What’s the thing you complain about most at work?

Not enough time?

Too many meetings?

Your overflowing inbox?

Doing things outside the scope of your role?

Yearning for a vacation?

We like to think that we’re superheroes of highly-efficient productivity, yet on most days, that’s far from the truth. Because back in reality, we can only do so much.

Boundaries with your time are by far the hardest to keep. You may start the work day knowing your schedule and the tasks you wanna get done. Next thing you know, it’s after 5 PM, and your to-do list is far from complete.

If our work day is not structured to meet our specific needs, others will intentionally or unintentionally steal large swaths of our time, leaving us frustrated, resentful, and feeling behind.

I have a quick trick that’ll save your precious time and energy.

Part of you will want to tell your partner and friends about this because it’s so easy. Why wouldn’t everyone do it?

On the other hand, part of you will want to keep the unfair advantage to yourself.

From career success to monumental personal achievements, or milestones of marriage, buying a house, or even going on vacation, our ability to imagine how something will make us feel is often vastly inaccurate.

We continually rank future emotions and experiences higher than day-to-day activities.

What do you want?

This is one of the most powerful questions you can ask yourself. Because the clearer you are about your goals and desires, the more likely you are to achieve them.

Dreams aren’t just unrealistic fantasies. They’re meaningful messages worthy of attention and respect that leave a bread crumb trail to our happiness.

Your alarm goes off at 5:45 AM. Instantly, your chest tightens with the usual mix of panic and dread at the thought of yet another unhappy workday ahead.

You drag yourself out of bed with the willpower of a heavyweight fighter. Knowing that at least your favorite caffeinated elixir is less than five minutes away.

I’d spent my entire life caught up in the hustle. Feeling compelled to prove my worth, to earn respect, to earn love. Always busy. Always doing.

I’d made a great deal of progress in therapy and recovery rooms. I’d worked my steps and grew self-awareness, self-compassion, and acceptance. In many aspects of my life, I was “better.” I’d learned to surrender.

Surely, I thought, there’s gotta be other options for how I’m spending my time, talents, and energy. I daydreamed of starting my own business. Sharing stories of my journey. Helping others.

Yet, newly married with a mortgage, car payment, aging pets, and a shit load of fear, could I really walk away from my “good job” to launch an entrepreneurial passion project?

After the photo, Seth casually turned to me and said something expectant like, “How are you?” He looked directly into my eyes with a look of genuine sincerity to hear my response, and I froze.

I felt like a lost child standing in front of a wise guru. Tears instantly streamed down my face, and I melted into a soggy heap of overwhelm.