[A collaboration post – all thoughts are my own.]

Realize or not, we complicate life.

Nowadays, a lot of people have busy, hectic lifestyles in which they constantly go back and forth while occasionally doing nothing. I understand how it feels to have a ton of things to get done but not enough time to do them. Trying to be in control and rushing from people to places to projects with good intentions to get it all done.

If you’re one of these many individuals, even occasionally, you should be aware of some of the ways we really make life more difficult for ourselves. This likewise holds true in the opposite way. The way to truly live a good life may lie in undoing our stress.

We could actually require a full purging of our mental, emotional, and physical to-do lists rather than new tasks to complete. You know you’re too busy and your life is too full and complicated when you’re doing so much in a day that you can’t remember anything you did and don’t feel any better or more fulfilled having done it.

Why do we complicate life?

We worry

Worry gives birth to a complicated life. The more we worry, the more problems we fail to solve. I worry so much about my future because people around me keep pressuring me to get a better job or to get married before 30.

Many times, we are only dealing with challenges that we have imagined in our minds rather than actual problems. We worry nonetheless. Worrying destroys our lives by robbing us of our joy, peace of mind, and happiness. The energy we spend on our problems may be better used to find solutions.

We do more than we should

To anybody and anything, we say “yes.” Overcommitting makes everyone else happy but you. It is tempting to spend every minute of every day meeting people, working on projects, and traveling. But you have to ask yourself, is it necessary?

We procrastinate

I have those days when emails and texts go unanswered, translation projects pile up, some items are always at the top of my to-do list, and others are demanding my attention. Things that remain unfinished might be the worst mental clutter.

We experience overwork when we neglect to complete the tasks at the appropriate times. When we feel overloaded, we frequently procrastinate on finishing projects because we believe we will never catch up. So, using a planner really helps me to avoid procrastinating.

We seek approval from others

Let’s face it; we do most of what we do because we want other people to like it. We work harder at improving and revamping it as more people express disappointment with it. This is why we complicate life.

Trying to impress others is one of the most difficult things you will ever accomplish. You’ll never succeed, therefore it’s difficult. The goal is to enjoy what you do, love what you do, think for yourself, live the life you want to live, and not give a damn if others agree with you on it.

Don’t be afraid to love every step of the way you’re going and every second of the life you’re experiencing.

We have too many interruptions

When we are constantly busy, we don’t have much time for interruptions. I have too many interruptions when I work from home, especially from family. I react poorly when I am unfairly interrupted.

Keep interruptions to a minimum; if it’s not an emergency, don’t waste your time. If you let people come knocking on your door every ten minutes with pointless goals and tasks they can complete on their own, you’ll always be extremely busy.

Turn your attention away from interruptions and distractions and onto the things that genuinely demand it.

We hold on to things that need to go

If you are not willing to let go of some things and people, you will never be able to piece together your life. I might not need what I had five years ago. It’s possible that the people you needed to walk your path with today are different from those who walked it with you a year ago.

Let’s accept differences and embrace change. You might not like it, but allowing yourself to let go will free you up to seize the next opportunity that comes your way.

We complain

When we find things to complain about but nothing to be thankful for, we complicate life. Over the years, I learned to be more grateful for everything that happened in my life, no matter how bad or good it was. Because complaining almost always changes nothing.

We neglect everything that is in front of us and the people around us when we are focused on the next thing – the next pay raise, the next promotion, the next degree, the bigger house, the bigger car, another partner, another friend.

One of the wonderful steps in the process of life simplification is being grateful. We should be happy and grateful for who we are and what we have right now. We lose the thrill of living in the present when we are constantly worrying about the past or the future. Avoid wasting your mental ability on ideas of unappreciation.

We participate in drama

An unpleasant and complicated life is based on a foundation of drama. You’ll experience greater stress and depression than you ever imagined if you indulge in other people’s drama and let your own drama run wild.

Some people enjoy drama and don’t consider their day successful until they have been a part of some clichéd incident that makes someone else seem awful. Stop judging and start loving. Choose to see the good in others and support them in bringing it out.

We don’t set boundaries

Not everything is a priority. Nobody needs your attention. Boundaries have an impact on your identity, your perspective, and your position in the greater scheme of things. Identify, accept, and respect your boundaries.

If you can’t handle something, that’s not a sign of weakness; it’s a chance for your boundaries to be strong. We respect our health, time, energy, and life when we set boundaries. We take charge of our life when we decide when to say yes and when to say no. People will respect your personal boundaries if you uphold them.

We don’t forgive

Holding on to negative emotions such as hurt feelings, resentment, pent-up frustration, and feelings of hatred and rage just makes the situation worse. Your mental and physical health are actively being harmed.

When you let go of these feelings and purposefully forgive yourself and those who have wronged you, even if they didn’t ask for it, appreciate it, or deserve it, you will have achieved freedom. You can make these emotions as real to you as you want throughout your life. So, for your own sake, let them go.

We compare ourselves to others

Do not compare your chapter 1 with another person’s chapter 10. My job as a translator might be less successful than someone who has been in it for decades. And that’s totally okay. You have the right to accept your life as it is, make the changes you know you can make, and follow your own path to success.

Nobody has to write your life story for you. You may be wondering why so many people fail. They complicate life by spending far too much time attempting to act, look, and have the same experiences as others.

We live in the past

What purpose does the past have for you if not to learn from it? It’s a sad fact of growing up that we sometimes do things we shouldn’t, we don’t do things we should, and we do things we wish we hadn’t.

We have the part about growing up, but not the part about moving on. We must realize that the past is in the past, take lessons from it, let it go, and move on. We do wish we could go back and change a few of the things we did, the decisions we made, and the attitudes we had. But the truth is that we can’t.

We wouldn’t be who we are today if we could go back in time and change anything. In order to keep going forward, embrace your failures and mistakes, learn from them, and laugh about them.