When i first started to simplify my life, I made the decision to reduce the time I spent in my office every day. Eventually I was able to arrange my work schedule so I could quit at five o’clock in the afternoon rather than at seven o’clock in the evening.
So almost immediately I had two extra hours each day, or a total of ten to twelve hours each week, during which I could pursue other interests. At first, this felt quite liberating. I could go for walks in the early evening, or sit quietly and meditate or do nothing, or just relax and watch the sunset.
But after a while, I noticed a strong inclination simply to stay at my desk and continue working until seven, as I’d done for many years.
I couldn’t quite figure out what was happening. I’d already decided that I didn’t want to stay and work; I wanted to play or do other things. But staying in the office was so easy. I was comfortable, and I knew what I had to do there. If I quit work early, not only would I have to come up with something else to do, but then I’d have to get my head and my mind and my body in gear and do it.
It took some serious contemplation of this tendency before I realized that it was my well-established pattern that was keeping me in the office. Working late had become a habit and as with all habits, it took some serious desire, discipline, and determination to change it.
Keep this in mind as you are beginning to explore the riches of the inner worlds. Often we allow our good intentions—to do some spiritual reading or take some quiet time to think or learn to simply enjoy the silence—to be overpowered by our outdated habits or by insignificant interruptions. Unless we recognize what’s happening and make a concerted effort to establish new patterns, it’s easy to stay stuck in the old ones.
Sometimes simply being aware that your old habits are resisting being changed is enough to help you move beyond them, though it may still take some effort. If you need more corrective measures, get out your calendar and your box of stars (#61).