Before Addition
Math is a universal subject. Using life addition sometimes requires making a little room through subtraction. Making space is critical with new thoughts so that the old ones are eliminated. But before you decide how much space to free up, it’s good to do a little problem solving.
Subtract the one
Think of one untidy part of your life you can clean up and get rid of today. Just one. Maybe it’s self-doubt, or comparison, or chasing perfection or even the dreaded need to please. Please, please, as a reformed people-pleaser, pick that one! Deciding to remove just one toxin at a time enables you to focus squarely and not miss it in its subtle forms.
Carry the one
Key to the work on reform is knowing that sometimes math requires that we show up and do the work. But when the focus is on just one area, our brains look out for it. Our reticular activating system goes to work and makes sure that we notice it more than usual. This helpful hand allows us to see when it crops up and make a decision. Fast decisions make the change easier and space opens up for the next part of the equation.
Addition means More
When we add a healthy new habit and it replaces an old nasty one, we glow a little. The sparkly new part of us brings us good attention. The tidied up space lets those new decisions work cleaner. And like all renovation, helps us discover more dark spaces that need some renovation. The over time effect is a gradual change to a better you. When we isolate one number, it doesn’t seem like a lot but the overall system starts to catch on to the power of change. When the process is simplified by paring it down, the results still accumulate over time. And they are stronger through their association with the new you.
What can you ditch today to add a little new space? Pick one thing that you want to get rid of and let it go. You don’t even have to figure out why you were holding onto it. What one easy addition can you make to solve what is missing?
