The Secret To Not Getting Stressed
Simpler than you think, and a game-changer once you apply it…
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The best piece of advice I got from any of the many bosses I have had throughout my career consisted of just two words:
Do less.
It seems counter-intuitive. Surely the idea is to do more. Make more. Get more. Be more.
No.
The aim is to progress. And that’s different. The line of thinking that lies behind that boss’s piece of two-word wisdom is the key that unlocks leaving stress behind forever.
The annoying thing is that most of us exist in such a near-constant level of stress that we never have the time, energy or headspace to learn to avoid it in the first place.
It’s a self-perpetuating negative feedback loop.
I hope what I am writing here helps. Spend 5 minutes reading this article now, then make some changes. It can be that simple…
Back To The Bare Bones
Do you ever wonder what you would do if you lost everything? If you had to start again from scratch?
Earlier this week I attended a talk by a Syrian refugee who arrived in the UK with two suitcases — that’s it — 5 years ago.
Now she has a degree, a start-up and funding to develop her research and development toward inventing a way of telling refugees’ stories that is more authentic and can lead to real change.
She didn’t want to have nothing and have to start again — of course not.
But once she did, she built back stronger. If she can lose everything in her life and still progress, don’t you think you could strip things back just a little?
Think about what you need — truly need — to live.
Shelter, food, water, clothing and security, yes. But beyond that? Do you need your current house / job / car / holiday etc? What about the promotion / new luxury purchases / extension / credit card?
We have a way of piling “stuff” on top of each other in layers in our lives, and once a layer is covered, it’s very unlikely we will ever unpick it.