There seems to be a cyclic nature to simplifying life. You decide you are going to restructure your calendar or reorganize your closet. Declaring this is the new way things are going to be! And they are at least for a while. And then insidiously, complexity is back, and your closet is a mess again.
Consider the society we live in. If we had to use one word to describe it, would “consumerism” be fair? Inside of a consumer driven society, the message sent to us is “more”: We need to do more. We need to have more. We need to be faster. And when we do, our brain rewards us with dopamine.
And then, until we get good at it, we are uncomfortable saying, “no”. We don’t want to miss out on opportunities and social events. We want to go to school, start a business, start another business, change medical records, attend social events, do laundry, and exercise. While sometimes we just feel bad about saying, “no”. We worry our “no” will be interrupted as selfish or uncaring. We don’t like this because our brains are wired to want to be accepted by others around us, our tribe. Not being accepted is a threat to our survival, at least that is how our brain interprets the situation.
So now what?
Noticing when you are not having the experience you want in your life is a good place to start. This can be something you learn to be mindful of, by evidence of a disorganized desk drawer or bedside table or being irritated with yourself. Or this can be something you scheduled in your calendar, “Simply schedule, organize the desk drawer, go through the closet and donate clothes no longer worn”.
While it seems, our brains are wired to complicate matters as opposed to simplifying them. It is good to know it is not a character flaw, but rather a result of our human design and our current society.
Today, I am entering a monthly prompt into my calendar.
