Life happens at such a fast pace nowadays. We often have so much going on that we don’t take the time to make our lives simpler.

The problem is that we often don’t know where to start making our lives less complicated. The more we do, the more stressed we become, which in turn can complicate our lives even more.

It takes courage to change, but it will be worth it. Here are 7 quick and easy ways to help you live a more simple and enjoyable life.

1) How many hats do you wear? Take an inventory of everything you do, and the activities you are involved in. Is it in your interest to continue with all of these activities? If it is, can you reduce the time you devote to these? Are there any that could be dropped, in preference for new, more valuable and beneficial activities?

2) You must learn to use the word “no”. We often take on more than we can cope with. Sometimes we feel that it is easier to accept an assignment or task rather than saying no. Try to work out why you keep taking on more. Perhaps you want recognition, or you would feel guilty or inadequate if you declined to do something.

3) Get rid of stuff. Rather than spending time organizing and re-arranging all of your stuff, it would be far more productive to get rid of what you don’t need or want! This is a really freeing exercise, and not only will you gain more space, but you will probably rake in a bit of cash too.

4) Create a monthly dinner menu. If you can plan your dinners for the next month, then this will alleviate a lot of stress and make food shopping so much easier too. Once you’ve come up with a monthly plan, this can simply be repeated throughout the year, so simplifying your life even more.

5) Whittle down your wardrobe. Often, we can’t decide what to wear because we simply have too much to choose from! Go through your wardrobe and get rid of items you haven’t worn in the last year (or have no intention of wearing). We all have items in our closets that seemed a good idea at the time, but which have never been worn.

6) Streamline the clutter on your computer. How much of the information on your hard drive have you used? It is so easy to request a free report here and there, or download a free piece of software and save it to your computer “until later”. Spend an afternoon going through files that you have downloaded and decide which should be kept.

7) Go on a TV diet. Television uses up a lot of our precious time, which we could be using much more productively. If you can’t give up watching TV altogether, then reduce your viewing time by at least half. Be selective in what you watch, and don’t spend valuable time surfing channels. If there is nothing to watch, then switch off the TV.

This is only a tiny sample of ways to simplify your life. I challenge you to take some time out for yourself, and decide how you could make your life so much easier and reduce your stress levels.

I guarantee that your life will become so much more enjoyable!