In today’s blog, we will discuss something that we often cover in our talks here at The Body Camp in Ibiza.
I heard once that the late, great Steve Jobs (or was that Albert Einstein?) had ten identical outfits hanging up in his wardrobe – he didn’t need to make any decisions in the morning, leaving even more space in his amazing mind to create and innovate!
I remember when friends would visit me at my pad in England, to watch a classic ‘80s movie sometimes they would comment about how I lived. Clutter was nowhere to be seen – everything was for a functional purpose – and I wore the same 80’s outfits but had no mullet (yet) no wonder I was brimming with ideas all the time!
For example, in my living room there was just a few things….a huge brown leather sofa, a fish tank coffee table, congo drums (I think) and a massive flat screen TV. No clutter anywhere like ornaments or carpets. On the walls, I only had a couple of pictures from golden days in the Navy and positive images of the successful moments from my life. In fact as I write this, I realize that I had pictures of where I would be few years from then – America! Talk about a built-in daily vision board….
Purposeful pictures, some furniture, memories and success stories from my life. This made me realize that whilst back in the Navy, I had learned an important skill, to simplify everything, as life is complicated enough!
In the Navy, I remember everything onboard; the deck head (ceiling) the bulkhead (the walls) and the mess (the living area) all contained items that had purpose or were needed in times of emergency! Fire fighting equipment, signs for escape exits and instructions for daily routines were the only things you saw around the crew every day. Everything else was clutter, dangerous in the event of rough seas and not required.
With life becoming ever-more complicated, it’s more important than ever to declutter, simplify and focus on the basics, so here are some ideas for how to keep it simple in 2017:
Travel – Use one piece of hand luggage and pack only essential items of clothing.
Home – Keep it clear of clutter by having only minimal furniture in the living room.
Workouts – Picking one body part only to work on every day e.g. chest/arms/shoulders/back/ legs
Nutrition – Eating the same healthy food groups and sticking to them no matter what
Sleep – Ensuring the bedroom remains electronic free and devoid of clutter
Friendship – Making sure we keep in touch with the REAL friends…and getting rid of the so-called friends on Facebook and other social media.
Kitchen – Having just enough pots and pans to cook. Ensuring cupboards are not full of unnecessary cups and plates/crockery
Hydration – Drinking only water or coconut water and not confusing the body with pop / alcoholic drinks
Being yourself – Don’t behave like anyone else, confuse yourself or copy someone else….it’s much more simple to be honest and true to yourself
Transport – Use your legs as much as possible or buy a bike
Clothes – Only own 5 pairs of pants, socks, sports kits, tops, shorts, shoes etc!
Maybe some of these are unrealistic – but reducing something in each category could help you in 2017. By keeping it simple, you can reduce the clutter in your mind – which can help you make much clearer, sharper, better decisions in every day life.
Happy 2017 to All!
Rick Parcell • Master Coach
