6 paradoxical ways to make life simple and easy

1. Get a mortgage

Many people prefer to save up for an apartment for several years, just not to take a mortgage. I believe that in this way they delay the moment of joy and life itself in general. No matter how paradoxical it may sound, a mortgage gives you the opportunity to live here and now. Yes, you will overpay on interest, but not everything is measured by financial gain. Life is more valuable than money! In addition, many mortgages are paid off ahead of schedule, which means that the amount of overpayments will be less.

2. Start leaving food on your plate

We live in a “clean plate society”: we are told from childhood that leaving food is bad for the health of starving children in Africa. In fact, there is nothing good in eating everything that you do not like. This principle often extends to other decision making. We continue to do what is not interesting, with the same persistence with which we finish the tasteless salad.

One of the most valuable skills is the ability to refuse. Say “no” to insipid food, a request from a colleague that will take up all your free time, or a tempting order that will eventually suck all your life juices by the end of the month. There are no people who manage to do everything, there are those who correctly prioritize and know how not to do something on time.

3. Stop planning

Now it is fashionable to keep diaries, make lists, wish cards, plan and formulate a clear answer to the question “Where do you see yourself in 5 years”. Plans limit us. The world, technologies and trends are changing too fast to always keep some kind of final point in front of your eyes. You can achieve much more if you relax and start to go with the flow, noticing opportunities and chances along the way. This is a practical interpretation of what is called flexibility.

4. Forget the 10 hour rule

The Canadian writer and journalist Malcolm Gladwell came up with this formula in his book Geniuses and Outsiders. In his opinion, to become a professional in your field and succeed, you need to devote 10 hours to the cause. We don’t need to be professional in everything. There are things that we do for fun, and it’s okay if they don’t turn out 000%.

Some feel remorse that they devote not enough time to their hobbies, they feel like amateurs. I propose to learn to enjoy the process and not try to bring each case to the end. There is no shame in giving up one hobby and starting a new one. It’s not bad to be superficial, it’s bad to live according to the expectations of others.

5. Pretend to be a deaf frog

There is such a parable: the frogs participated in the competition, who will climb the mountain faster. The animals that watched the race shouted: “Don’t do this, you won’t succeed anyway, you’ll fall off and die.” And many frogs broke down and died. Only one reached the finish line, it turned out that she was deaf and did not hear the cries of the audience.

In life, it is important to turn on the “deaf frog” from time to time: do what you think is necessary and not look back at the opinions of others. Fear of judgment stops you from important and interesting tasks. Ultimately, people don’t care if we succeed or fail. They will talk and forget, and you will not decide on what you dreamed about for a long time.

6. Buy a pie for 49 rubles

I remember how often in the evenings I returned home by train and felt exhausted and tired. Once I decided to buy a pie with potatoes at the station, and the trips home became less hungry and tiring. This story shows that you don’t need a lot of money to be happy. In life there is a place for small pleasant things like a pie for 49 rubles. For some, this is a cup of coffee in the morning, for some, lunch in the summer is not in a stuffy office, but on a bench in the park.

Experiment, sort out, look for your “pie”. Little joys like these make you feel alive.