Embrace imperfectionism by accepting limitations, such as never getting everything done or fully understanding others, as a starting point for an active and calm life.
Embrace and lean into the understanding of your finite nature, as this acceptance can bring a sense of relief, empowerment, and clarity to your life.
Admit that you will never get everything done to achieve enormous liberation and truly prioritize what matters.
Stop postponing meaningful and enjoyable activities until a future time when everything is perfect, and instead plunge wholeheartedly into them right now.
When faced with an impossible amount to do, accept that it’s impossible, then consciously pick and focus only on what seems most important.
Accept that life is like navigating a vulnerable kayak on a river, with inherent unpredictability, rather than fantasizing about the total control of a super yacht.
Engage in small, imperfect actions towards meaningful projects, as they are more valuable than waiting for perfect plans, which can be a form of avoidance.
Understand that overplanning is a form of avoidance, as it attempts to control the future and prevents full participation in the present.
Realize that most people are ‘winging it,’ which can alleviate imposter syndrome and empower you to show up more fully, take bold actions, and launch projects now.
Develop a taste for problems by recognizing that a life without challenges would be unabsorbing and that solving problems is a fundamental human activity.
Be willing to let things be easy, rather than assuming that important tasks must be hard or unpleasant, as this mindset can make many experiences unnecessarily difficult.
Even for objectively difficult tasks, avoid approaching them with a ‘furrowed brow’ or ‘brace position’ mindset, as this assumption of hardness doesn’t help and often makes things worse.
To live a more meaningful and vibrant life, address internal obstacles such as illusions of security, control, or the need to know everything, rather than seeking a prescriptive list of what to do.
Trust that you inherently know what you want to do in life, or that a dawning awareness will emerge as you step more fully into the present moment.
When making choices, ask yourself if a certain path or decision ’enlarges’ or ‘diminishes’ you, as this helps identify what truly fosters growth and meaning beyond fleeting happiness.
Recognize that many things will feel like they matter, so the task is to pick a few of those meaningful things to focus on, accepting that there is no single perfect decision.
Before accepting uninspiring obligations, question whether you truly ‘have to’ do them, as there’s a tendency to tell ourselves we lack choice when we might have more.
Be willing to let go of obligations that stem from fear of disappointing others, accepting the potential consequence of their anger to free up time for what truly matters.
Let go of excessive responsibility for protecting other people’s feelings, understanding that their emotions are part of your reality to be weighed, not a force majeure to always placate.
Weigh other people’s emotions as one factor among many in your decisions, rather than treating them as a dominant force that overrides all other considerations.
Avoid people-pleasing, as it often leads to unkept commitments and a lack of genuine engagement, ultimately not helping others and depleting your own energy.
If you cannot commit to something, say no right away, as this is generally better for everyone involved than delaying the refusal.
Strive to be a calm and helpful presence for others, especially children, rather than absorbing their suffering, as taking on their anxiety can be disorienting and unhelpful.
Stop waiting for decisions to come to you; actively go looking for decisions, even small ones, to create forward motion when feeling stuck.
When feeling stuck, actively seek out and make decisions that close off some options, as this commitment to a path is key to generating forward motion.
Prioritize the act of making a decision and committing to a path, rather than endlessly searching for the ’exact right’ decision, as the act of choosing itself often leads to the best outcomes.
Make decisions readily, understanding that you can always ‘undecide’ and course-correct if the initial choice proves to be suboptimal.
Cultivate a ‘finishing things’ mindset by picking one manageable chunk of a project, seeing it through to completion, and then moving to the next, as this sequential approach brings energy.
Recognize that consciously abandoning a project is a valid form of ‘finishing’ and can free up energy, rather than keeping too many semi-finished tasks on the boil.
Adopt a ‘daily-ish’ approach to habits, allowing for flexibility (e.g., 4-6 times a week) while maintaining discipline, rather than rigidly adhering to an absolute daily rule.
Choose practices and systems that can seamlessly integrate into your current daily life, rather than those requiring a complete overhaul or significant time commitment to implement.
To meaningfully respond to global crises or suffering, be willing to neglect some issues and focus your attention and resources on a select few.
Combat despair about national or international issues by taking even a small, concrete action to address them, as action is the antidote to hopelessness.
Pick your battles and take concrete action, however small, to make a difference, rather than passively emoting or expressing condemnation on social media, which often leaves you feeling powerless.
Recognize that all great human achievements are made by flawed, finite individuals, which can be an empowering realization for pursuing your own ambitions.
Adopt a definition of ‘mattering’ and the meaning of life that allows you to find significance and purpose in many different parts of your everyday existence.