How to Simplify Your Working Life

It seems that the pace of life is getting more and more frantic -- especially for entrepreneurs. According to the American Psychological Association, 77 percent of Americans regularly experience physical symptoms caused by stress. So what can we do to simplify our lives, reduce the stress and increase the quality? Here are some suggestions:

Eliminate. The less you have, the less you have to manage.  Get rid of what you are not using. If a project is over, archive what you must and toss the rest.

Delegate.  What are you doing that someone else can be doing? Your time is precious, spend it wisely. 

Re-evaluate the use of your smartphone. Do you really need to be checking email, text messages and social networking sites constantly. Set some guidelines, turn off notifications, and check less frequently.

Use lists. If you want your time to be efficient, write down what you want to accomplish, circle the three most important tasks, and don't let the day go by without getting them done. 

Look at the big picture. If you evaluate your current situation and what you perceive as stressful, you may find that the threat isn't always as serious as your mind makes it. 

Work smarter, not harder. Spend some time today to getting organized. Time invested in creating efficient systems will help reduce the chaos.

Monica Friel is president and founder of Chaos To Order -- the Chicago area's premiere organizing company since 1990. Friel manages and trains a staff of professional organizers who specialize in everything from household clutter to corporate chaos.

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