Unnecessary Your Necessary

This article was previously written January 24, 2020 on medium.com

We’re off to a new year in 2020. Many feel hopeful; many feel anxious. Apart from what is happening outside of our personal worlds, there are ways we can create meaningful improvements inside our personal worlds.

Though, I have never been one to believe in new year’s resolutions (I believe in just starting), this is a great time to think about what we’ve done, where we are now and where we’d like to be in our future. Especially if we want more. If you need clarity and direction, you need to set aside everything else that is unimportant and start preparing yourself to plan the steps to getting clarity and direction for what you want to do. I am talking to those who either have a purpose or those who are looking for purpose in whatever facet that you feel is meaningful to you and the quality of your life.

Perhaps you are tired of where you are, and want to learn something new to improve your job or to help you find better opportunities. Perhaps you want to start reading more; or exercising more; or spending more time with your loved ones.

Start by eliminating the unnecessary.

Anything that does not add longterm value to your day or your life can be considered unnecessary. Anything we allow in to our life that distracts us from our main goal or cause; these things are unnecessary.

A quote from my favorite Abstract Expressionist, Hans Hoffman, states:

"The ability to simplify mean to eliminate the unnecessary, so that the necessary can speak”

What is necessary to you? For me it is family, my walk with God, my business and the work towards financial freedom. I can easily allow interests, entertainment, and laziness to distract me from fully engaging towards those values and goals that I find necessary to daily fulfillment, and lifelong enjoyment and success.

Make time this week to evaluate or reevaluate your values and goals. Begin to eliminate the unnecessary stuff that clings to you and weights you down, so that the necessary can finally have its say. This is the secret to happiness.