Simplifying Is Painful

By Leo Babauta Creating simplicity and focus is anything but easy. It requires saying no, and in doing so you make others feel rejected. It requires giving up things you love, so you can truly say yes to the most essential. In the past two weeks, I’ve simplified my work projects, drastically and heart-wrenchingly. To give myself a laser focus. Last week, I canceled or put on hold four dear projects. It meant having some painful conversations with business partners who were psyched about those projects. Those were some of the hardest conversations I’ve had in recent years. Today, I further simplified: I’ve ended mnmlist, one of the sites I’ve loved creating the most. I’ve put Unschoolery on hold, even though I have lots more to say on the topic. I stopped studying Spanish, even though I’ve gotten further with that language in the last couple months than I’ve ever gotten with any language (with the possible exception of English). I decided to put my programming learning on hold as well, though I did make great progress in January. I recently continued my writing for my Guide to Life for My Kids, but am now putting that on hold as well. Almost none of these projects are dead. They’re just lovingly folded up, to be tucked away in a digital archive for a later revival. It’s not easy, though, putting them in cold storage. Why am I putting myself (and others) through this kind of pain? For intense focus. I’m goi...
Source: Zen Habits - Category: Life Coaches Authors: Tags: Productivity & Organization Simplicity Source Type: blogs