We think that doing more will bring us more satisfaction, success, etc. However, often the opposite is quite true. Doing less things may be more beneficial in the long run, but we are used to our current lives, and we cannot understand this because of the following reasons:
- When we work, we move from one task to another quickly and continuously, or we do multiple tasks and treat five things simultaneously until the end of the day, yet we still feel we haven't done enough of the right things.
- When we finally rest to do some healthy exercises, we tend to push ourselves as hard as we can until we feel exhausted, painful, and less willing to exercise the next day.
- When we go to a nice restaurant, we want to try all the appetizers, drinks, and foods and to enjoy as much pleasure as possible. Therefore, we leave with a full stomach, and we get annoyed and gain extra weight.
- When we travel to a new city, we want to see everything, every landmark, every image, so we do as much as our body can bear and come back from our journey completely exhausted.
How can we control our motivation to do so many things?
Just focus on doing less things every step of the way, and be alert to your desire to achieve more.
It took me a while to realize it, but I started to understand it because:
- When I work, I only execute one thing within a fixed period of time with full focus. When I find myself doing multiple tasks or feeling overwhelmed, I cancel everything and make a list of one to three major tasks that I absolutely need to complete at the end of the day. Yes, sometimes this list includes only one task, and it helps me focus on what is really important. Also, it helps me not to feel overwhelmed.
- When I went to the gym two days ago, I had the desire to do my best. I noticed this motivation, but I decided to give it up, and I did a strong exercise for 45 minutes without using up all my energy. Yesterday, I went back to the gym and spent another 45 minutes at a similar pace. This morning, I would have been happy to do the same, but I decided to do a light sprint instead. My training system is regular, so I rarely get injured or miss a day.
- When I sit in a restaurant, I don't try to taste as much food as possible. Instead, I leave my table before I get satiated. Currently, I am eating less than I used to, and I still struggle with this sometimes because it is not easy, and it requires some practice. However, the result is that I feel noticeably better after each meal, and I keep my weight in perfect
- When I travel to a new city, I do not try to do everything, but I choose some activities and give them enough time. Then I leave the city knowing that there are many things to see on my next visit, and I leave to myself the desire to see more wonderful things.
Five signs that the time has come to do so:
1. Feeling overwhelmed by too many tasks:
Remember that committing yourself to many tasks and responsibilities is the biggest mistake that most people commit and make their lives stressful and full of tension. It is tempting to fill every moment of the day with tasks, events, commitments, and distractions, so don 't do so to yourself. You can not do everything, and you have to give up some things.
2. The desire to accomplish everything at all levels:
Another major problem that keeps most of us stuck in the busyness exhausting cycle is the crazy belief in our minds that we can please everyone, and be everywhere simultaneously champions on all fronts, but of course that's not a fact. The truth is that we're not superheroes, but rather we are just human beings, and our potential is limited. We have to abandon the idea of doing everything and satisfying everyone and being everywhere at once, so either you do some things well, or you do everything badly, that's the truth.
3. Lack of time to appreciate the free time in your day:
Your life is not just about the things you do, but it 's also about the free time between these things, which means that the free time itself is something that should also be appreciated. For example, if you spend your morning meditating and reading, the morning is not only valuable because of meditation and reading, but the time among these two activities is also great.
The time you spend walking to the meditation mat, finding your book, turning the pages, pouring a cup of tea, sitting and watching the sunrise etc are just as important as anything else. Organize yourself, so you don't rush from one thing to another, and instead estimate the time between as well.
4. Loss of priorities:
Priorities are not automatically achieved. You have to make time for what is important to you, your family, your children, learning, exercise, creativity, etc. Push everything aside to make time for these things, and when you say “no” to more things that seem really exciting, you can devote time to what is really important.
5. Chaos in the workplace:
If you don't have time to keep the workplace organized, you're doing a lot of wrong things, and you might buy a lot of things that you don't need to, too. Rearranging your workplace will make your state of mind less confused. Unnecessary chaos distracts us more than we often realize. So, remember that the question of what you want in your workplace is basically a question about the life you want to live.
In conclusion:
Our excess possessions and commitments will not make us happy, but even worse they make us lose sight of the things that bring us happiness once we let go of the things that don't matter, and give ourselves the freedom to choose the things that really matter.
Sometimes reducing property and commitments means giving up a dream, but that 's not always a bad thing. Sometimes it takes sacrificing something to become a better person, so cheer up and live a simple life.
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