TIME MANAGEMENT || You Can't Do It All

People always ask how do you do it all? The truth is I don't. As I've accumulated more experience and more burnouts from trying to 'do it all', I've become a lot more selective with regards to where I invest my time and who I spend time with.

I've also realized that while we can, we shouldn't work 7 days a week. We all need mental breaks, because that's when we are most creative. Not that we are all in creative careers, but we all have issues outside of work that requires mental energy to deal with - whether it's kids, family, friendships, and other relationships we maintain in our lives. What has allowed me to do this is the 3-step process I went through to clarify my vision and direction, which I will share with you below.

Here's how you can 'curate' your life. 

Define Your Priorities

Stop reading. Go get a piece of paper and a pen and write down the top three things that are important to you. It could be family, friends, career, relationships, self improvement, traveling around the world. 

Write down the top 3, ranked in order of priority, and engrave this into your mind, because you will need to use this as a guideline to make decisions from now on. For example, if you are faced with the dilemma of taking 2 weeks off during a peak work season to attend your brother's destination wedding, and your priorities are ranked in order of family, relationships and career, then you will prepare whatever is necessary so that you can attend the wedding because family is number 1 for you. 

Define Your Destination

Without a destination you don't know where to go. Once you have decided your goal, you have to remind yourself each day where you are, what progress you have made, and be happy about it. With your priorities as your key filter criteria, making daily decisions that get you closer to your goal will be much, much easier. 

Define Your Timeline

Once you decide where you want to go you need to figure out HOW you are going to get there. Success and happiness don't fall out the sky and into your lap. It is also important to note that success and happiness are defined by your perspective. You will experience that once you have set your priorities and your destination, everything you will be laser focused on getting there. It's OK if you originally decided you want it to take 2 years. Spoiler Alert: it usually takes twice as long if not more. Things get in the way, it's just life. Long as you always have your destination in sight you will get there.