Simpler: Declutter Your Life and Focus on What's Most Important

by Mike Burns

This book is highly engaging. Mike has the unique ability to communicate important truths in an easy-to-understand, highly-inspirational way. This book will motivate you to simplify life and focus on what's most important.”
-Joshua Becker (blogger at becomingminimalist.com and bestselling author of Simplify and Living with Less)

Simpler is a book about decluttering our lives and focusing on the most important things. It's a book about priorities.

Life can get complicated, but we don't have to surrender to the whirlwind circumstances in which we find ourselves! We can choose to live differently.

Your life may not be simple, but it can be simpl...er!

Every person who reads this book, including you, can take steps today to declutter their life and begin to focus on what's most important to them.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Part One: A Case for a Simpler Life

1- Are you too busy?
2- Minimalism Defined
3- What's Most Important...To You?
4- The Other Side of Complexity
5- A Less Traveled Road

Part Two: Practical Tips for Decluttering

6- A Tool You Can't Live Without
7- Declutter Your Mind
8- Declutter Your Schedule
9- Declutter Your Email Inbox
10- Declutter Your Bookshelf
11- Declutter Your Paperwork
12- Declutter Your Home & Workspaces
13- Declutter Your Relationships
14- Drastic Measures

What's Next?

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Audiobook

73 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 31, 2013

Reviews

[Cleaning Lady · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read Simpler Declutter Your Life and Focus on What's Most Important while waiting patiently for the dentist. My dentist carries gossipy magazines so instead of turning to the National Inquirer for Kim Kardashian’s baby or US magazine for more headlines on the rest of the Kardashian clan, I downloaded a free version of this book from Amazon. As you can see, I made a deliberate decision to focus on what’s most important rhat is getting rid of clutter. I will not focus on Kim Kardashian.

Mike Burns who runs a blog called The Other Side of Complexitywrote the book. The author who is grateful for his relationships and lives a simple life has a rather complicated background. In the introduction, he explains that he is married and has six children and is quite busy even coordinating a band with family members. He also works a fulltime job. But despite these complex matters, he wrote this book to illustrate how to simplify life. He wrote the book based on the feedback from his blog readers who cried for new content.

The book is divided into two parts. The first part makes a case for living a simple life. He defines minimalism as a way to eliminate “the unnecessary so you can focus on what is important.” In the second part, Mike Burns gets down to the real business of how to declutter adding practical tips. Chapters include tips for decluttering your mind, your schedule, your email inbox, and everything else from home to workspace.

What I Liked About {book: Simpler: Declutter Your Life and Focus on What’s Most Important}

A simpler life?

For thirty minutes, I concentrated on another person that was not Kim Kardashian. Clearly, this is a positive. I also learned that the author lived in a small rental trailer and moved cross-country to be closer to some relatives. However, I am not sure why Mike Burns didn’t write more about this experience and how his family embraced a simple lifestyle. I was expecting for him to delve deeper into his minimalistic journey. This aspect of his life piqued my interest, and left me wanting for more. Perhaps, I was longing for some “Eat, Pray, Love” effect tying into minimalism. I imagine that for the author’s personal story you must read his blog.

Also, I did find some of the clutter tips common knowledge since I’m midway into my FlyLady babysteps bootcamp training. However, I did learn some technological savvy tips such as using an application on your phone for scanning receipts and getting rid of paper clutter. I also learned that the author values relationships and that despite being friendly with the masses he concentrates on the intimacy of close relationships.

”Your time is limited. Give yourself some time to think through your relationships and determine which ones need to go, and which ones need more attention.”

The book is a quick read and is best suited for those who are new to decluttering and need a grounded reason to start simplifying. “Simpler: Declutter Your Life and Focus on What’s Most Important” is available through Amazon. For more book reviews on cleaning and clutter, follow me on The Cleaning Lady Blog.

[S · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was hoping for something that went beyond the absolute basics, so I suppose if you have no idea where to begin, this book might work for you. But even a cursory browse around the internet will give you the same ideas in much less time. I mean, this thing could have been reduced to a Buzzfeed list, and it wouldn't have suffered much. It needs more thorough editing (it's vs. its, typos, etc.), and for a book on simplicity, it was very repetitive.

I think the thing that dropped this to two stars was the entire chapter (yup) on ridding yourself of books (YUP). Writing a book that advises you to get rid of books and not read "too much" - just, kind of shooting yourself in the foot there, eh buddy? Especially since the last few pages are ads for, surprise, more books by this author and another who I assume is his wife. But, since this was my KOLL choice for the month (I've learned my lesson, stick to the Vonnegut), it won't be hard for me to pare down my collection by at least one book almost immediately! Huzzah!

[Renae · Rating 5 out of 5]

More than expected

This is not just a book about removing the clutter from your home, but it also goes ok into great detail about removing clutter from all aspects of life, including the computer and the wonderful thought-provoking ideas

This is a must read for all those who need to declutter everything from their home to their computer to the thoughts in their head.

[Tabitha Gallman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very basic, yet helpful book about simplifying.

Very basic, yet helpful book about simplifying.

Liked that it was easy to read and had good sound advice for simplifying.
I recommend it to others that want to get organized.

[Steve Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short book, so it really only gives a general look at minimalism. The first section answers the "why" question. Why is a minimalist approach to life a good and healthy thing? The second section answers the "how" question; although, it answers it rather broadly. It gives practical tips on how to live a simpler lifestyle by decluttering your mind, schedule, email inbox, bookshelf, paperwork, home and work spaces, and relationships. Most of us don't think about the need to declutter our minds and relationships, but the author offers some keen insights and thoughtful suggestions. Even though the brevity of the book keeps it from going into as much detail as I would like, there are still a few gems that make this book worth reading.

[Robbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Helpful

This book made very helpful suggestions on how to start decluttering your life in various aspects of it. It validated some of the steps I had already started doing and I found that encouraging.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

meh

[yoli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a quick and simple read. Burns uses short paragraphs, uncomplicated and direct sentences, and a conversational style to convey his methodology for simplifying your life. There's nothing earth shattering in it, but there is a fair amount of plain-spoken advice. And sometimes that is all you need.

[Thadeus · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a helpful introduction to minimalism. It is straight to the point (which is what most people looking to simplify appreciate), and it provided good tips and ways to look at things.

I would recommend for anyone just coming to the conclusion that their life would be better if it were simpler, and not so cluttered.

Recommended.

[Elijah C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engaging and practical

Engaging and practical -Mike Burns gives realistic, helpful strategies that can be implemented immediately. His reminder throughout the book is so true - i do want to simplify not just to have clutter-free space, but to have time, space and energy to focus on what matters most.

[Magnus · Rating 2 out of 5]

A small handy book telling you to focus on the important things in life. You don't have infinitiv time so to get quality be tough and use the NO word.

Even things take time, as friends, as reading email etc

Summary nice but not excellent little book.

[April Yamasaki]

A practical, uncluttered guide to decluttering at home, work, online, even in relationships. Not for its own sake, but for the purpose of increasing focus on what's most important in our lives, how ever we might define that for ourselves.

[The Farmer's Wife · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not care for his writing style; and, for a self-help book, he was a bit un-motivating to me.

[Xi Xi · Rating 2 out of 5]

A few good points only. finished in 1/2 hour.

[Miroslav Houska · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just another mediocre book on simplicity.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simplify, simplify.

[Kimberly Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Read

Great refreshing ideas to help declutter your mind and home. Going to put them into action today. Easy to read/listen.