The Important Stuff—Focusing on What Matters
Life gets hectic. It’s easy to focus on the details and minutiae of your daily life and neglect the truly important aspects. People make to-do lists and schedules, and they have goals and ambitions. They plan their days around these elements and consider themselves unavailable for other possibilities. On the surface, this is fine; it’s good to be organized and manage your time well. On the other hand, it’s also possible to be too rigid. If something unrelated to your work or goals comes up, it’s easy not to give it a second thought and conclude that you have no available time.
Build in flexibility
People are busy—they fill up their days and leave no time for the unexpected. But busyness isn’t the same as productivity, and it doesn’t necessarily lead to a meaningful life. People have timelines—either self-imposed or imposed on them. It’s important to live up to your commitments and have a vision for your life and goals you’re trying to achieve. However, if an opportunity arises and you feel as though you have no time for it, then your planning is missing something. You have to make room for the unknown but potentially amazing possibilities that may arise. If you’re so busy that you have zero time for anything other than what’s on your to-do list, you’re missing out.
Easier said than done, of course, in this world of constant connection, demanding expectations, and intense competition. But building in flexibility doesn’t mean you have to forgo other priorities; it only means they must be reorganized periodically. This is done in the normal course of events as new professional demands arise, so building in flexibility can be just another tweak of your contingency plan.
Be on the lookout
You have your goals, you have your plan, and you’re ready to take on the world. But that doesn’t mean you should put on blinders to everything else that might arise. There will always be opportunities. They might not be obvious. They might not even be related to your professional or personal priorities. However, we live in a boundless and interesting world, and just because something wasn’t on your radar doesn’t mean it’s not an opportunity. To recognize these opportunities, you have to be flexible with your schedule and open to possibilities. You must see the world inclusively, recognizing the potential for new paths and challenges.
But change is scary. It can take years to develop a routine that works for you. It can seem like a balance between work, family, and passions is a fragile condition, and that you don’t want to risk upsetting it with something else—something new. An interruption to your routine can feel like sabotage and counter to what you’re trying to achieve.
Why?
You have everything you need; why look for more if you’re satisfied with what you have? There are several answers to this question. One is that personal growth can’t be achieved without some degree of change and the capacity to evolve. Another is that you might miss opportunities that, once lost, will result in long-lasting regret. Leaving space in your life for the new and the different is a necessary aspect of leading a meaningful life. Yes, you must find balance and meet the demands of livelihood and family. But there is something special in stepping beyond the last map and trusting the horizon.
Don’t let life get so busy that you don’t make time for experiences, perspectives, and even things that are new, exciting, and even scary. Life will always be challenging. Why not make it challenging and meaningful?
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