I’m going to be cliché. If I had a penny for every time I heard the words “fiscal cliff”, I’d have a really nice holiday bonus this year.

Each time I hear these words on the news or read about it the paper, I think about the real cliff in our lives.

The real cliff is one that we face too often. When we let ourselves take on too much and we push ourselves to the edge of our limits. This is when we break down in either healthy or not-so-healthy ways. Why do we keep doing this?

First, it’s just too easy. The downside to all the cool apps, technology and organization experts is that we choose too often to fill those pockets of new-found time with other non-important items. We choose not to focus on the right things. We don’t know how to just be and enjoy little things in life anymore. We constantly feel this incessant need to fill our time with something. It makes me think of that story about the professor and the jar of golf balls.

So, what do we do? We let things build up. We have a hard time saying “no” to new obligations and we take great pride in how much we are able to juggle all at once. We worry too much about getting stuff done rather than doing the important things. On top of that, we get distracted in our social media and web worlds.

Then, one day, it happens. You’ve reached the edge of your cliff. You break down and either take it out on your family/friends or you beat yourself up with stress.

Have you ever felt this way? I know I have, too many times.

What happened to keeping it simple? When was the last time you did any of the following:

Exercised.

Read a book or a magazine, just for yourself.

Played with your kids without interruption.

Truly enjoyed a hobby that you love.

Had a long talk, again uninterrupted, with a loved one.

Enjoyed a family dinner with everyone together.

Took a look back at old photos and counted your blessings in life.

Went for a walk.

Wrote in a journal.

Turned off the computer and the TV.

Put away your phone.

I could go on but, you get the point.

We need a little infusion of simple in our lives. Keep that in mind as you prepare for 2013. It is important for your kids, too. They learn from the way we manage our time and feel the crunch when we take on too much.  Keeping it simple helps us to focus on the right priorities in life. And, as a result, we are sure to enjoy it more.

Keep it simple: a great filter to be more present.