Keep It Simple!

"Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated." ~Confucius

1. Breaking down a specific task into small doable actions + blocking out a specific time to do it = Accomplishing the task

2. Taking papers spread out on a desk + putting them in piles + reviewing one item at a time = Decreasing the amount of desk clutter

3. Weighing options + determining a next step action = Reducing anxiety and overwhelm

4. Finding a practical, convenient place to put things + being consistent in putting them away = Saving time looking for things and reducing aggravation

5. Preparing what you need for a meeting + leaving enough time to get there = Having a clear head, less stress and more focus

BONUS
(for you, your family and friends)
6. Scheduling personal time + Getting in the habit of turning off your gadgets and gizmos (Blackberry, PDA, etc.) = Being in the moment

See if you can identify ways you make life more complicated than it needs to be. Do you ask enough questions to get information when you're not sure about what to do? Do you ask one too many questions or unnecessarily shift topics when talking to someone that results in prolonging a conversation that should have ended minutes before? Do you answer your phone when you know you are on the way out the door? Do you give yourself enough time to think or just do nothing?

According to Henry David Thoreau, "We have become the tools of our tools." Take these simple formulas, keep them simple and live the results.