I cannot overstate the value and pleasure of an unburdened life and clear mind. It’s too easy to overcomplicate our lives with so many things that simply do not matter. I have observed the reality that Robert Ringer puts forth about human nature:
Human beings, by nature, tend to seek ways to complicate their lives. Given a choice between a simple and a complicated method to accomplish an objective, most people will opt for the more complicated course of action. This is one of those great mysteries of life from which there is no logical explanation.
Some examples I have observed that create unneeded complexity where it’s a giant burden to people:
- Maintaining high overhead instead of simplifying with technology.
- Hiring friends and family for their comfort and familiarity over competency for a job.
- Having complex legal structures, locations and operational redundancies in a business.
- Traveling to the ends of the earth to work on deals that may or may not materialize when there are simpler deals locally.
- Developing many different products and services that don’t pay off compared to a few that do.
- Working in high hassle industries where most of your time is spent on non-productive work that doesn’t help your customers. i.e., high regulation industries.
- Selling with manpower vs. systems
- Constantly in drama
- Always overworked and not having time
- Managing too many open accounts
- Continually adding every new technology or gadget
- Maintaining social appearances
- Arguing
- Social media
- Narcism
When you have much more noise than is required to get your goals, everything gets harder, unnecessarily. Why? It’s such a waste. It’s a blind spot, for sure, if you can’t fathom or see the possibility of boring, efficient results.
I don’t want to run around in chaos. I like working in calm and ease.
I don’t want drama. I like enjoying my wife and three kids laughing and snowboarding 50 mph down mountains.
I don’t want busy work. I would rather work little on things that matter with big payoffs.
I don’t want a ton of uncaring associates. I would rather have a few good friends.
I don’t want to talk about meaningless chatter. I want depth and honesty.
All the things we let leak into our lives have costs. And managing a ton of little details, costs and superfluous junk becomes a burden. It’s like dragging weights through life when we are trying to go fast.
What if you started shedding? Might be hard. After all, Buddha observed,
All unhappiness is caused by attachment.
You can certainly be happier, feel lighter and get results. Ever notice your burdens?