Not Everything Today

Time is weird.

Some days feel like they go on forever while others seemingly go by in the blink of an eye. Each day is technically the same number of seconds, minutes, and hours (86,400, 1,400, and 24, respectively) but it is my perception of them that changes. Crazy.

This idea relates to a quote that I know has been attributed to so many people, but I first read it in a book by Matthew Kelley so I’ll give the credit to him. It goes like this:

Most people overestimate what they can do in a day, and underestimate what they can do in a month. We overestimate what we can do in a year, and underestimate what we can do in a decade.

I’m definitely one of most people.

For the last few months, I have worked to fit more and more into each and every day. I am attempting to learn different languages, make videos, and write stuff while continuing other activities such as working out, reading, spending time with loved ones…oh and working too. Yes, I promise I am still doing the last one.

And in pursuit of completing every item on the to-do list, one of two things has typically been happening:

1. I stay up later than my allotted bed time which helps me complete the tasks of that day at the expense of good sleep habits. I trade short-term gains for a proper long-term foundation.
2. I end the night with open tasks and go to bed a bit (or a lot) frustrated because I did not execute at the level at which I know that I am capable.

Neither of those is particularly ideal so I have been working on a change of perspective as well as a change in my execution.

Perspective first.

Not everything needs to be completed today.

Likely because of being an impatient human and wanting results without delay, I leaned into this mindset that all it would take to achieve “success” would be one good day or one good project or one good (fill in the blank based on the situation). It was this simplistic way of looking at the world that ommitted the struggle - it was all focused on the destination while ignoring the journey. But life is not that way.

With a single day, I will not accomplish all my goals nor will I ruin all of my progress. One day is not enough to do that.

Keeping that in mind has helped me to maintain a more macro view of life.

I have realized that sacrificing the momentum that can take me months to build (usually related to my sleep habits) for one late night attempting to complete a task that often does not need to be completed that day it not a worthy trade. Everything has a price so the taking of rest from one day has its cost realized the following day when I am more tired and less effective.

That brings me to the adjustment of my execution.

Structure brings freedom.

This is a tenet that I have known for quite some time but one that I sometimes forget. Here’s how it plays out in this situation.

1. With Parkinson’s Law in mind (the idea that the work expands so as to fit the time that is allotted for its completion), I have started to set deadlines for how long I have to complete different projects. I found that when I leave an open deadline, I spend way more time than is necessary constantly tweaking instead of releasing and moving on. In addition, there is little to no urgency throughout the process which unnecessarily further extends the amount of time that I take on every single deliverable. The simple act of putting a deadline, which at the end of the day is arbitrary, has been one of the largest factors in increasing my output.
2. The other strategy that I have been much less effective at executing thus far is adhering to strict rules for shutting down working each day. In practice, this means to set a time to automatically shut down my electronics every single evening no matter where I am in the process. By setting rules when I am rested and my mind is clear, I (in theory) make it so that I do not give in to the whims of my exhausted and undisciplined mind that says “just ten more minutes” without realizing havoc that can wreak in the longer term. Exceptions may not be detrimental when they happen once, but when they move from being the exception to the rule, life takes on an entirely new shape.

So going along with the theme of this post, I recognize that all will not be fixed in a single day, no matter how heroic my efforts or how perfect my execution. But with this newfound perspective, I am able to move forward with better systems that allow me to get more from each day, a mindset that prioritizes my long-term vision of who I want life to be, and more peace and joy in the every day as a result.

What about you?

Do you ever feel overwhelmed with the feeling that every single thing needs to be completed in a day? If that happens to you, how do you most effectively deal with it?

Let me know; I’d love to learn from you ❤️

Have the best day ever today, friends 🤟🏾

Love,

Matt