How To Declutter Your Brain & Live A More Effortless Life
New York Times best-selling author of Essentialism Greg McKeown joined Better Together with Maria Menounos to teach the Heal Squad how to declutter your brain and live a more effortless life. Don't we all need to learn this! In this increasingly fast-paced, digital world, it is easy to get caught up in the hustle and forget to take care of our mental and physical wellbeing. Moreover, we are glued to our screens, constantly comparing ourselves to others. Thus, creating this internal pressure to be perfect. Greg knows this more than anyone. After his first book reached the NYT Best Seller list, he felt an enormous amount of pressure to make his second book even better. As a result, it took him 7 YEARS to publish his second piece in fear of writing a “rubbish book,” as he says.
Through this journey, Greg learned that the constant stress we put on ourselves is unhealthy. Lucky for us, he shares tips on how to declutter your brain, stop overthinking, increase mental energy, and much more. This interview will help everyone - whether you are freshly graduated from college or a parent of four.
1) Being burned out is not a bad thing
There are 2 kinds of people right now: those that are burned out and those that know they are burned out. It is an achievement to get into the second category as with this self-awareness you are able to find a different path.
2) Work smart, not hard
It is not about working hard, but about working smart. There is no virtue in suffering or exhaustion. Instead of asking “how can I work harder to get better results?” say “how can I achieve better results by making it more effortless?”
3) Stop spending energy on anger
Driving with bad fuel will only ruin the engine. The same applies to us humans.
4) Choose the lighter path
There is always a lighter and heavier path. Forgiveness will lead to freedom. Instead, we often choose to hold onto grudges because of the false notion that they give us power. In reality, they make us vulnerable.
5) You can make chores fun
Pair the essential things with enjoyable things. For example, when walking the dog, listen to your favorite podcast. Doing so will increase your chances of doing these necessary chores.
6) Use this trick to stop complaining
After Greg complains about something, he says something he is thankful for. This lightens your state of being and emotions instantly, and reveals just how much you complain!
7) Have the courage to be rubbish
We must give up perfectionism if we want to see any results. Greg began a podcast at the beginning of the pandemic and if he had given into his perfectionism, waiting for the perfect time to launch etc, he wouldn’t have a top-5 self-improvement podcast.
Listen to the 2-part interview here:
For more episodes, check out Better Together with Maria Menounos, your Life Improvement series. Subscribe to Youtube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.