Make Space
“I would like to die on Mars. Just not on impact” – Elon Musk
So we have just 26 days left until 2019 who out there is super excited as me? I have been having interesting conversations lately and today I found myself talking about how I “calculate” my life too much. Honestly, for a lot of people it seems unspontaneous or systematic like I am a robot but my reasoning is this, I would rather think of future generations than just think of the rest of the day. And this conversation is what inspired me to write this today.
I just read that only 5% of the world’s population is living at their fullest potential, this means 95% of the world is consuming what the 5% is creating. This got me thinking that we all have the same 24 hours, so what is stopping us from walking in our purpose? A lot of people are always saying we don’t have enough time to accomplish what we want and let me say this is one of the biggest lies we tell ourselves.
You ABSOLUTELY have time to create the life you want, but the clock is ticking so it will take sacrifice. To be in the 5% it is not about time but about priorities, and I promise you on my life that your leisure time will be all the more sweeter when you know you have put a priority on tapping into your purpose. Warren Buffet said, ” write down 25 most important things in your life, now delete the bottom 20 and focus on the 5 because those are the core of your life”.
If you are going to truly harness your purpose in 2019 there are 3 things I need you to focus on.
ONE
Learn to say NO – I am guilty of this one too, thinking I am Superman and I can do EVERYTHING, but the truth is saying No to a lot of unnecessary things opens up time for you to prioritise what is right in line with your purpose. You need to be able to say no to things that are good so that you make room for things that are best. So you can start by saying no to spending and yes to saving, no to perfection and yes to progress, no to trivial attractions and yes to purpose-driven goals. It could mean taking a social media sabbatical, maybe you need to go out a little less and work on your future a little more.
TWO
Make room for interruptions – A lot of people’s lives are so jampacked that if something unplanned happens their whole life is disturbed. You need to stop, and proactively map out your way through life and consider things that could go wrong. I am not saying be pessimistic that things will go wrong but plan for them so that if they do happen you are ready. Consider sickness, death, inflation, delays, denials, rejections and see how you will work around them rather than be stopped by them. Do not jam-pack your life, a busy life is not always a sign that you are organised, sometimes it is the total opposite. Plan for failure, even up to plan Z.
THREE
Plan for rest – Do not burn out. Let me say this again, do not burn out or be a slave in the name of grind. Plan to rest, literally, plan to do nothing related to your purpose. Switch off your mobile, kick off your shoes and just chill. Truth is we are all slaves to our purpose, careers, jobs, school and all but you need to rest and have faith that even if you take some downtime, everything will be alright. And do not take holidays when your tank is already on empty, but rather do so when you are still half full so that you regenerate faster and efficiently. Plan to rest even daily, set aside an hour or 2 just to reset. You could also incorporate your hobbies, hit the gym, read a book, listen to your favourite podcast, paint, draw, cook, whatever it is that gets you to revitalise. Do it.
You need to start 2019 refreshed and not maxed out, create space right now for the coming year. You have 26 days to come up and start a schedule that will allow you to breathe. So make space in your finances, your health, your relationships, your purpose. Stop running so fast that you are about to reach your limit, I need you to create space between your limit and your current pace.
Let us know in the comments section how you are getting ready for the year coming, we would love to hear your plan.