6 Steps to Start Living a Simpler and Happier Life

The simpler life requires you to figure out precisely what your idea of heaven is and then design your life as close to it as possible while you're still on this planet. 

As a single parent you need to do this. 

Begin with these 6 Steps to Start Living a Simpler and Happier Life.

 1. Relax your standards.

     If you are struggling to meet self-imposed standards   because you find the effort  satisfying, then, by all means   struggle on. But if meeting your standards leave you with too little energy to enjoy other things, it's time to relax them.

      2. Take Time to Figure What You Find Most Satisfying

     Set aside the time to think about what it is that gives you the most pleasure and satisfaction, and start doing it.

      3. Create Time for the Things You Care About.

     The purpose of taking the time to think about what it is you care about is to make time for those things in your life.

      4. Learn to Enjoy What’s in Front of You.

      Try to see everything that’s beautiful in front of you and live in that moment. There's a skill involved in looking at what’s in front you and finding a gift in it.To some extent I’m talking    about a half full rather than a half  empty approach to life.This type of vision really cuts away all kinds of clutter.

       5. Learn to be Flexible.

      Many of us develop patterns of behavior – habits – that takes on a life of their own. In fact, there is a real value in change, that is, in shaking things up every now and then and surprising everyone, including yourself.

      6.  Prioritize

     The entire notion of prioritizing how you spend your time implies that you actually  have some control over your life. It is that kind of taking control and experiencing satisfaction    that I am trying to foster.

Clearly we all have things we must do that we wish we didn't have to do. But as I said earlier, you will be surprised to discover just how much choice you have about where your energies go.

Remember you really do have the capacity to make choices. And that’s the key to a simpler life.

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How to Exercise Your Mind and Body

Although, as a busy single parent, you  carve out time to read with your children. However, you must find time for your own reading. The old adage, you are what you read, still rings true. 

When your reading materials are success-oriented and optimistic, your achievement level will be high. 

Read Regularly
If your reading materials are pessimistic or depicts people as victims of circumstance, your achievement level will be low. It seems that achievement oriented literature will help you to think in terms of goals and success. It can be most supportive of you in your pursuit of inner strength and self-reliance. 
 
Keep the book you never get to read either in your car, your briefcase, or your purse. If you are waiting in a long line some where, or if you are caught waiting for a tardy child, it will become an opportunity to read.

And, finally, think about a book that you absolutely loved when you were in college and reread it. Great literature is every bit as great the second time around.

Exercise Daily
Nearly six out of ten people experience no daily exercise. However, like any other activity, it takes both choice and commitment. Walking, jogging, biking, or working out regularly on a home exercise machine such as a stationary bike can have a positive impact on your physical and emotional health, but you have to choose to do it and commit to doing it. 

Do it even if you think you don't have time for it. It's good for the mind, good for the soul, and it doesn't have to cost you a cent. Also consider walking with a friend. It's a perfect way to do two things at once: exercise and create an opportunity for good conversation. In addition to a regular exercise routine, get extra exercise by walking up a flight of stairs rather than using an elevator.

Positive Benefits
Back to the simple home exercise machine. It works fine. Forget the fancy looking exercise machines you see advertised on television and forget joining the local health club. You don't need either before you start exercising. In reality, the foundation of any good exercise program needs to be no more complicated than taking a walk or a jog for free and adding a few other activities such as sit-ups, push-ups, or jumping on an exercise bike if you just want to work on certain parts of the body and to give yourself some variety. This is all that is required for you to have a positive effect on your health.

To get the maximum enjoyment from life, you need to pursue the care and feeding of both your mind and your body. Think about health as a broad goal for both your mind and your body.

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3 Ways to Break Bad Habits and Establish Good Ones

To take control of your life, recognize that habits are response patterns to situations. If you are a smoker, you reach for a cigarette when the coffee is served, but not during the soup.

You don't smoke or even want to in church, in the theater, in a courtroom, or in other places where no one usually smokes. Given the right circumstances or if you are experiencing stress, you will seek satisfaction by lighting up.

In order to break a habit, then, you must recognize that you must deal with the source of satisfaction - that is, you must want to change your ways and give up the real or imagined benefits; you must be aware of what you are doing, and, you must take in account the situation that had become associated with the habit.

A number of methods for habit breaking have been proposed by therapists working from different points of views. Here are 3 of them and those that I believe are the most effective:

1. One method for habit breaking is through negative practice. This is deliberately repeating a habit over and over again until you are totally bored with it. This method can be used when you seem to be unaware of when or why you are doing something. This procedure calls attention to the situation involved, which makes them recognizable so that preventive action can be taken. 

2. Another method that can be used is the tapering off method. This is a long-term process and works only if you are seriously interested in breaking the habit. If the habit is related to a life-threatening disease such as cancer or heart disease your motivation to break the habit can be significantly strong enough so that nothing else may be needed.

3. Still another method is to quit cold turkey.  You may experience significant stress with this approach or you may perhaps experience some joy out of being able to make such a complete break.

This is not a method, but a decision that you make and are willing to stick with despite the potential discomfort that you will experience.

Finally, in my judgment the best way to break any habit is to follow the 5 main components of the habit reversal method:
1. Recognize that the habit is a strong or persistent urge that is not rooted in deeper psychological problems.
2. Keep precise record of urges and count the number of times that you actually succumb to them.
3. Develop an awareness of the chain of events that leads to or results in the unwanted behavior.
4. Learn relaxation method as a means of combating the urges.
5. And, substitute a response that incompatible with the unwanted behaviors.

If you really desire to quit any habit and take control of your life, this 5 easy step process really works.


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