Why I wear the same earrings EVERY day... (hint: it's a mental hack!)
Feb 23, 2023
These earrings aren't really that special. I bought them for myself at Belk, on sale. The occasion was a meeting that I felt was a big deal. So, that's the most special thing about them. But even that isn't really what keeps me wearing them.
Someone recently noticed that I wear them nearly every day. And it's true. I've been wearing them most days for MONTHS.
So, if they aren't that special. Why do I do it? What's the DEAL with these earrings?
It's a mental thing. Kind of a life hack that I want to share with YOU!
I've been on a HUGE growth path for a couple of years now. I work a lot of hours, I am constantly reading non-fiction books to help me grow, I recently had a back injury that needed my attention and physical therapy, AND my boys are playing basketball. Life has been busy, to say the least. With all of this busy-ness and new growth comes a LOT of decisions.
Researchers have found that the decision-making part of our brain can get tired out from making too many decisions. We have a limited mental capacity. The first study on this topic found that people who resisted fresh baked cookies had a much harder time completing a puzzle compared to those who didn't. The ones who resisted spent a lot of their mental energy making that decision and sticking to it. Researchers coined the term, ego-depletion.
In our modern-day life, we are faced with so many decisions on a daily basis. We have a lot of choices. Choices can be good BUT too many can lead us to feel overwhelmed, tired and even helpless.
SO...as a way for me to keep up the growth, the new learning, all of the decisions that I'm making that take up SO MUCH mental energy. I started doing myself a favor by taking some unimportant decisions OFF OF THE TABLE. Having a go-to pair of earrings is just one of those decisions.
You probably already do this to a degree. For example, you've probably dialed in your coffee routine, drive the same path to work, fold your towels the same way every time...right?
But, if you ever know that you have some big goals coming up and you want to free up a bit more mental energy...you can use this hack too.
What's one decision you could take off of the table right now that would free up a bit of your valuable mental space?