Is it too late?
How many times have you seen stories about great achievements at a young age, or celebrating the 30 under 30 or 40 under 40 lists? All these accolades can celebrate extraordinary people, but can also imply that success needs to be achieved by a certain age, or it’s too late.
This paired with stories of health scares and lives cut far too short, brings into serious focus the reality that we have just one life, and challenges us to ask ourselves if we are really living it to the fullest, being true to ourselves, or whether we are holding back.
These two lenses on time have been top of mind for me this week as a friend had a scary health emergency just months after another friend passed away far too young.
It made me really think about how I spend my time. Where do I hold back or settle? Where can I do more that is in alignment with my values and goals? The tools I use to grapple with these questions are:
Do a time inventory: mapping out one day to assess where I’m spending my time, and whether it reflects what I care about (side note: taking breaks, getting bored, and self-care are important as well).
Values Check-in: reflect on my values list and gauge whether it still aligns with what I want out of my life, today and in the future.
See It: I’m a big believer in “seeing values and goals” through a vision board. This can be a physical board or something digital like a Pinterest board or the background of your phone or computer.
This sounds like a simple process, but it can be quite overwhelming at the same time. This is one of the key reasons we decided to create a workshop around Mastering Self because it is something that we struggled with and have had to invest a lot of time into to gain clarity for ourselves and find what works for us.
Once you’ve gained clarity on what is important to you, you can take back more of your time day by day. Here are a few reminders of actions you can take on a daily basis as a leader to reinforce your goals and values:
Eliminate distractions: Turn off notifications, close unnecessary tabs, and find a quiet space to work in and focus on your priorities for the day.
Take breaks: Taking breaks is essential for maintaining focus and productivity. Schedule short breaks throughout the day to recharge.
Delegate: Don't be afraid to ask for help or delegate tasks to others when appropriate. This will free up your time to focus on more important tasks.
Learn to say "no": Saying "yes" to every request can lead to overwhelm and burnout. Learn to say "no" to requests that don't align with your goals or priorities.
Create space: clear out any meetings or commitments that are unnecessary or do not align with your priorities. This can be challenging, but it will be a good exercise for you, as well as help to create time for your teams as well.
Remember, it’s never too late to start to live the life you desire today. So start now.
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Join the waitlist for our upcoming Mastery Class: Mastering Self where we will focus on the building blocks to setting ambitious goals grounded in your values, and how creativity and powerful routines can help you achieve success. 💻
Don’t Keep Your Day Job is a book that will reignite your passion and creativity, no matter what you do!
I kicked off my latest book challenge this year to read at least one book per month. I read a lot of newsletters, and listen to a lot of podcasts, but this challenge is about making time to read physical books and take a break from screens while feeding my brain.
If you haven’t heard Cathy Heller’s podcast of the same name I recommend it, but this book is great at inspiring more creativity, welcoming curiosity and creativity in our lives, and believing in what’s possible for us, and that it’s never too late to live a life that excites us.
I highly recommend it!
P.S. Reply to this newsletter and let me know what you are reading 📚
Consider how many different pieces of content you see in any given week. See something that really resonates with you? Share it with us so we can feature it in our Social Media of the Week section!
This week’s feature is from Leadership First:
“Leadership is not about welding authority or creating an environment of fear; it’s all about empowering people and empowering your team to become the very best version of themselves. Unfortunately, too many people make the mistake of thinking that leadership is all about having power over people. They believe their title gives them the power to force certain behaviors from their team.
Leadership has nothing to do with having power over someone; it’s about using your influence to inspire and empower your people to achieve the impossible. This perception that leadership is about leading by force is dead, and if you still have this thinking, you will not attract the best people to your business.
Our workforce has changed, and as such, our thinking about work and leadership must change to give our organization any chance of survival in this very competitive world. When you understand that leadership is all about people and using your influence to inspire, empower, and motivate your team to become the very best, your organization will become one of the best in the world.” - Leadership First
