A New Start with 'Eliminate. Simplify. Automate.'

A New Start with 'Simplify. Eliminate. Automate.'

Hey everyone - this one is going to be a personal one.
If you’re here for business or content tips, this is your key takeaway: simplify processes and your life, eliminate everything (and everyone) that distracts you from your goals, and, if possible, automate or delegate tasks.

If you’re here for more, let’s go:

Did you catch that buzz at the start of 2023? Nickle LaMoreaux from IBM shared this mantra: Eliminate. Simplify. Automate. And honestly? It stuck with me.

While diving back into "Meditations of Marcus Aurelius" (a classic gem, by the way), something clicked!
IBM's words? They're not entirely new.
As you since last week’s newsletter, I've been exploring stoicism lately. Someone mentioned I had a stoic streak, and that got the wheels turning:

Marcus talked about the beauty of simplicity long before it became a trendy hashtag. That's our 'simplify'.
He also hinted at letting go of the excess – that's 'eliminate' for you.
And while he might not have said 'automate', he was all for streamlining life.

It grew with me.
Personally and in my business. 
I even started to talk about it in meetings. 
But living up to it 100% - No. That didn't happen yet. 
Anyways, it was like a seed landed in my stormy brain. And like every seed, it needs time to grow. 
The first percent of my 'Simplify. Eliminate. Automate.' journey started last weekend, I recognized. 

I grabbed my sneaker collection from the cellar, preparing them to sell.

I understand that some of you see this as just a cleaning-out thing.
But to me, it’s way more than that.

Those sneakers were sitting there, occupying space for no particular reason other than for me to be afraid to let go.
To let go of somebody I used to be.
Afraid but curious to see what I would become when I let go of weight.

As you can tell by now - as real as those sneakers are - they are representative.

Am I finally growing up near my 37th birthday?
I don’t think so.
But, to lead a more relaxed and less anxious life, it's also helpful to maintain a clutter-free physical space. 

We don't need to eat until we can't breathe anymore. 
We don't need 20 subscriptions to be entertained.
We don't need 100 pairs of shoes. 
We need focus.
We need less.

Before I wrap up, I'd love to introduce a segment:

Question of the week:

👉 What is something that weighs you down and you'd like to eliminate?

I'd love to hear from you. And if you think someone would enjoy our little community, feel free to share our newsletter link.

Stay inspired,

PS: If you want to check out 'Meditations' by Marcus Aurelius, find the book
📚 here on Amazon
📚 here at Orell Füssli