Why ‘simplification’ should be your focus for the year ahead

An advert appeared on my social media feed this morning from the Irish tax office which announced that this is the ‘Year of More’ and, not for the first time, I am completely out of step with them. It comes hot on the heels of my declaration that 2024 is going to be my year of simplification. In every single part of my life. This is the year I’m aiming to be much more with a lot less.

Regular readers will know that I tend to be critical of the tradition of new year resolutions; and that I prefer to pause and intentionally ease my way into the year with a word, or words, that best sum up what I want this year to mean for me.

In December, I had thought that I’d settled on my new selection of words which featured ‘home’, ‘free’, and ‘rooted’. All three of these still apply, but as I tried on these words for size, I found myself being drawn to another. And as is often the case, with these things, I started to see it everywhere – online, on television, in magazines and even the people around me began using it with alarming frequency. I could ignore it no longer. When I considered it in more depth, it struck me that ‘simplification’ in and of itself, reflected rather accurately what my three words meant to me. The more I thought about it, the more it fit. The more I played with it, the deeper it resonated. It felt right.

So, what exactly does simplification mean?

The Oxford English dictionary describes it as ‘the process of making something simpler or easier to do or understand.’ There is little doubt that, for me, this needs to be the overarching theme in every area of my life for the foreseeable.

When I sat down at the end of last year to prepare my business strategy for the coming twelve months, I felt the urge to pare everything back; to rebuild my foundations and to focus on doing more of what I love, while making myself more available and being of greater service to my clients. I chose to let some things go and I removed an attachment to some projects that I knew were taking me in a different direction and not necessarily a positive one. The process of simplification had begun and I have to tell you that I started this year definitely feeling much more energised as a result.

Less is more

I’m quickly discovering that it’s not about chasing after more stuff, creating more appointments, doing more things, appearing busier or keeping up with everyone else; but it’s a lot more to do with creating space that will allow me much more time for doing the important things – those things that really matter to me. Examples of this include; spending time with the people I love, working with clients that energise me, creating projects that inspire me, having more time in the woods with my dog, bingeing on Real Housewives episodes guilt free, reading all the books that I keep buying but never opening, playing tennis twice a week, writing without a looming deadline, permitting myself to have a massage each month. I’ve kept this list short, but you get the gist; it’s essentially all the things that I don’t get to do because I’ve complicated my life so much with all the things that I feel I have to do first!

If this is resonating with you then maybe you too could benefit from simplifying your own life. There are other ways that you could do this…

Declutter your home. I’ve never once finished a clear-out and regretted it. It is the best medicine for when you feel overwhelmed. The scientific evidence attests to this and a clear environment is known to reflect a clearer mind. Start with a drawer and see how it makes you feel!

Remove your email app from your phone after hours. I’m addicted to immediacy. When someone contacts me by email, I instantly picture them at the other side sitting by their screen waiting for my reply. It honestly torments me until I respond. I’ve set better boundaries with my clients, but just to be sure I don’t get tempted, I now remove my email app as soon as I finish in the evenings as well as at the weekends and the difference it has made has truly been life-changing!

Managing your money. We know that one of the things we all worry about the most is money. Do we have enough and how to keep what we have? It takes up a lot of our thinking space so, by committing to creating a budget, you are regaining the control it has over you, resulting in you spending less time thinking about it.

Remove toxicity from your life. The people you allow into your space directly determine how you feel about yourself. This applies to the people in your life as well as those who pop up in your social media. If spending time with someone makes you feel bad then simply reduce the time you spend with them! If someone regularly makes you feel inadequate, or insecure, on Instagram then mute them. Take responsibility for curating who gets to be both in your personal and online space.

If you feel that you’re ready to simplify your life start by remembering that it’s just as important to know what you don’t need to do, or don’t want to do, as much as it is settling on what it is you want. Be careful though not to fall into the trap of wanting it all now; do it gradually and observe as the space you create starts to feel. I’m going to leave the last words on this to American author and minimalist Joshua Becker who teaches that ‘the first step in crafting the life you want is to get rid of everything you don’t!’

Niamh Ennis is Ireland’s leading Change & Transformation Coach and author who through her private practice, writings, programmes, workshops and podcast has inspired and helped thousands of people to make significant changes in their lives. She is an accredited Personal, Leadership & Executive Coach and the Lead Coach in the IMAGE Business Club. Niamh has recently introduced a selection of new ways to work with her in 2024 – including VIP Days and Career Change Days and she is also currently accepting applications for her flagship ‘3 Month Bespoke 121 Coaching Programme Strategy Meets Soul. Email [email protected] for more information and follow Niamh on Instagram @1niamhennis.