How to Let The Ego Go in 3 Simple Steps

I created this short-form article for busy individuals who want to minimise their ego’s impact on their lives.

The ego is the one thing that can cause more harm than good.

I, for one, have, in multiple cases, let the ego handle certain situations only to see myself hurt myself and others in the process.

Start with humility

Humility is the magic pill against our egos.

We must start being humble and kind to others, although it’s easier said than done.

It’s hard when we are fixated on our own experiences and beliefs on how the world should work.

The trick is to adopt a beginner’s mindset (also known as the growth mindset) since we have much more to learn about everything around us.

“No matter what you have done up to this point, you better still be a student. If you’re not still learning, you’re already dying.” — Ryan Holiday

Awareness Training

Knowing when your Ego has taken over requires a lot of mindfulness activities.

When we start practising meditation (or prayer), our minds often give us new insights into past situations.

Looking at the past from a different angle can give us a better understanding of what we could have done better, which will prepare us better the next time our egos start to take over.

“You must practice seeing yourself with a little distance, cultivating the ability to get out of your own head. Detachment is a sort of natural ego antidote. It’s easy to be emotionally invested and infatuated with your own work. Any and every narcissist can do that. What is rare is not raw talent, skill, or even confidence, but humility, diligence, and self-awareness.” — Ryan Holiday

Forget Recognition

This is a tough one for me.

I crave recognition in both my career and my personal life.

Yet, to become the person I aspire to be, I need to forget about getting credit and recognition.

We must let go of our ego to focus on the grunt work.

According to Ryan Holiday (Author of Ego is the enemy) — When we are starting out in our pursuits, we need to make an effort to trade short-term gratification for a long-term payoff.

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This post was previously published on medium.com.

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