If it were easy

It’s an outlook I’ve been attempting to keep in mind continuously, a simple question: what would it look like for the thing that is stressing me to be easy? I encountered the idea through Ali Abdaal’s book and was reminded of it in videos from YouTuber Jacklyn Dallas.

It’s been an incredibly valuable concept and yet a fleeting one. It’s far from second nature, but I’ve found it mentally relaxing to spend even a little time pondering it. I essentially consider something that stresses me not as a problem but as something that can be made easy. Whether it be an aspect of work, creativity, relationship, or a goal, what does it look like? What would it look like? How could it be easy? Our mind, my mind, often assumes challenges as difficult problems, and then starts stressing and reinforcing the fact that they are difficult problems. This viewpoint in itself becomes a barrier. Whereas if I say I want to post more videos and newsletters, what would it look like for that to be easy in my life? Then I start to think, okay, I would take this aspect of it more lightly, or I would spend less time on revision, or writing out the details, or the music selection, or whatever else that stresses me and gets in the way of accomplishing it.

It sounds so simple, that my brain has difficulty understanding really even why it works, but it does. It’s become a regular practice for me. I still daily think to myself when my mind goes into stressing mode, what would it look like for me to accomplish this goal or overcome this challenge in a way that is easy and fun and enjoyable. It’s really been a game changer. I think beyond doing anything different, it allows for a re-envisioning the goal or challenge in a constructive light. I encourage you to try this if you haven’t and if you have thoughts on the topic, I’d love to hear them.

Wishing you an easy, enjoyable weekend.

Naser