How much OVERHEAD do you have in your life? ✨
I had a great conversation recently with a new friend. As we were swapping #downsizing stories, she threw this word out there — OVERHEAD — which immediately struck a chord in me.
You business people know what ‘overhead’ is. But ‘life overhead,’ as I’ve decided to call it, is ongoing expenditures (whether money, time or emotional energy) that do not directly contribute or bring value or profit to YOUR LIFE — THE LIFE YOU DESIRE.
When I downsized last summer, I emphatically — almost violently — purged 98% of my things in a matter of weeks. Like a CEO in crisis mode, I CUT THE FAT. No mercy. If the thing didn’t serve me or suit me, goodbye. Everything: sold, consigned, donated, or bestowed. Even Penny gave away some of her toys (poor thing).
Not only did I cut excess overhead from my life in terms of downsizing material goods and possessions… the emotional energy I spent making decisions about what to buy, where to shop, what to wear, how to accessorize, what I cared about — nearly evaporated.
Do you want to achieve more? Produce more? Be more agile? Do as the smartest businesses do. CUT THE FAT.
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Want to know where else I’ve wasted emotional energy during my lifetime? Worrying. Thinking the worst. Over-planning. Feeling upset when expectations don’t meet reality. Living outside the moment. Now, guess what: something can’t really “go wrong” — because I’ve not defined what it is to “go right.” Any negative thoughts or creeping worries are very few and far between, and every day is a surprise and a blessing. (I’m living life on a month-to-month basis right now, and I don’t waste a moment predicting what next year holds!)
Cut the overhead.
I don’t know about you, but I was conditioned to despise waste. I was told to finish my food, to fill up unoccupied space, to busy up free time, to consume. But does spending our money, over-extending our time, and over-exercising our emotions truly serve us? How much are we actually achieving and what do we actually value?
🤯 Yeah, I know. ‘Overhead.’ Mind = blown. Well, I’m inspired me to take another hard look at how I spend my precious resources and whether those activities benefit me.
And even though I sure as heck have even more overhead to cut, I’m proud:
As I traverse the U.S. on #nomadlife, it takes me less than two hours to pack up and organize my car between stays. I used to complain about how tedious it is to pack up and move… but how many people can move their entire life — EVERYTHING THEY OWN — in less than the length of a Marvel movie? Damn. I have cut a lot of fat… and I’ve a hunch there’s more to come.
✨ Join me! Ask yourself: What are your money, time, and emotional energy wasters? Where and on what are YOU losing profits and value? What is distracting or keeping you from achieving success and mastery? ✨
“The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.”
Michael Altshuler
