1510. When Renewal Becomes Another Thing on Your To-Do List

Let’s wrap this up with the ultimate irony: obsessing about renewal can become its own form of stress.

“Did I meditate long enough?”
“Is my digital detox detoxing enough?”
“Should I be forest bathing instead of just walking in the park?”

Congratulations.

You’ve turned renewal into another competitive sport. Another area for optimization. Another reason to feel inadequate.

This is renewal’s final boss: letting go of the need to do it perfectly.

The point isn’t to create the ultimate renewal practice that will finally make you whole. The point is to stop fragmenting yourself in the first place.

Sometimes the most renewing thing you can do is drop the whole self-improvement project and just be a normal human having a normal day. Laugh at a stupid joke. Eat a meal without photographing it. Stare out a window for no reason.

The camping trip over the weekend worked because I wasn’t trying to optimize it.

The no agenda meant actual presence.

So here’s my final take: renewal isn’t something you add to your life. It’s what remains when you stop overcomplicating everything.

The best renewal practice? Whatever makes you forget you’re practicing anything at all.

Go live your life. The way you want.