Are You A Cork or A Log?
In my twenties I had this idea that sometime when I was old (in my mid-thirties) I would reach this plateau where life sort of smoothed out...
I would know what I wanted to be when I was big (still haven’t decided that one), I would have the “big life decisions” made and life would tick along...
At some point life would get … well simpler...
Having rapidly moved through that “old age” I’m mighty relieved that there is no such place, no such plateau!
Imagine how boring life would be? Nothing new to learn? No new adventures? No surprises?
Don’t you love surprises? I do…actually that’s not quite true…
We love the surprises we want!
The ones we don’t want we call problems.
Nobody, and I really mean nobody is exempt from life’s surprises! But why is it that some people seem to float along the top of life’s raging torrents, bobbing along like a happy champagne cork with the sun beaming down, while others get sucked down, dragged through the rough, overwhelming swirl of the rampaging river, like a heavy log, getting bashed by ever rock and water up their nose?
“The Quality of Your Life is directly proportionate to the amount of uncertainty you can comfortably handle.”
Tony Robbins
Hmmmm… cool thought, but how do you become more and more comfortable with uncertainty? How do you ensure you’re the champagne cork and not the log?
In a word – SIMPLICITY!
Here’s the gist:
“The more you simplify your life, the easier it is bob to the top”
Ann Wilson
Society has made simplicity un-cool! We’re told the more complex something is the better and many times we associate simplicity with simplistic – basic, the quickest option, or the path of least resistance. What I’m talking about is neither.
Simplicity is ruthlessly extracting anything in your life that stands between you and your passions. Eliminating fuss, clutter, noise, actions, stuff and even people that take way rather than add to you life. Freeing up time, energy and money to focus on what really juices us and ensuring you are traveling through life, light and nimble.
Given the typical financial snapshot, it’s no wonder so many people are floundering around, drowning in their financial flow and making no headway on their journey to financial freedom.
An average person can easily have a dozen or so financial accounts: an assortment of credit cards, a couple of student loans, a pension or two, an everyday banking account, a savings account, joint account, a mortgage, store accounts, a fancy new revolving credit overdraft, a new high-interest online savings account, investment accounts, multiple (mostly useless) insurances, and the list goes on.
You need an accounting degree just to keep the account numbers and names straight. Let alone all those damn passwords.
“Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.”
Albert Einstein
Each of us is going to have a different tipping point where the “cork” ends and the “log” begins. Some life situations do require us to have more complexity. But many of us have unnecessary financial clutter we can simplify, consolidate, or eliminate. Gaining a firm grip on your total financial picture and simplifying it unlocks all sorts of benefits.
Simplifying makes the road to mastery significantly shorter. The systems and habit we use becomes easier and easier to maintain. As a consequence we are far more likely to stick with our financial goals, keep taking action, and achieve our financial freedom so much quicker.
“If you want to hear God laugh… tell her your plans.”
Proverb
One of the greatest benefits of simplicity is increased flexibility. We can plan until we are blue in the face, but none of us can anticipate everything. Life happens. The ability to adapt is essential in all aspects of our lives and your financial wellbeing is no exception.
When life deals a blow, the accompanying financial issues often weigh down your recovery by piling on extra stress. But a simplified approach to finances can actually reverse this. It can be a proverbial trampoline for those times we get knocked down.
Simplicity and flexibility isn’t just there for life’s “challenging” stuff, it is also there for life’s opportunities. Simplicity and flexibility allows you to jump at the things that come your way.
So… if you get laid of; start a business; fall pregnant unexpectedly; fall pregnant expectedly; fall in love; fall out of love; or an opportunity appears to up and off to a new continent….This is when you’ll be most thankful for taking the steps to strip away and increase simplicity.
Simplicity doesn’t mean pursuing automation at all costs or always choosing the option that saves the most time. Simplicity is ruthlessly cutting out anything in your life that stands between you and your juicy life.
Ride the river of life like a champagne cork – start shedding the load!
What do you need to let go of and simplify in your life right now? I'd love to hear from you, drop me an email on [email protected] and let's share in our simplifying our lives together.
