by Are you constantly rushed, anxious and overwhelmed, wishing for a simpler, slower life? If you answered yes then you need to read this book. Brief and to the point, Destination Simple can be read in one sitting, so there’s no excuses, even for the busiest of people! Plus the exercises outlined in Destination Simple are easy to integrate into daily life, creating a calmer and happier you.
There’s more to life than constant rush, excess stuff, endless notifications, breakfast in the car and mindless TV at the end of the day
Journey towards a simpler, slower life
Destination Simple presents a framework to help you change your life for the better. By adopting even just one of the seven simple exercises outlined in the book, you will begin to feel more mindful and relaxed, experiencing less stress and overwhelm.
Rather than focus on structured routines, schedules and to-do lists, author Brooke McAlary talks about rituals and rhythms. A ritual is a formal, ceremonial task that is undertaken regularly. Brooke suggests that we begin by turning at least one mundane daily activity into a ritual so that we can truly appreciate what it is that we are doing. Being mindful during these moments helps us to calm down, focus and prioritise our wellbeing. With practice we can be mindful more often throughout the day.
A daily brain-dump to empty the mind and prioritise tasks
‘Emptying the Mind’ is one of my favourite exercises from Destination Simple particularly as it goes hand-in-hand with Bullet Journaling. Set aside 5 – 10 minutes a day, in the morning or at night. Take a sheet of paper or note book and simply write down everything that comes into your mind. Don’t think too much, just get it all down on paper: to-do’s, items to buy, work worries, things to remember, solutions to problems etc.
At the end of the session review everything you wrote down during your ‘brain-dump’. Use this information to determine your three most important tasks for the day (or following day). These tasks become your top three priorities and any other to-do’s should be left alone until the top three are complete.
Starting my day with an ’empty mind’ and then focusing on just three tasks has really helped me to simplify. I’m more confident that I can complete tasks and I am less likely to become distracted or overwhelmed. Focusing on less means I have more time, resulting in a slower paced day, and a more mindful, relaxed approach.
Finding your rhythm for a slower life
Unlike a rigid inflexible routine, ‘rhythm’ allows for change and flexibility throughout your day, week, month or year. Rhythm is a much more gentle approach to routine. In Destination Simple, Brooke teaches how to find a morning rhythm and an evening rhythm. Your rhythms will work just right for you, and the people around you, giving you time to get things done, with some wiggle room too. Once established, these rhythms will help you feel calmer, clear-headed and prepared.
‘Tilt’ your focus to where it’s needed
We’re constantly told that work/life balance is the key to happiness and we spend our lives struggling to find it. But when do we ever actually achieve this type of balance? Maybe its time to cut ourselves some slack and start ’tilting’ rather than trying to balance.
Tilting allows us to focus on what’s important in the moment, and intentionally choose to put our energies into those areas
Life changes from moment to moment, and we need to be flexible. Through practicing mindfulness we are more aware of where our focus should be, in each moment. Tilting towards these areas of life that are important and make us feel good ensures they are always a priority.
Destination Simple is an inspiring book about simple ideas for a simpler, slower life. A life that gives you more time and space for what you enjoy. I’m in! Are you?
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