Not very long ago, I used to be someone who enjoyed stuffing her calendar with too many tasks. I used to overwhelm myself with my meticulously designed daily “things-to-do” list which took away all my time with hardly any time to stand and stare. This craze for “achieving success” and “hitting my goals” had drained all the life out of me. I remember longing to do yoga on my rooftop during evenings, getting lost in the magic of a romantic book by the fireplace, and stretching my legs on the table and watch the sunset with my favorite Moet Chandon in my hand. I would always imagine myself driving down to some random, unknown place, explore some local coffee place and simply gaze at people and their activities. I wanted to get lost in the woods amidst the mist under the canopy of trees on an early morning hike. I wanted to go on top of some smoky mountains and admire Nature’s beauty. But, my goals never left me with any time to do so. Instead, I found myself sitting before the laptop. There were times, when I would beat myself up for not achieving my target goals, and that would leave me in deep despair, specially when you see all these success stories on social media and how perfect everyone’s life would look! I was juggling between different roles/activities all the time, and it was getting hard for me. I desperately needed to detoxify my life, mind, and soul. And, I knew that if I did not do it, I would always be trapped. So, one fine day Sunday, I decided that enough was enough. I was wasting my beautiful, and one and only life. It was high time for me to realize what was important and what was it that I needed to let go. I could no longer run this never ending race. It was time to pause, prioritize and execute.
Sometimes, self-reflection can help you to answer some of your most difficult questions. It can help bring the most deepest buried desires onto the surface of your heart. I knew that for me, fitness had always been a top priority. Other than that, I wanted to spend more time on my blog, and master one tool instead of being a jack of different tools. And most importantly, I wanted to make meditation as a core part of my daily life. I realized that those were the activities that gave me immense pleasure, and brought joy and fulfillment to my heart. I knew that I needed to declutter my life, mind, and spirit. In short, I needed an overall detoxification.
I had no clue where to begin. Many of us struggle with the same scenario. We refuse to let go of old habits in fear of facing uncertainties and having more “free time” because we are not sure of what we really want to do that free time. First, it was important for me to realize that it was absolutely fine not to be “busy” all the time, and it was ok not to identify myself as an “overachiever” all the time. It was important for me to embrace a minimalist approach in every aspect of my life. It was time to focus on quality rather than quantity. Instead of setting 10 goals in a day, I set just three goals and gave my 100% to it – mentally and physically.
To begin with, I took an extended break from social media (that was the best decision ever), and made sure that I included 15 minutes of meditation into my daily routine using the Calm App. Letting go of social media and inviting meditation into my life had a profound effect on my body, mind and spirit. It calmed the chaos and chatter in my mind, and brought me peace. It helped me focus better, and be more productive in my work.
Lately, I have been trying to minimize almost everything in my life and focussing more on the ones that I truly enjoy. As I said, by prioritizing and setting fewer goals, I realized that I was giving my 120% to the task. I have been focussing more on my health, and have set dedicated time to watch the sun go down the horizon, and spend an entire Sunday guilt free isolating myself from the entire world reading some of my favorite books. Instead of heating some frozen breakfast, I make time to prepare freshly made oats and banana pancakes. Lastly, I definitely make it a point to spend quality time with myself and the Nature. It brings me peace and gives me time to self-reflect. This is what happiness means to me. My life has improved with less clutter and more time for people/activities/things I value.
As poet Robert Browning said:
“Less is more”,
I couldn’t agree more to it. My life is more fulfilled with less, yet it means a lot more to me now than ever before.
