Life Is Not an Equation

Sometimes, I stare down my day like it’s a math problem. A problem that I can solve.

If I plug abc into the left side of my equation, surely the right side must spit out xyz?

abc = xyz

good habits, smart choices, and a dash of positivity = a perfect, productive day

Case study: I was sick the week before Christmas. But that’s okay because I had a PLAN. Get extra sleep. Swap out the gym for yoga. Consume copious amounts of tea, elderberry, and elderberry tea. Do this, I told myself, and you’ll feel better in 1–3 days max.

A week later, I was still worn out, still snotty, and still craving cozy do-nothing days. But now I felt anxious—where were the results I’d planned for? Were my calculations off? And I felt guilty—creating space for one unproductive day is bliss, two is pushing it, and three is just lazy.

My rebellious immune system isn’t the only thing I treat like an equation. Relationships, finances, skills, emotions—wouldn’t it be nice if inputs guaranteed outputs? Each of us could do our part and the world would just make sense.

Strategies are a great tool to analyze our lives. But they’re not the solution that will fix our problems.

Too Many Variables

Equations can’t be solved if there are too many unknowns. And life is filled with the unknown.

We make plans to make sense of our day and to use our time productively. But plans are based on assumptions: "I’ll leave the house early so I’ll arrive at the office early” assumes that the car will start, the roads will be open, the traffic won’t clog, and your supervisor won’t make the last-minute decision to push your presentation up an hour.

There are too many unknowns for us to ever make sense of life, let alone control it.

Multiple Solutions

Many equations have more than one answer. You can have the same problem and follow the same chain reaction of steps to solve the problem, but change the value of one variable and the answer could come out positive or negative.

In the same way, our choices can have unintended consequences. And circumstances don’t need our consent before they change.

• You can start a conversation with the best of intensions, but that doesn’t guarantee the other person will understand or reciprocate your intent.

• You can pick up a new hobby, but you can’t predict whether it will fizzle out after your first attempts or if it will become a calling for the rest of your life.

• You can start your day expecting to feel a certain way, but moods and energy levels fluctuate on a daily (even hourly) basis.

Show Your Work

If plans aren’t always accurate and good choices don’t always produce good results, why make them at all?

Because an imperfect plan = imperfect progress. But no plan = no progress at all.

Choosing and tracking a healthy habit = successful days and setback days. But no habit tracking = no self-awareness and no personal growth.

Yes, the world is always complex and often unpredictable, but we should use the finite time, knowledge, and resources we have. Plans help us see patterns in the world, and good choices increase our chances of getting good results.

So show your work: the more information we gather and the more we reflect on our successes/setbacks, the more our actions will be informed and disciplined.

Cancel Out Stress

Whether life produces a positive or negative result, let’s react in a way that reduces stress.

For example, if I have an unexpected bill or expense, I could panic. Or I could make a budget to scale back on extra spending and save money. If I have an unexpected pay raise or gift, I could hoard it because I’m scared to lose it. Or I could use that budget to invest in myself, my loved ones, and my community.

In either case—loss or gain—I have no way to predict which will happen. The trick is to live in the reality, not the expectation. When life is harder than expected, grieve that loss—but don’t give up on hope and healthy choices. When life is better than expected, soak it in—but don’t feel guilty to enjoy good things and don’t place your self-worth in temporary happiness or success.

To Sum Up

Here I am, sick during my holiday break. I’m learning to take advantage of this time by slowing down and being cozy. I’m choosing to live in the moment, not worrying how to handle future energy slumps that hit during my busy new year. I’m telling my strategic brain not to get cranky when increasing my levels of elderberry tea doesn’t proportionately decrease my sinus congestion.

We don’t have to solve all the problems—or even understand them. Humans aren’t called to control everything that happens to us. We’re called to use our tools and talents to respond well to whatever problems we face.

So let’s build healthy habits. Let’s structure our routines to meet our goals. Let’s make smart choices and throw in that dash of positivity. We probably won’t get the perfect day we predicted. But we might learn more about ourselves in the process and learn to see the good no matter the result.