“Clutter and lack of focus will grow and take over our lives and homes and calendar until we are completely passive, uninvolved, boring, and bored.”
This bleak little bit isn’t pessimism…it’s science! In fact, it’s the Second Law of Thermodynamics.
If you don’t believe me [physicists], or if this sounds too defeatist for you [everyone else], read on, and I’ll explain myself and how this is anything but defeatism!
It’s true. I’m blaming science and the 2nd Law for clutter, lack of focus, disorganization, and lack of energy. But science and a little thought is also what’s going to show us how we can avoid this, make a better life for ourselves, and why we’re often afraid to do this in the first place.
Without further ado…let’s break it down…
So Where Did This Gloomy Pronouncement Come From?
Well, the “real” Second Law states:
“Entropy will act on a system without external forces, so that it tends towards equilibrium.”
What does this mean for us when we strive for a more focused, simple life? Perhaps a few definitions can help:
- entropy — Our tendency toward clutter, disorganization, mess, lack of focus.
- closed system — Your life, your schedule, your social life, your home.
- equilibrium — This equilibrium is not balance. This is passive, apathetic, inactive, docile, uninvolved, passionless, diluted, boring.
So for us, the 2nd Law states that our lives naturally gravitate toward clutter and inactivity, chaotic, dull, and passionless…
…unless an external force acts on our life [making it not a “closed” system].
This means that you can wait for other people to order and focus your life for you [which will likely never happen unless you’re an infant], or YOU can be the outside force.
How Can You Be Your Live’s Own Outside Force?
There is a powerful assumption working here: that you are your life. Not true! This is why we often have trouble decluttering our homes, simplifying our schedules, letting things go, and focusing. We confuse our lives for who we are.
Thus we become attached to the way things are. We believe that if we have less, or do less, we are less.
But you’re just you. You aren’t your life!
This sounds strange, so let’s start simply…
Take your finances. Everyone knows you aren’t your pocket book. It’s just a system that is part of your life. So you can exert energy and focus to transform your finances.
How about your calender? If you let your calender “just happen,” depending on what kind of a person you are, you might end up bored or doing a ton of things you don’t enjoy. We can safely say you aren’t your calender…so you can exert energy and focus to better use your time for things you care about.
If you take this logic further, you find that you aren’t your social life, your marriage, or even your passions, talents, or goals. These are all just systems and elements that make your life. The life you have been living, but ultimately not what you are.
Excitement, Relaxation, And Entropy
So pick what you want your life to be. Simplify and declutter so that as much as possible, all you do and all you have excites you!
If excitement is going on adventures, give up your expensive car so you can afford it!
If excitement is spending more time with your dearest friends, put in the effort for that and consciously take less time for other things and people that don’t mean as much.
If excitement is being a theoretical physicist, set aside your more mild passion for the banjo that takes time away from studying.
If excitement is sitting in the grass, smelling dandelions all day, then shutdown your laptop, and go do it!
Don’t Let Your Life Happen To You. Happen To Your Life!
We’re left with the realization that without effort and intention, our lives are never going to simplify themselves. That’s not the tendency of any of the systems our lives are composed of [friends, jobs, lovers, money, goals, passions].
So don’t allow entropy to act on you, making you a victim of the way your life is. Rather, you be the one who acts on entropy, you be the active force in your own life that sorts, organizes, declutters, and keeps things in focus.
And don’t be unhealthily attached to the way things are, the people in your life, the things you own. These things are part of your life, not part of who you are.
Don’t be afraid to trim, declutter, or completely demolish the things that don’t benefit and enrich your life.
Be active in creating things, friends, and a life you want!
Keep close and maintain whatever is dear.
And thanks for reading,
] chloe [
