I have a weird confession: I have a handful of loose trail mix at the bottom of my purse.
An open bag spilled awhile ago, and now peanuts, raisins, and M&M’s are swimming around with my wallet and keys, acting like they’re part of the crew.
The real confession is how long that trail mix has been there, but I’m too embarrassed to say.
What’s worse than reaching for chapstick and getting an old almond? Knowing you’re avoiding something.
I’ve read that up to 95% of our thoughts are repetitive.* I can’t tell you how many times I’ve thought of the trail mix and said “I really should sort that out,” but didn’t.
I hate the idea of using my thoughts this way. Why waste the mental space?
In an effort to use this hate for good, I’ve created a little trick. When you have a task nagging at you, ask yourself: do I want to keep having this thought?
For those little pings of “oh shoot, I meant to do that,” it’s probably a no. The burnt-out light bulb or call to the dentist isn’t worth the mental clutter.
And take it from me, an annoying repetitive thought is often worse than the issue itself (clearly, the trail mix is that big of a deal…).
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a bag to clean.
To being better without carrying even a raisin of dead weight,
Elizabeth
*The articles I’ve read cite a 2005 article from the National Science Foundation, but I’m unable to find the original article myself.