Simplify by Paul Borthwick
If you’ve been following my blog these last few weeks you already know I’ve been feeling a little stressed out and over committed. Simplify by Paul Borthwick was just what I needed. And God knew it even before I agreed to participate in this book review.
Everything about this book is simple. The cover, the easy to read content, the helpful ideas and bullet points. Reading it evokes a sense of calm. The author has divided the book into categories such as Discerning Want Versus Need, How Do We Spend Our Leisure Time, etc. and after a brief explanation, he breaks the chapter down into easy to follow suggestions on how to simplify that area of your life.
What I love about the book is that it doesn’t expect me follow all the suggestions, (and thank goodness since there are 106 of them!) but breaks them down into categories and smaller suggestions so that you feel you might be able to conquer several in each chapter and obtain the simplicity you’re desiring. What’s also neat is to go through the list and say, “Yeah, I’m doing that!” I plan to highlight the sections I’m already doing and try to add to it to further simplify my life
Here’s a little preview of the content:
#3 Resist Temptation
An article in a local paper described customers at a local “bargain” store as “People Shopping for Things to Need.” Stay away from shopping centers or malls except when you have a specific purchase in mind. Don’t surf the Internet gazing at all the stuff for sale on eBay or at the website of your favorite clothing, technology, music or DVD store. Window-shopping in all forms induces buying. That’s why professionals spend so much time decorating the windows, jazzing up their websites, and bombarding your Christmas mail with catalogs.
#20 Give it Away
Go through your house looking for things you consider useless that could help someone less fortunate.
Go through the closet and give away clothes you have not worn in a long time or may never wear again.
Donate useful (but unused) furnishings and appliances cluttering your attic and basement. From thrift store revenues, the Salvation Army funds many of its urban outreaches to the poor or alcohol-dependent.
Take the family to serve a holiday meal at a soup kitchen. It builds thankfulness, teaches you and your children to serve without reciprocation, and suppresses those self-indulgent tendencies that surface during the holidays.
#36 Exercise with Someone
If I exercise alone watching an aerobics instructor on TV, I am more inclined to be lazy (or even grab a snack while exercising). On the other hand, if my wife and I exercise together, there is accountability and less of a tendency to cheat (see Ecclesiastes 4:9-12).
#50 Take a Rest with God
Meditate on the Psalms, or examine texts like Matthew 11:28-30. It will bring your perspective in line with God’s.
We live in a culture that says, “He who dies with the most toys wins.” Distinctly biblical concepts like contentment (Philippians 4:11) or freedom from the love of money (1 Timothy 6:6-10) remind us that biblical leisure is a time for refreshing and recreation, renewing and resting our body and soul.
#100 Do the Hardest Tasks First
Put those dreaded tasks at the top of your “to do” list and take care of them first. Procrastinating only makes them seem harder and keep them on your list for weeks.
Whether it is paying the bills, going to the dentist, or calling Aunt Mabel, do yourself a favor by tackling the tough assignments first.
Convinced you need this book? Great! I’ve made it simple for you to get your own copy! Go here to order yours!
