Understand that you cannot control time, as this realization is crucial for daily life and impacts every moment, preventing stress and poor lifestyle choices that arise from trying to meet an impossible standard.
Avoid using productivity and time management techniques with the goal of overcoming the fundamental human limitation of finite time, as this desire is futile and leads to more stress.
Recognize that you are always making choices about how to spend your finite time, and strive for the freedom that comes from making these decisions consciously, understanding that prioritizing one thing means choosing not to do something else.
Accept that limited time necessitates making tough choices, meaning you must consciously decide to not do certain things that matter or neglect some relationships to focus on others, because human existence is finite.
Practice saying no not only to undesirable tasks but also to things you genuinely want to do, because the world offers an endless amount of appealing opportunities, and you cannot fit all of them into your life.
Release the futile quest of trying to make time for everything that matters; instead, consciously choose to make time for only some things that matter and accept that you cannot do everything.
Acknowledge and respect the inherent constraints on your time, as behaving as if there are no limits leads to misallocating time and postponing what truly matters; instead, prioritize important tasks early in the day.
Act as if you know you won’t get everything done today by dedicating a small amount of time now to something you truly care about, instead of postponing it until all other tasks are completed.
Use a two-step time management technique: first, choose something that genuinely matters to you, and second, commit to giving it at least 20 minutes of your time today or this week, accepting that other things may not get done.
Let go of the impossible ideal of achieving perfect work-life balance, as striving for 100% perfection in both work and personal life creates undue pressure and an unachievable standard.
Consider adopting a ‘seasonal approach’ to life, allowing for periods of imbalance where you might go ‘all in’ on a career or, conversely, ease up and do the minimum required in one area to prioritize another, such as raising young children.
Assess the actual amount of time you possess and the limitations of your control over it, then adjust your expectations to what you can reasonably ask of yourself, rather than adhering to impossible standards.