can think more clearly about your choices, but that you can have a less panicked start to your day.

4. Automate your emails.

A lot of my emails are canned responses. For example, if people ask about my book, Listful Thinking, I have a prewritten response to copy, paste, and send off to them. This saves huge amounts of time I'd otherwise spend answering the same questions over and over. For more ways to trim your email clutter, check out my course on getting to inbox zero.

5. Keep calm and have a cup of tea.

Seriously. I love tea! I’m practically obsessed — and with good reason. Tea can help to reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Having a cup of tea gives you a chance to stop what you're doing, take a step back, and reassess. It’s important to take your foot off the accelerator every once in a while.

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-22780/5-ways-to-simplify-your-life-in-5-minutes-or-less.html

9 Easy Ways To Destress, Declutter & Simplify Your Life

My job as a functional medicine practitioner is to look at the at all the different factors that give rise to chronic and autoimmune diseases. A lot of those underlying factors are hormonal and physiological in nature, but another, often overlooked piece of the puzzle to your physical health is your mental and emotional stress levels.

Our modern lives can be so busy and hectic sometimes that the lack of "breathing room" increases our stress and negatively impacts our health. It can also hurt the most important aspect of our lives — our relationships.

The average American spends more than 34 hours a week (as of 2009) watching live television and another 3 to 6 hours watching taped programs — that's without even mentioning time on computers and cellphones! With statistics like these, the film WALL-E seems less fiction and more prophetic: men and women becoming isolated beings, reclining with a screen in front of their face, eating foodlike substances devoid of nutrients. Doesn't seem that far off.

Just as I have to help my patients detox and reset their bodies, I also have them detox their lives of the chronic stressors that are raising their blood pressure, blood sugar and wrecking their health.

The truth is that we can't be the best versions of ourselves if we don't create space in our lives. Restoring margin and balance during our day enables us to breathe again! Let me give you some of the tips I give to my patients to unclutter their life and bring in a much-needed breath of fresh air:

1. Have a code word that your family knows.

A code word that means "put down the electronic device and be present." When my kids say "screen free, daddy," it puts me right in the present moment, forcing me to put down my phone and return to the precious time I have with my kids.

2. Force some cellphone-free time.

Next time you are out to eat with your family or friends have everyone put their cellphones in the middle of table. Whoever grabs their phone first has to pay the bill!

3. Take some time before responding.

Resist the new cultural norm to be pressured into answering emails and texts right away. They can wait.

4. Don't start and end your day with electronics and social media.

The amount of times we find ourselves unconsciously, mindlessly checking Facebook, Twitter and Instagram can be alarming. Bookend your day with a walk outside, yoga or meditation.

5. Try having a day when the whole family goes electronics-free.

Who knows? You just might like it!

6. Clean out your closet of clothes that you haven't worn in at least a year (or shouldn't have worn).

Do this with the other things in your house that are collecting dust or don't serve a function, and give them to charity.

7. Give yourself a social media-free week!

Give yourself a social media cleanse and see what you do with your time when you don't have to check the "Likes" of your witty status updates or extremely flattering selfie. If you like how you feel after one week, maybe you need another!

8. Leave your work at work.

When you're home, refuel yourself by being present with the ones you love.

9. Cut down on the time you watch television.

When you say you're "getting behind on your shows" with the same conviction as "I need to get healthy" or "I need to spend more time with my family", it's a problem. When the DVR is filled and watching TV becomes another job to keep up with, go on a TV detox. Instead of taking your vacation days to catch up on your shows, try reducing the shows you "need" to watch that are cluttering your life.

Limiting the clutter and noise in your life will release you to live the free life you were meant to live. Breathing room will only come into your life when margin is intentionally built into your schedule. Waiting for the day when your less stressed and busy won't happen on its own.

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-12869/9-easy-ways-to-destress-declutter-simplify-your-life.html

5 Ways To Radically Simplify Your Life

My past two years have been a journey toward leading a much simpler life. I didn't even realize when I started this personal journey that simplicity was even a goal. But as I opened my eyes and followed my heart, knowing that some central thing in my life needed to change, I realized that I was working to shed the unnecessary in many areas of my life.

What I came to realize was that many of the things closest and nearest to me were holding me back. This can be a painful and disarming realization, as it's hard to wrap your head around the fact that you are attached to something that is not serving you. 

But it's also an empowering revelation: you and you alone are the designer of your life. It's amazing how we as humans tend to make things so much more complicated for ourselves. Why? It's usually when our egos get involved. 

If you look at some of the happiest people in the world, it's not the concrete things that are bringing them joy. It's about a lifestyle and way of being. And this way of being involves recognizing things for what they are, in the present moment, without the need to overcomplicate things. 

Once I came to realize that my calling was leading me to simplify, everything started to feel so much clearer to me. The irony, however, is that just because something is simple doesn't mean it's a cinch. In fact, the quest to simply requires effort — specifically, the effort to tend away from our human impulse to complicate. 

During my time "finding myself," I travelled to Mexico for a few months, and found the simple house on the beach that I had always dreamed of. It was beautiful and all that I desired, but I missed home. I had put pressure on myself to live in a certain way in order to simplify, but realized that real simplicity is about appreciating things the way they are. In the present.

Here are five (simple!) tips to start radically simplifying your life. 

1. Evaluate your relationships and those that are draining you.

Ask yourself how you feel when you are with the people in question. Do they encourage and uplift you, or do they suck your energy and/or make you feel bad about yourself?

In the transition to simplifying your life, it's important to recognize that your friends and others in your network should help you thrive. Your life doesn't have the space for people who are depleting you. Simplify your social life, and you'll find that your relationships serve your life, rather than causing you further stress. That's how it should be!

2. Disconnect — fully — for one hour a day (at least).

I'm talking no phone, no email, no tablet. No distractions. I don't have to rehash all the negative effects that technology is having on our bodies and our society at large. And yet we all still need to be reminded to take a "digital detox." The first and the last thing most of us do in the day is check our email. It's time to disconnect so we can reconnect with our bodies and ourselves.

You can enjoy the digital detox time solo, or go out with friends, but make a commitment to turn it all off and enjoy the life that is happening right now around you, and not through the filter of Instagram. 

3. Sweep every corner of your home.

I am not only talking about using a broom, but also the metaphor "to sweep." Take inventory of your home, do a full sweep. Declutter anything that isn't necessary or that isn't actively making you feel comfortable, clean, inspired and happy. If you have things in your home that make you feel sad or bad about yourself, nix them. Your home is your sanctuary. So treat it that way.

4. Get really, really quiet.

I know a lot of people have resistance when they hear the word "meditate."But the list of scientifically-proven benefits of sitting to just be continues to grow.

When I first started mediating, I was definitely met with a wall of resistance. Of course, this wall was created for me by my own mind. I couldn't sit still. My back would start to hurt and my thoughts would keep coming, incessantly and aggressively. So I told myself I wasn't good at meditating, and that I should just give it up.

But those judging thoughts completely defeat the purpose of mediating, so I kept trying. Each day I committed to simply sitting still without judgment. Some days were easier than others. But I let my ego go, and I got super still. And with enough practice, I realized how simple (but not easy!) it was.

So start small: commit to just five minutes of silence and stillness each day. Without judgment.

5. Shred your "To Do" list, and make an "I Want" list.

I used to focus solely on my to do list. All day. All night. All of the things — big and small — that I was "supposed to do" tormented me. On my spiritual journey, I suddenly realized: "Why do I need to feel tormented?" It was so simple: I could just get rid of my to do list. This didn't mean I wouldn't do the things I needed to get done. But I could literally choose to remove a huge amount of anxiety from my life.

Instead, I started to take note of those things that made my heart smile, the things that took no effort to make me happy. In lieu of my stressful to do list, I created a list of things I wanted in my life. The mere act of focusing on my desires means that I now dedicate more time to those things.

Be spontaneous and leave the laundry for another day. Today, do something that you love to do instead. It's so simple.

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-17499/5-ways-to-radically-simplify-your-life.html

8 Ways To Simplify Your Life (And Make It Healthier, Too!)

  

Luckily, simplifying your life doesn't have to be complicated. Here, eight smart streamlining solutions that will leave you happier and healthier — proof that sometimes less really is more.

1. Cook a batch of your favorite soup on Sunday to last throughout the week.

In the chill of winter, nothing hits the spot quite like a bowl of hot soup — especially when it means you don't have to worry about cooking for the rest of the week. This one-pot meal makes it easy to fill up on veggies and — thanks to its high water content — leaves you feeling fuller longer, so you're less likely to overindulge later. Stick with broth-based versions for a hassle-free week-night meal that's high in nutrition and low in calories.

2. Choose one designated spot for always-lost items.

Mornings start out pleasant enough — a fresh shower, a hot cup of coffee — but can quickly turn chaotic in a search for missing keys, wallets and more. Pick one place (say, an accent tray or colorful ceramic bowl) to stash frequently forgotten items like keys, sunglasses and pocketbooks. Your entry table will score a pretty new accessory, and you'll bring order back to your mornings. Everybody wins!

3. Quit comparing yourself to others on social media.

Thanks to Instagram and Facebook, you're always informed of who nabbed a new promotion, who bought their dream home, who snagged the biggest engagement ring and which island your jet-setting friend is vacationing to next. Don't let these perfectly filtered photos leave you second-guessing your own accomplishments. (Come on, nobody's life is that perfect.) Next time you're tempted to keep up with the Joneses, refocus your energy on your own dreams.

4. Save full makeup for special occasions.

Wish you had an extra 20 minutes a day? Minimize your makeup routine. Pick two can't-live-without-them cosmetics, such as mascara and tinted lip balm, then save your full-face makeup for special events like date nights and parties. Not only will it save you time and money, but your skin will also appreciate the breather.

5. Donate clothes that you have not worn for over a year.

Give old clothes new life by donating them to a non-profit whose work you admire. Not sure which pieces to part with? Turn all your hangers around backward. When you wear something, hang it back normally. Anything that's still facing backward by the end of the year goes in the give away pile.

6. Streamline your daily vitamin regimen.

Vitamins are a great way to fill gaps in your diet and ensure lifelong wellness. The trouble is, you often need to several different supplements to get the nutrients you need — and that's assuming you remember to take them all at the right time.Smarty Pants' adult fiber vitamin is the first and only vitamin to combine a full multivitamin, omega-3s, fiber and Vitamin D in one nutrient-dense, gluten-free gummy. Their vitamins are made with organic and natural sweeteners — no high fructose corn syrup. Bonus: For every bottle you buy, Smartypants makes a vitamin grant to Vitamin Angels, a nonprofit that delivers vitamins to undernourished children in the US and abroad.

7. Start your day off with an easy-to-make smoothie.

Rushed mornings are no excuse to skip the most important meal of the day. Smoothies are a fast, portable way to get the healthy vitamins and minerals you need to power you through your morning meetings and beyond. For a yummy green smoothie, toss spinach or kale into a blender with pineapple and plain yogurt. Prefer salty over sweet? Mix plain Greek yogurt with almond butter and half a banana for a protein-packed AM shake.

8. Keep all your obligations written in one place.

If you're prone to record notes and appointments on scraps of paper, napkins or even the palm of your hand, find one central location to consolidate your scribbles. Shoving all your lists into one envelope or box will insure you don't lose track of your to-dos. Even better: Compile all your notes into one master document at the end of each day.

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-17004/8-ways-to-simplify-your-life-and-make-it-healthier-too.html