You should have noticed this by now: your life is steeped in choices. Among heavy, light, small, large and all kinds.
Choices of what to eat for breakfast, what pizza to order at the pizzeria, how to start that unexpected conversation with your mother and what book to read in the evening. What to buy in the store and what to do with those letters in your e-mail. in the post office.
Have you noticed how sometimes so hard to decide and choose which is better?
After all, how is it possible to decide if you don't even know what the results will be in each case? What if no one knows them at all?
Most people choose nothing. They postpone decisions until the next day and their notebooks are filled with tasks marked "to be done later".
And at that time, the stress from unmade choices only grows.
I had the same problem - wish you had seen my to-do list! My mailbox, drawers full of old checks, or my closet full of clothes that needed to be thrown away, sold, or given away.
Now, if we forget the clothes, I managed to manage it.
Here is the simple method that works for me: I'm experimenting.
Let choices turn into experiments
A simpler way to live: see your choices as experiments. Like just trying to see "what if...". It's much easier that way.
Paralysis, stress and fear come from the desire to choose the best option of all, which gives the most pleasant result. From that great reluctance to choose worse. After all, what masochist could want to choose worse, right?
By experimenting, you can avoid paralysis, stress and fear.
By experimenting, you only test the possibilities, you only check if something is possible. If you failed to achieve the desired result, try again, in a different way. But don't worry too much if that happens - you just tested the possibilities.
At the same time, the moment you fail, you gain more knowledge for the next attempt. Have you noticed that the second time you make pancakes (or, for that matter, making tea, it doesn't matter) you have a better idea of what to do?
Here are some examples of how experimentation can be applied:
- Not sure if you want to travel the world alone? Try to do it briefly: travel alone in your country for three days. That's how I did it. You can't fail because it's just an experiment. Regardless of whether you like the trip or not, you already know better how you like to travel.
- Not sure if you could learn to tango? Take a free class. It won't even cost you anything.
- Not sure what kind of job you could do? Try any at random. In the worst case, you will already know what you really don't want to do in your life.
- Not sure if you could write a short story, a short story or a whole novel? Just try to start and see how you do.
- Not sure if you could make a soup with twice as much water? Try this too. Look, you might accidentally discover a new recipe!
- Not sure if you could live with twice as many clothes? Take half of them to the basement, garage or storage room and see how it goes. Don't worry, you definitely won't die.
Of course, some experimentation comes with a price. Starting culinary studies in college can cost you a lot of money, traveling aimlessly around Aukštaitija will also cost you time, and trying something like Linas Matulis The 100th push-up challenge will take the strength out of you.
But it's not the end of the world.
If you don't like the result you get, with your newly acquired knowledge, you can simply change the direction of movement. What you learn now, you will definitely use later. In the worst case, you will learn something from which you will learn nothing more.
When experimenting, you have to look over a long period of time. And that's wonderful - a lasting effect is always better than a short-term benefit. Really.
Briefly: How to run experiments
Keep in mind that experimenting is not difficult. All you need is the desire to try. Here's a quick guide on how to experiment like a real scientist:
- Get your hopes up.
Have hopes for what action X will do? Throw them away. This is probably the most important thing when trying new things. You don't want to experience disappointment over and over again, do you? More: Do not expect - a miracle cure for disappointment and anger. - Get some exercise.
Turn your hand with a grinder, turn an imaginary arc around your torso and exercise your legs. In no time you'll be doing something you've never done before! Forget motivation, preparation and planning - you don't need it. - Find a big stick and tap.
Well, I won't wait all day. Find a big stick and tap. And then watch what happens. (Warning: the stick is a metaphor here. Sticks and parenting do not go together).
Congratulations, you've just successfully tried something new. It was easy, right?
There's no such thing as failure when you're just experimenting. No matter what result you get, you will still learn something new. And if there is no failure, there is no stress, fear and worries.
"Science is made up of mistakes, but they are mistakes that are useful to make, because they lead, step by step, to the truth."
Jules Verne, Journey to the Center of the Earth