By Shazad
“Concentrate every minute like a Roman – like a man – on doing what’s in front of you with precise and genuine seriousness, tenderly, willingly, with justice. And on freeing yourself from all other distractions. Yes, you can – if you do everything as if it were the last thing you were doing in your life, and stop being aimless, stop letting your emotions override what your mind tells you, stop being hypocritical, self-centered, irritable. You see how few things you have to do to live a satisfying and reverent life? If you can manage this, that’s all even the gods can ask of you.”
Marcus Aurelius. Meditations
There is something important to be done every day. Whether it’s the dishes, laundry, that report for work, or a child’s homework. There’s always something, right? Why not accept what must be done and approach the task willingly with Grace and a sense of duty? No use fighting against things that are in front of us unless they don’t belong on our plate to begin with. Let’s unpack this some more.
First, what are the things YOU must own and take care of each day? Do you know what your daily responsibilities are, and have you tried writing them down? Which of these are a MUST and truly YOURS to complete? Which ones are optional and could be done better, cheaper, or faster by someone else? Figuring this out sets you up for success in the next steps.
Once you know what your true responsibility is, you can embrace it and even love it! You must reach the point where you have eliminated or delegated all your tasks, clarifying what falls within your domain of responsibility and what doesn’t. Only then can you dedicate all your heart and energy to completing the required work.
“If you seek tranquility, do less. Or (more accurately) do what’s essential–what the logos of a social being requires- and in the requisite way. Which brings a double satisfaction: to do less, better. Because most of what we say and do is not essential. If you can eliminate it, you’ll have more time, and more tranquility. Ask yourself at every moment, ‘Is this necessary?’”
Marcus Aurelius
The more we take on in terms of general work, random tasks, and favors from everyone who asks, the more stressed we become. Why is that? It’s because we know we are not doing what we were meant to do. We are delaying the essential things by trying to do it all to please everyone. That approach always fails and leaves us worse off than before. We should focus only on the things that make our hearts sing and fulfill our purpose in life.
A person doing what they know they must do and realizing that they are the right or BEST person for the job doesn’t typically experience the stress or harmful side effects that most people worry about. Sure, they may struggle and even sweat with certain aspects of the task, but they accept it all as part of the mission they are engaged in. Nothing will seem vain or ‘out of scope. ’ That’s where the excitement and satisfaction in life truly come from: doing your work in the best way and not worrying about all the other things you are not doing.
The world’s smartest and often wealthiest people don’t attempt to “do it all. " They have personal assistants, skilled teams, business partners, and, in some cases, Chiefs of Staff to determine what needs to be done and by whom, as well as the level of urgency. Let’s learn how to organize our lives similarly, even if it means we have a fraction of the resources of a billionaire. We are likely still able to say NO to things and delegate some work to others. I’m certain we can also work with our friends/peers to figure things out instead of trying to do everything on our own.
The award at the end of your life wont go to the person who “Got the most things done” or the person who ‘Finished” a long To-Do list. It’s going to be about the personal satisfaction we have for doing the 5-10 most important things in our life that change us, our family, and maybe even the world! So get organized and be super clear on your daily tasks so that you can be fully engaged on the Task at Hand!
Live Awesome!
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