A life Well Lived Starts with Letting Go

When people decide they want to change their lives, the first thing most do is start adding good habits. They might start by taking a walk a few times a day or by tracking their water intake. Some people might set a goal to read more often. The specific goal doesn’t really matter, it’s that most eople believe that their life will improve by adding more to it.

Now, there’s nothing inherently wrong with adding good things to your life, it’s actually a wonderful thing to do, but it’s not the most effective first step when you want to change your life in a meaningful way.

Recently I deleted my Instagram account, and the next day I came accross a quote by Sharran Srivatsaa that echoed my experience.

Quitting your worst habit will change your life faster than starting your best habit. You can read 50 books while sleeping 4 hours a night. You can build morning routines while doom-scrolling until midnight. You can network constantly while being unreliable with follow-ups. Addition feels like progress. Subtraction feels like failure. But elite performers don’t add more. They ruthlessly remove what drains them.
-Sharran Srivatsaa

When I removed Instagram (and short videos), my whole like improved. I feel better, I’m more productive, I am happier, and I am getting more accomplished. I have made room in my life for things that matter to me, not by adding in good habits, but by removing the ones that were obstacles.

If you’re struggling with your mental health, lack of productivity, or you feel stuck in some way, consider evaluating your life and try to pinpoint the things you can let go of. Make room for the things that matter to you.

You can read the full story of why I quit Instagram here.

Header image by Austin Chan on Unsplash