It’s anecdotal, but I’ve personally seen a large correlation between those seeking to live a more simple or minimal life, and those who are high-achieving individuals.
What drives us to do something is often the feeling of not being where we want to be. It’s us telling ourselves that we are at point A, and want to be at point B. Which is a great mindset for achieving, but not so much for learning to enjoy the present.
So it makes sense that you’d seek out a more simple life… If you naturally have difficulty with being content with your status quo, a simple living philosophy seems like a breath of fresh air for our “never finished” mindset.
Do you lose your drive when you learn to be more content?
I’ve heard many people mention that their big fear is that they’ll lose their “special sauce” as they learn to be more content with life.
They think that their lack of contentment is what allows them to have the drive they have. That if they were “happy”, they would no longer have a desire to achieve.
But of course this not accurate. You can be content and still keep your drive to achieve. Simple living and high achieving are not mutually exclusive.
The key is to make your drive a personal value of yours. Acknowledge that inner fire as a positive personality trait of who you are.
Do NOT see it as an external “thing” that you have to seek out. Embrace the fact that you are a person that is fulfilled by making the world a better place. You are a doer.
What you’ll find is that simple living can actually enable you to live a more driven and effective life.
As you develop more contentment, you’ll be able to focus on what’s important. Your vision becomes less clouded by fruitless desires and allows you to achieve at higher levels.
Leave a Reply