“Secret of Adulthood:
To accomplish something, I have to do a lot of nothing.”
Gretchen Rubin

At some point, you’re going to think to yourself, “I don’t want to work this hard.” (Work. Love. Life.)

It will be epiphanic and very grown up of you. It will be part of becoming more conscious. It will be really, really liberating.

Take your pick: I don’t want to work so many hours. I don’t want to have so many fights about what’s not right. I don’t want to drive so many miles. I don’t want to worry so much, rehearse so much, do so much, hustle so hard.

This is good. This is very good.

But post epiphany, we head into very dangerous turf. It’s the Terrain of Unnecessary Dream Shrinkage.

Your heart says: I want to do less. And your head says, Then you’ll get less.
Your spirit says: I want to fight less. And your head says, Then you better settle for less.
Your body says: I want more ease. And your head says, You better work harder.
Your intuition says: I can work less. Your accountant says, Don’t quit that gig yet.

We think that if we slow down, the dream machine will come to a stop. Or if we stop working so damn hard, we’ll have to do without. Or if we stop “processing so much,” we won’t get the deep love we crave. Simplifying what you put out doesn’t mean you have to expect less in return. Ease up on yourself, but don’t shrink your dreams.

The cosmos doesn’t measure sweat and hours for reward. The cosmos deals in the currencies of joy and satisfaction.

That means, if easing up makes you happier and more fulfilled, the universe will help you pull it off.

Work simpler and get better results.
Bitch less and things sort themselves out.
Think less and be more creative.
Put in fewer hours and get a greater return.
Sell less and sell more.
Push less and get farther.

Cosmic cha-ching.

Danielle LaPorte is the outspoken creator of The Desire Map, author of The Fire Starter Sessions (Random House/Crown), co-creator of Your Big Beautiful Book Plan and soon-to-be publisher of Danielle Magazine, launching this September. An inspirational speaker, former think tank exec and business strategist, she writes weekly at DanielleLaPorte.com, where over a million visitors have gone for her straight-up advice — a site that’s been deemed “the best place on-line for kick-ass spirituality”, and was named one of the “Top 100 Websites for Women” by Forbes.

You can also find her on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter @daniellelaporte.

*Featured image by Nicole Pierce Photography