2 Weeks- No Complaining; The Experiment

09Nov10

Complaining- an effective use of energy?

It’s been a long time since I’ve written a post on here, but perhaps I’ll dust it off and get going again.  I decided two weeks ago to try an experiment: to see if I could go two weeks without complaining.  I wore an orange band on my wrist to remind me, and put reminders in my calendar, too.  I also announced it on my Facebook page and invited others to join me.  (I always do better when someone joins me in these types of things.)

As of today, the experiment is complete, and I’d have to say I learned quite a few things.

First, the content.  Complaints usually signal underlying thoughts of, “This isn’t fair,” “Things shouldn’t be this way,” or “Why me?”  After two weeks of (mostly) choosing not to voice those thoughts, it allowed me to see what other options I have for those feelings.

• Can I fix something?
• Is it TRUE that the situation “shouldn’t be this way” or is it better to just accept what IS?
• Or is there a way to focus on what can be fixed without complaining about it?
• Am I seeking camaraderie or attention for my so-called misery?  Is that the way I want to be with other people? (ummm…. no.)

Here are few more thoughts in no particular order:

1. In general, I think I’ve realized that most of the time, complaining just reinforces the problem and takes away energy that could be better used for finding solutions. Complaints are a bit like clutter.  They usually aren’t necessary and often get in the way of productivity.
2. Stuffing doesn’t help either.  The trick is finding ways to address problems and challenges without sucking the life out of yourself and those around you.
3. There is a time to just BE QUIET.  Let it be.  Take a deep breath and close your eyes instead of focus on that issue.
4. Most of my would-be complaints had to do with “not having enough time to get things done.”  Hmmm…. guess what, Amy.  We ALL have the same amount of time, and although I try to be a wise planner, it is not my strong suit.

So, my next experiment is this: one week of down-to-the-minute time tracking.  I’m going to evaluate my expectations for what I “should” be able to get done and also discover where I’m frittering away valuable time that could be better used elsewhere.  Maybe I’ll update the blog and let you know how that one goes.

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