On my ever expanding journey of recovery I’ve come to many crossroads and haven’t always gone in the right direction. That’s ok, I’m only human, born to make mistakes. Along the way I’ve learned a lot about life, recovery, and even more about me.
An unbelievably valuable insight that I’ve had about how I navigate the world is that I’m more often than not, my largest barrier. I’ve also learned enough about people that I can say with confidence, that I’m not the only one who has that experience. Over the last six or so months I’ve been putting in a lot of self-work to try to improve, grow, and simplify my own actions.
As part of my intention to continue on a path of self-improvement and growth in 2024 I began to study stoicism and journal about different concepts held in the practical philosophy that’s been around since Ancient Greece. Within my journaling I’ve had a pretty significant, exceptionally simple, insight that I felt was worth sharing.
There are three areas that I regularly make my life harder than it needs to be:
- Complicating Things
- Over Committing
- Procrastinating
Complicating Things
Not everything has to be difficult. Not everything has to be a herculean task. The level of difficulty associated with a task or project doesn’t add value to your or the work when it’s done. Often times, the simplest of things have the greatest value.
Over Committing
You don’t have to do everything. Doing more while dedicating less of yourself to those things doesn’t mean it’s worth more than doing fewer things and really being able to dedicate yourself to those tasks. Many people may want more of you, but in the end, time is all you have. Make sure you have the time you need to spend it on the things that matter. You know what you’re capable of and can pick and choose where you spend your time and energy while having a balance to stay well at home.
On Procrastinating
Putting things off until you “feel” like you’re in some kind of productive zone doesn’t make you any more productive. In fact, you’ll find yourself more overwhelmed, simply because you now have more that you need to get done. Forging ahead and doing a little when you feel like you can’t do anything is a massive achievement. You took a step towards something. Moving is always better than stagnation. Clear your space, organize and prepare, then remove any other excuses, and begin.
Remember This:
- On Complicating Things : Keep it Simple
- On Overcommitting : You Can Say No and Still Do Right in the World
- On Procrastinating : Just Start, No Matter How Small, Just Start
These are things I did today. I kept the blog work simple, I didn’t try to do everything at once, and most importantly. I started…
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