Take A Minimalist Mindset Into 2024
by Lisa Bodell for Forbes
The concept of “minimalist mindset” is often reduced to a cliché, but it describes the intentional simplicity that I pursue every day. (Admittedly, some days there’s more pursuing than simplifying.) Minimalism has grown in popularity and for good reason: Studies have shown that a minimalist mindset can lead to improved mental and physical health, as well as less stress and more happiness.
Even as a workplace expert with a book called Why Simple Wins, the holidays are a challenging season to choose less over more. Overscheduled calendars and EOY deadlines are inevitable, so I find it helpful to focus on the areas of my work life that I can actually control. The four tactics below are designed to turn your December habits into January routines — all while saving time and energy.
1.Practice time-boxing. Adopted from agile principles, timeboxing helps you assign realistic but fixed deadlines to your tasks. Rather than focus on completing a large task, break it into step-by-step activities—similar to the Pomodoro method—and assign a fixed amount of time to finish each step. In my experience, when a deadline is the primary motivator, efficiency tends to bring out the creative problem-solver in all of us.