“When you are really able to think without any cravings, without any desire to choose—for choice implies opposites—there is discernment.”
— J. Krishnmurti
You should save money, but you want to spend it on something you don’t need. You should finish a task that your parents or spouse asked for, but you want to scroll Instagram instead. You should get out of bed as soon as the alarm goes off, but want a few more minutes of sleep, so you keep hitting snooze.
Will your “wants” make things better? No. First, the nagging anxiety in the back of your mind over not doing what you should doesn’t let you enjoy what you are doing. Second, the consequences of these seemingly harmless actions are anything but harmless. You can’t take leave from work when you’re sick because you’re broke. You get into an argument with your parents or spouse that leaves everyone in a bad mood. You reach work late, flustered, forgetting to carry your phone charger with the battery at 10 percent. And how we spend our days is how we spend our life.
Remove your wants (and ego) from the situation and you will see situations as they are. Do the right thing at the right time, then you can do whatever you feel like without guilt.