It’s becoming easier to live an unfulfilling life.
The amount of external short-term dopamine-producing escapes from reality is increasing, and the existing platforms are becoming more effective in sucking us in.
The algorithms are designed to keep us connected to whatever we’re doing for as long as possible – showing us more of what we’re drawn to and confirming our existing beliefs through confirmation bias.
Things like social media, porn, 24 news cycles, video games, binging shows, food and alcohol delivery to our doorstep, and the world of information available on our phones.
Couple this ease with being dissatisfied with work (a recent study by the Conference Board states only 51% of US employees report feeling satisfied), and it’s a recipe for an empty life.
Because, after a long day on the job, it’s easy to seek the easiest means to fill the emptiness that doing unfulfilling work creates.
So we reach for convenience and choose our poison.
Poison isn’t an over-exaggeration; chasing short-term dopamine hits degrades our quality of life and cultivates the seeds of regret.
No one on their deathbed has said, “I’m so happy I spent 5 hours a day on Instagram.”
The primary issue with short-term hits is quick highs fade quickly, so being the dopamine junkies we are, we’re off to the races to seek our next fix and attempt to fill the void in our lives.
We chase high after high and get nowhere other than the temporary satiation of the void in our lives.
We’re throwing sand in a sieve and settling for the superficial.
Externals will never fill that void, no matter how hard we strive.
What is that void?
A lack of meaning.
We have an intrinsic desire to live meaningful lives; humans are drawn to meaning like the waves are drawn to the shore.
It’s ok if our work doesn’t provide meaning; we have financial and familial obligations; what’s not ok is to do nothing about it.
If work doesn’t provide meaning, it’s incumbent on us to seek it.
Creating a meaningful life isn’t difficult.
The issue that keeps most people stuck is:
While creating a meaningful life may not be difficult, it’s slightly more challenging than a numb, superficial life on autopilot.
Meaning isn’t chased; it’s created.
We must eschew some of our short-term hits in favor of long-term fulfillment.
It requires we break free from numb, superficial lives set to autopilot.
It doesn’t have to be difficult, and here are three simple steps to begin the journey to meaning.
Together they will take no more than an hour and will create an outsized ROI.
One hour is enough time that it requires a commitment; it stands out on your calendar.
One hour embodies the saying, “Sawdust makes a pile.” An hour a day stretched throughout a life equals thousands of hours.
When used correctly, an hour is enough to create massive change in your life.
Here’s the thing:
Pursuing a meaningful life doesn’t require 100% of your time.
However, it requires 100% of your effort for the time you commit to it.
Here are your 3 simple tips for creating meaning in your life:
Ask, “Who can I help today?”
Think about who you can help; it doesn’t have to be a significant act of service; it can be as simple as writing a podcast or book review or taking something off the plate of a co-worker who’s overwhelmed because of issues at home, checking in on an elderly neighbor.
The list is only limited to your creativity.
Consistent acts of service are guaranteed to create meaning.
Go for a walk.
All it takes is twenty to thirty minutes to experience a reset; the remainder of the time is an opportunity to connect with yourself on a deeper and more profound level.
The key is to totally disconnect; this means no audiobooks, podcasts, or surfing social media.
Instead, be present with your surroundings.
Feel your feet underneath you, and look around at what you probably take for granted.
As Nietzche said, “All truly great thoughts are conceived by walking.”
Practice Gratitude.
Write down five things you’re grateful for.
And then ask yourself, “Why?” you’re grateful for them.
Asking “why” adds a new dimension to the practice and forces you to go beyond the pale.
A consistent gratitude practice cultivates courage and an understanding of the impermanence of life.
Tip: Stretch your brain and pick 5 different things every day.
Here’s the funny thing, when we’re engaged in meaningful activities, we still get our dopamine fix.
But it goes beyond that; we’re no longer chasing external solutions to an internal issue.
We’re creating meaningful solutions from within.
This is how we create the extraordinary.
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