This post isn’t about math, it’s about the freedom that comes when you enjoy less.
Our culture isn’t big on less. It craves more, bigger, better, and newer. The idea of “enjoying less” feels, at least in American terms, like an oxymoron.
Lately, I’ve been looking to do something very simple in the morning: get out the door with fewer steps.
That may seem odd but let me explain. Between morning prayers, walking the dog, prepping the kids’ lunches for school, getting ready, and organizing my gadgets, I felt like I was finally getting to my car and then work with very little margin to spare.
Our culture isn’t big on less. It craves more, bigger, better, and newer. The idea of “enjoying less” feels, at least in American terms, like an oxymoron.
Lately, I’ve been looking to do something very simple in the morning: get out the door with fewer steps.
That may seem odd but let me explain. Between morning prayers, walking the dog, prepping the kids’ lunches for school, getting ready, and organizing my gadgets, I felt like I was finally getting to my car and then work with very little margin to spare.
I thought, “what if I can take some steps out in order to save time but more importantly, to get to work with more breathing room?” So I began some experiments like this:
- Instead of making a sandwich, I could bring a can of soup to work
- What if I put all of my “work stuff” (satchel, keys, wallet, etc.) on the island in the kitchen rather than in various spots on first floor?
- What if I placed my shoes by the front door?
- What if I enjoyed silence instead of hunted for a “perfect” podcast to listen to on the way to work?
In other words, what if I simplified and subtracted things from my morning? The result has been, on one hand difficult- I don’t want to subtract!
On the other hand, the result has been freeing. I do have more time to spare. I don’t have to cram everything into a tight window of time.
The mystic Meister Eckhart famously said this, “The soul does not grow by addition but by subtraction.” This is far more counter-cultural than we might first believe. It’s radical advice for a world obsessed with speed and efficiency.
Subtraction can occur in your morning routine. It can also apply to your morning prayer habit or the agenda for your next meeting.
I suppose the question for follow up is this- what can you subtract today in order to make more margin? How can you learn to actually enjoy less instead of more?