Why meditate?
Why should you use just another part of your day for a new routine that takes precious time off your already short days?
Here's one reason I practice mindfulness.
I love jumping on my to-do list and tackling the tasks, one after the other. (At least the tasks I enjoy doing, of which I am happy to say I have plenty.) So I jump on that list, most often thinking I’ll have earned myself some rest after I completed everything. Only to notice that I either have too much to do and I’ll sit there until late at night. Or that I’m finished early and then pull in tasks from tomorrow's to-dos, “so I’ll have even more time for myself tomorrow.”
Of course, that’s a fallacy, as I've realized after just a few years.
Tomorrow will play out exactly as today…
…
Or it won’t, thanks to mindfulness. Mindfulness allows me to see this pattern of thought, let it go, and to go easy on myself.
So, lately, when I'm having this thought again: “maybe I could add more tasks, so tomorrow I’ll have even more time…”, instead of going with it, I let it go, and do other things I enjoy. I give myself space to live and to explore and to be.
Because, for me, there are things to do I enjoy that don't make it on my to-do list.
“Balance isn't something you achieve ‘someday’.”–Nick Vujicic
Reading Recommendations
Buddhist vs. Secular Mindfulness Training: Q+A with Seonaigh MacPherson
“Interview with Dr. Seonaigh MacPherson, a certified MBSR teacher and teacher trainer who has studied with leading meditation teachers, including HH the Dalai Lama, Ven. Tara Tulku, and Jon Kabat-Zinn.”
The Best Way to Find Balance in Your Life
“Studies by the University of Southern California showed that people high in grit were more likely to persist in using failing strategies to complete a task. Also, individuals who are highly self-disciplined and who rely on logical analysis and willpower to achieve their goals suffer the most when facing failure.”
The Legendary Fast Inverse Square Root
“In the 90s, 3D video games were in their infancy, and the ability to render 3D graphics was constrained by hardware. This led programmers to devise creative ways to get around hardware limitations. One such innovation, known as the Fast Inverse Square Root function, was introduced in id Software’s First Person Shooter from 1999, Quake III Arena.”
Weekly Mindfulness Practice
Reflect on your own relationship with your to-do list. Do you often try to do too much? How does that make you feel?
What do you do on days where you finish early?
End Note
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Have a great week
Simon
PS: What do you think about this? Please hit reply and let me know. I’m curious!