Written by Vineet Sethi
Ask yourself, and be honest, do you talk more about all the complications in your life and relationships, or the solutions you have attained?
If you are like most people, you focus on the former.
We have made things unnecessarily complex for ourselves. Life and relationships are not as complicated as we have made them out to be.
Well, some do it intentionally and take pride in wearing “busyness” as a badge. Most of us do this unintentionally.
And how do we do this unintentionally? By overthinking.
Let’s simplify overthinking itself first.
Overthinking is thinking minus the action. Everything there is, was first a thought. So thinking is good. However, if there is no action for our thoughts, there is no output. We just keep overthinking, do nothing and complicate simple things, all in our minds.
Typical examples of complicating simple things (though the list can be lengthy) are weight management, time management, personal relationships, ego management, vacation & relaxation.
Take weight management, for example.
We make it so complicated with all these fad diets and extreme workout routines when it can be as simple as making better food choices and being more active by just going for a walk daily. This is true for most of us. Of course, some exceptions require professional help.
Time Management is another example.
It has become an industry in itself. We hire consultants and trainers to educate ourselves and our teams on managing our own time. Time is just a mathematical representation of the earth’s cyclic movement. A day is the time it takes for the planet to complete one full rotation on its axis. The year is when it takes for the earth to make one complete orbit around the sun. Yet, time flies for some, and a few others struggle to pass the time. I wrote earlier, “Time is not precious because it is an illusion.” – do give it a read.
The same goes for our relationships.
We overthink everything and make things more complicated than they need to be. And then allow our ego to make a complete mess of everything. All of us acknowledge that there is someone else out there who is more intelligent, prettier, wiser, wealthier, and healthier than us. Yet, in reality, we let our ego become a barrier to reaching out, helping out, and just simplifying our relationships. Most of the time, all it takes is a candid conversation.
Let’s take one more example – Vacation.
Not long ago, we used to pack light and go at the shortest notice. By road, train, bike, hitch-hiking, or whatever was available. The idea was to have fun. Lately, we have complicated vacations into a logistical nightmare. Overthinking and Overplanning. As a result, holidays have become more elaborate and expensive but rare. The priority has changed to how we travel, where we stay, where we eat, and how “instagrammable” the place may be – rather than having fun.
It is time to change and start talking about the solutions more; to take pride in ourselves and be a solution provider to society.
- The first step to uncomplicating and simplifying your life is accepting that you have been making things complicated for yourself. Many of the issues and problems we face in life are created by our own thoughts and lack of action. We need to learn how to manage ourselves better. Life becomes a lot easier when we take responsibility for our own thoughts and actions.
- The second step is to focus on the solutions instead of the problems. When we focus on the problems, we become part of the problem. But when we focus on the solutions, we become part of the solution. Solutions are what move us forward in life. They are what make things better.
- The third step is to take action. Life will not change if we do not take action. We need to be the change we want to see in our lives. We can start by making small changes in our daily routine. These small changes will add up and make a big difference in our lives.
Let’s stop taking pride in faking that our lives are complicated and instead be a solution provider to society. Life is too short to focus on the negative.
Let’s start focusing on the positive and making things simpler for ourselves.
We can do this by:
- Taking Action
- Focusing on simplifying, not complicating
- Being more engaged
- Taking responsibility
- Making better food choices
- Being more active
- Thinking more positive
- Spending time with loved ones
- Keeping it SIMPLE
What are some other ways we can make our lives simpler? Please share your ideas in the comments below or reach out to us at hello@beyondthepanorama.com or on social media channels.
(Picture credits: Pexels)
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