Less is More
Choosing Less in a World of Excess
Hey there! It's good to be back after a couple of weeks. The start of the year has been pretty chill for me—lots of holiday fun with friends and, of course, the usual gloomy Seattle weather slowing me down a bit :p. I took some time to think about the past year and plan for the next one. Today, I'll share some of those thoughts and the main idea that guided my reflections.
Ideas That Are Changing My Life
Less is More
A year back, I set out with highly ambitious goals for 2023. I had goals for each aspect of my life and I expected that by the time I finished the year, I would be - a very satisfied human being, excelling as a software engineer, on point with my investment portfolio, extremely fit, would read 30 or more books and some more. However, when I reflected upon these goals in the last couple of weeks, I realized that trying to pursue so many things in a short period is not just unrealistic but also counterproductive. Most of it just became background noise for me leading me to retreat to my comfort zone and engage in the same repetitive habits and actions. This constant push to do more overwhelmed me, diminishing my decision-making capacity significantly. Consequently, I've chosen a guiding theme for the year that embodies a simpler approach: LESS.
LESS, in my perspective, doesn't mean a reduction in my aspirations or priorities. Instead, it's a deliberate choice to minimize activities that don't contribute significantly to my personal growth, team dynamics, or genuine joy. One area I've identified for cutbacks is my screen time, particularly in activities like watching TV shows or movies or spending time on social media. I got caught up in what I now realize is "positive procrastination". I spent a lot of time planning, watching self-help content, and diving deep into things. Sometimes, I wanted to stop but couldn't. I realized I lacked intention because I was overly focused on the idea of doing more. When I learned about new productivity hacks, it felt gratifying, but I understood that the real value lies in putting in the hard work.
Another example from my past year - despite accumulating an overwhelming amount of saved content on Instagram, neatly organized into categories like Productivity, Household Utilities, Dance, Sports, Games, Parties, etc., the truth is, most of it remains untouched. This collection is a testament to the significant time I spent on Instagram, often subconsciously convincing myself of its usefulness by saving content that I seldom revisit. It's a realization that simply gathering information doesn't equate to meaningful action, and LESS is about breaking free from this cycle and redirecting my efforts toward tangible, impactful pursuits.
Doing less doesn't mean taking away the joy from life or replacing it with a constant focus on productivity. It's not about rigidly planning every moment for growth. Instead, it's about recognizing what truly energizes us and what leaves us feeling low. This shift isn't just about saving time; it's about making the most of our money and energy. Take, for example, my frequent orders from a handful of restaurants. Not only did it deplete my finances, but I found myself eating food that left me bored and unexcited. A good meal should bring satisfaction and happiness, but in my case, it would result in dissatisfaction and disappointment, affecting both my body and mind. Hence, I've made a change in my food habits – now, I order only a couple of times a month, down from the 20 times I used to order before. LESS outside and junk food is helping me stay more energetic through the day, it's better for my body, and there's the bonus of saving some dollars too! :) So, doing less is about being intentional in our choices, not just to save time but to optimize our resources and ensure that our activities contribute positively to our overall well-being.
Now, I see these habits were taking away from what truly matters to me. So, LESS is about stepping back from these distractions and focusing more on what aligns with my goals. For this year, my primary intention is to focus on doing less. By intentionally reducing activities I don't want to engage in, I aim to naturally create more time for the things I genuinely want to do—whether it's on a daily, weekly, or yearly basis. The objective isn't to overcrowd my calendar and to-do lists with endless tasks but, rather, to be deliberate in my choices. It involves not just prioritizing what I do but also consciously avoiding tasks that act as obstacles to the things I truly want to accomplish. In the upcoming newsletters, I'll share the strategies I set up for tracking my progress on this journey towards doing less and living more intentionally.
Weekly Reflections
Things I Did Right This Week
Spent a lot of time with my grad school friends, it was one of the last times we would all hang out as a group for the next several months at least since some of them who I am very close to are moving to Canada soon, one of them already did :'(
Was able to get in 4 strength workouts each week even with a big holiday break.
I reflected and identified some mistakes that I made in the last year. Identified things that I could do better in terms of planning and how I can avoid making the same mistakes again.
Things I Am Looking Forward To In The Coming Week
My work in the past month or so has taken a hit due to the festive vibe and me just letting loose and enjoying so it was difficult for me to get back and hit the ground running straight away last week so I am hoping to make significant progress on that front in the coming week.
My reading habit has also been affected so looking to improve that too
Creating an action plan for the goals I have set for myself for this year
Things I Loved This Week
I want to leave you with this small snippet that I came across in a Productivity newsletter. It was a beautiful reminder for me and I am never letting go of this thought ever again in my life.
Question #1: What’s more valuable, time or money?
Ans: Most people would say time.
Question #2: Would you ever throw away money?
Ans: Of course not.
So, why does the idea of throwing away money seem insane, yet we carelessly throw away time - our most precious resource - every day?
We're already in the second week of the year (only 50 remaining). We must realize the importance of time and how we would like to use it. One of the ways that I’m planning to stick to and I’ve already shared with you above is to do less of what I don't want to do, so I can automatically do more of what I truly want to do. I will leave you with that thought and ask you to leave your thoughts in the comment section below.
See you next Sunday!
-Mehul