Focusing on the right things.
Often times we get so busy that we forget to focus on what we are really here to accomplish. I don't necessarily mean getting that new promotion or landing that client, but the why behind it all. "I'm so busy", is one of my least favorite sayings.
You're not too busy. You're just not focusing on the right things. My opinion, I understand, but you get my meaning.
Case in point
My wife and I are both working professionals who have a lot of demands on us, like most Americans today. We have no children but we do have three small dogs that may as well be human, because that is how important they are to us. They constantly need attention, grooming, walking, feeding - yet they give back more joy than the effort required to maintain their health and well-being. Well, Niky (not pronounced like the sneaker, but rather Nick-ee), our middle dog, was getting chubby recently. He only weighs 10 pounds, but had ballooned up to 11 pounds. Before you think, "What harm is a pound on a dog?", that's like a 200-pound man jumping to 220 pounds in a month. That is a lot of weight to gain quickly.
Niky was gaining weight so quickly that I soon began calling him my little Beefcake, as he kind of walks bow-legged anyway, and with some extra weight he looked like he want to pick a fight when he walked toward you. Cute as it was to see him waddle, we realized that it was putting some extra weight on his already fragile little joints.
Why was he getting this way?
As I wasn't paying much attention to him while I toiled away at business for 80 hours per week between running a business, being a musician and writing my novel I was effectively neglecting my duties as a dog dad to provide little with Nick the exercise that he both deserved and craved.
Also I was gaining weight as well. I no longer was waking up and going to the gym like I used to, but instead was immediately opening this very MacBook Pro that I write to you from and was planning out my day, with complete neglect and disrespect for my own physical form.
My wife is a full-time employee and a PhD student, which is a ridiculous feat. Did I mention that she runs a photography business as well? She and I were no longer dating, which as any married couple knows, is important to keep alive.
I took a look at the frustration that I was allowing myself and my family to endure and then one day it just really hit both of us - we needed to make some changes to our routines. For our "kids", our health and our marriage.
Measurement is critical
To measure your input is something that we all do in form or another. You turn in that report, log so many miles, bake so many cakes, etc. But whatever the input measured, the output is just as important.
With that sentiment in mind, we began making some changes. My wife began baking, which she thoroughly enjoys, and I devoted more time to music. We make sure that we play with the dogs and walk them enough so that Niky doesn't get chubby, and we started a date night - at least one day per week - enough so that there is always something to look forward to. Last week we saw a performance of Handel's Messiah that was stellar.
As is the nature of the business of my day job, I work a lot and speak to a lot of people. But I now break up my day with some playtime for the dogs and live by my calendar to schedule time to practice writing music and playing bass, and most of all, something that was missing : writing for this blog and the novel, which have captivated my heart over the past few years.
I plan on sharing more tips and tricks aside from just tech information, because when I take my last breath on this planet, I want to have lived for my dreams and for those who I love, not just to have punched a clock or put more money in the bank (although the later is clearly nice when I can do that!), and I hope you can, too.
Write down the 5 things that you want to accomplish before the end of your days, and work toward them each day. Those are what you should focus your efforts towards.
Everything else is just necessary filler.