1. Just say no. To people, places, things that don't fill your heart with joy.
2. SISO [Something In, Something Out] Want to buy a new book? What book are you willing to let go of? Keeping the objects in your home at a manageable, controllable level is a critical component of leading a simple life. You need to "feel" free in order to "be" free.
3. Minimize. The fewer things on a table, the fewer things to pick up and dust. The fewer things on your desk, the fewer things to distract you. The fewer the items, the simpler the choices.
4. Know your personal boundary between storage and stockpiling. For each of us this is different, but simple means you are not running out every five minutes (or week) to replenish something. It comes from a sense of abundance. Stockpiling is the result of fear of running out and comes from a sense of scarcity.
5. Eliminate the word 'should' from your vocabulary. Life cannot be simple if we are still trying to live up to other people's expectations. Or have expectations of what others 'should' do. 'Should' may be the saddest word in the dictionary.
6. Don't put it down. Put it Away. Take the extra seconds NOW. It really saves hours later. [Also, develop mantras such as this that help. Another favorite: Dinner isn't over until the kitchen is clean.]
7. Remove yourself from negative situations and people. You do get to choose the people you willingly spend your time with or what you spend your time doing. If you always leave a place or people feeling drained, angry, dejected, or violated, then make a new choice.
8. Don't take it personally. Most of what others say or do is about them, not you. If you carry that to the next logical step, that also means that much of what you say about others if really about you.... hmmm..
9. Choose "true-to-self" over everything else. Whenever you need to make a choice, always take the path that is in harmony with your core values and beliefs. Notice where you feel the discomfort in your body. I find that discomfort in my head, throat or chest is fear. Discomfort in my stomach or gut tends to mean something is out of integrity.
10. Accept responsibility. Once you accept responsibility for everything in your life two things happen. One, you stop being a victim and that is much simpler. Two, you claim the power to change your future, and it doesn't get much simpler than that!