A Reflection on Efficiency and Convenience

It's like trying to recreate the wheel. It's like trying to find new solutions for problems that you used to have a solution for. This sentiment echoes through the mind of many who live in states or cities that have banned plastic grocery bags.

In a recent experience, I placed an order on Amazon for 350 plastic grocery bags, not the thick plastic bags that some stores may be using today, but the OG thin plastic grocery bags that you can ball up and store under your kitchen counter. Why did I do this? Because I live in a state that has fully banned plastic bags, and it's been two years, and I'm still finding frustration trying to figure out how I'm going to handle simple tasks that I used to be able to handle very quickly just by going and grabbing a plastic bag.

The green movement is essential, and preserving the earth is critical. Still, the amount of things that American culture has gotten used to using plastic bags for is pretty significant if you think about it. Even though I'm all for the green movement, it's been very inconvenient for me, and I'm still not used to it.

It's okay to pay for convenience. It's okay to pay for services. It's okay to pay for things that will make your life easier. I could probably give you a thousand different uses that we've gotten used to just pulling out a plastic bag for. For example, picking up dog poop, taking out your bathroom trash, cleaning out your car, and so much more. Now that plastic bags are banned, it's like I'm trying to recreate the wheel, and just that process alone uses brainpower, which lowers efficiency.

If these were problems that were actually meaningful to the progress of my life, I wouldn't have an issue with it. I would just call that growth. But when it's just small mundane tasks in my daily life that used to be so simple, and now I'm having to find new creative solutions for them, it can be very frustrating. It can be something that is just mentally taxing on my brain.

Over the past couple of years, I've been dwindling down my wardrobe to not have to wake up and sift through a bunch of different clothing items to figure out what I'm going to wear for the day. These days, I have less than 20 shirts and less than 10 pants. I don't want to have the mental load of deciding what I'm going to wear today. I just pick out a plain shirt and a simple pair of pants, and I'm good to go.

It's not a bad thing to pay for convenience. It's not a bad thing to keep things in your life simple. It's not a bad thing to want efficiency in your life. This frees up your brainpower to use that brainpower for more important problems.

If you're feeling bogged down, like I have been feeling for a little while now, ask yourself what things in your life can you make more efficient? What things in your life can you pay for that will free up your brain space and the burden you have on your shoulders?

In conclusion, finding new solutions for old problems can be frustrating and mentally taxing. It's okay to pay for convenience, and it's not a bad thing to want efficiency in your life. Simplifying your life and freeing up your brainpower for more important problems is essential.