I was looking at few of my old notes for a bit of writing inspiration and I found some very good stuff on keeping it simple:

• Talk less, think more
• Learn to say ‘no’ and mean it
• Buy what we want, instead of what others say we want
• Live in a way that is self-determined and original
• Fulfil the demands of work without being controlled by it
• Recognise there are many things more important than money
• Know what you want
• Not cost, but value
• Buy one, chuck one
• Avoid debt and the stress of overspending

I bought a very short book on this subject when I was a lot younger and it has since been lost or misplaced in various house moves, but that book was where some of this stuff came from and it was a really important thing for me. Following a few of these basic rules has helped me to keep my life relatively uncluttered and allowed me to sleep well at night when things have been tough.

In the world we live in today, the pressure to conform and live up to other people’s standards can be an expensive and tiresome task but still so many of us make the effort when it really isn’t required. Vanity has become of greater importance than sanity for many and this trend isn’t going to help to develop the great leaders and philanthropists of the future. Keep it simple and your chances of living a life that is full and authentic will be much greater.

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Ian Mountford is a Strategy Coach providing motivation and guidance to entrepreneurs, wannabe or fully-fledged. He draws from his own experience of building businesses from the ground up and spending many years helping clients to consistently achieve their goals and aspirations. Ian works with clients face-to-face and internationally.