How to get more out of life - a plan for fulfillment

 

How to get more out of life

A plan for fulfillment

You’ve probably heard the phrase, “We all get the same twenty-four hours in a day.”

And it’s true.

But it’s a troublesome phrase, causing more problems than it solves.

Here’s why.

The idea that we all have the same amount of time in the day makes us focus on what we aren’t doing, rather than what we are.

Instead of making the most of those twenty-four hours, we end up worrying that we aren’t doing enough. 

In a world where so many people humble brag on social media all day, every day, sharing their accomplishments and urging others to do more and be more, it’s becoming increasingly hard to prioritize what we value over all the noise.

The never-ending search for likes and views has warped us to the point where we aren’t even sure what we enjoy anymore. Instead, we get caught up in the modern version of Keeping Up with the Joneses, focusing on the things that generate the most feedback.

Yes, I’m aware that I’m writing an article on a social media site, and that I hope lots of people read it, enjoy it, and get something out of it. No irony intended.

We’ve become a society that values other people’s opinions far more than we value our own, largely because it’s damn difficult to sort out what it is we actually do value. 

The constant marketing and social bombardment we subject ourselves to has changed the way we function collectively, but also individually. And the marketers and content creators have gotten so good at their craft, we may not even be aware our perceptions and values are in constant flux.

But there’s a way to combat the growing pressure, a way to restore your sense of self and reconnect with your loves, your likes, your dreams, and your desires.

Don’t worry. I’m not going to tell you to delete all your social media. 

That’s like trying to stop a tidal wave with a single sandbag. 

Social media is a part of our lives now, and it’s not going anywhere. In fact, it’s just going to become a bigger and bigger part of our daily existence with each passing day. Trying to deny that is a waste of time and energy, and you might be depriving yourself of valuable tools.

Tools that enable a whole new level of human connection, so long as we are conscious of how we utilize them.

But in order to understand just how we should be using social media in our lives, we first have to figure out what we want our lives to be in the first place.

What do you want your life to be?

This is a question of priorities, but also of time management.

See, we really do all get the same amount of time in each day. And we do get to decide how we spend it.

But most people are trying to do far too much, and as a result, the quality of their lives is suffering.

The first step in restoring your quality of life it to establish some priorities. So go ahead, make a list of all the things you want and need to do every day, every week, every month. Every year if you are feeling ambitious (or just have that special sort of planning-based OCD).

You’ll probably come up with a list of twenty, thirty, maybe even fifty things you want and need to do. Go ahead. Write them all down. Everything you can think of, no matter how trivial. 

If you spend time on it, or want to spend time on it, write it down.

Good.

Now cross out all but five.

Five things

See, you can’t do twenty, thirty, or fifty?!? things and be fulfilled. You’re just to damn busy. You don’t have the time to fully enjoy anything!

So cut the list down to just five.

These should be the absolute most important five things in your life.

For example, when I cut my list down, I’m left with:

• health
• friends and family
• writing
• travel
• giving back

I took out things like getting a promotion at work, making more money, saving more money, playing video games, staying up to date on all the great Star Wars shows on Disney Plus, and reading every one of the 100 greatest books ever written.

The five things I have left are the absolute most important things in my life. 

They are the things I can’t live without. They are the things that make my life better and more meaningful, and the things that make up my core identity.

Not just who I am, but who I really want to be.

They are my priorities, and they come more or less in the order I listed them here.

I could live without every other thing on my list. And believe me, it was a long list. I was way over fifty.

But I don’t have time for fifty. 

I only have time for five.

Now, that doesn’t mean you’ll never do anything else but these five things with your time. And your five things will probably differ from mine, at least a little. 

They should. These are the five most important things in your life. 

You don’t have to be productive with them. Your final five might include reading, watching television, playing video games, going to bingo, cooking, building a business, or even making a fortune.

What’s important is that those are the five things you deem most important. The things you are most passionate about. The things you enjoy the most.

If you focus on those five things eighty to ninety percent of the time you have available, the quality of your life will increase exponentially.

And you’ll be amazed at how little you miss all those extra little things you used to do, things you considered important. Vital, even, to your day.

But they weren’t. They aren’t.

They were just noise.

They were obstacles getting in the way of enjoying your life.

They were creating STRESS.

Don’t believe me? Give it a try.

It won’t be easy, but you don’t have to be perfect. Heck, give up one thing month from the list. Take a couple of years to get down to the core five if you want.

Whatever it takes, it will be worth it.

I promise.

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