Free yourself by letting go of something you no longer enjoy

Have you ever had the sudden realization that one of your habits or routines wasn’t what it used to be?

Somehow, the level of benefit gained was less than the amount of energy invested?

Economists would call this the point of diminishing returns. After the optimal level of capacity is reached, adding an additional factor of production will result in smaller increases.

It sounds like corporate management jargon, but this principle actually has significant application beyond just the factory floor.

Because in our lives, we can find ourselves performing a habit or routine that we’re not even enjoying anymore. But we just lock into automatic mode. Muscle memory engages.

Well, I guess this is the kind of thing a person like me does right now.

Smokers talk about this moment a lot. They’re driving around late at night looking for a store that sells cigs, when it occurs to them that their clothes stink, their throat burns, their stomach hurts and their families are annoyed.

And for what? Enjoyment left the building years ago. Smoking isn’t doing anything for them anymore.

Wow, they wonder, maybe this habit is no longer a meaningful investment.

What a blessing to have this realization.

Yes, in the moment, we can feel shame and anger for having continued our habit for longer than necessary, but ultimately, reaching the point of diminishing returns is a good thing. Because it opens up space for something new.

By letting go of that which we no longer enjoy, we free ourselves up to make a more meaningful investment with our time, money and energy. And so, if you want to more effectively evaluate your own norms, rather than get consumed by them, here’s an exercise you might try.

Look through your trashcan at the end of the week. Hunt for patterns. If you notice an abundance of a certain item, perhaps an empty soda bottle, snack wrapper or other refuse related to one of your longtime habits, ask yourself if you even remember doing it. Think about the degree to which you have been executing without enjoying.

It might be a sign that letting go is in order.

Now, to be fair, soda and snacks are delicious and important things. What’s more, not every habit we perform has to be enjoyable, or even can be enjoyable. Hell, eighty percent of life is doing things we don’t want to do.

But let’s not forget the mantra, res severa verum gaudium, true joy is a serious thing.

In this world that often feels cold, pointless and confusing, we should cut out as many intermediaries to our joys as possible. When the law of diminishing returns makes it perfectly clear to you that it’s time to do something else, be grateful for the temporary stop in production.

It means your factory is finding something more profitable to produce.

How could you free yourself by letting go of something you no longer enjoy?