Balance

Life is all about balance.

‘’You can’t always be on your toes.’’

That’s what my father used to tell me.

I still thought I could, but that wasn’t true.

When I started to take my self-development journey seriously, I got rid of all of the distractions and focused on achieving my goals from the moment I woke up, until the moment I went to sleep.

And when I say all the distractions, I mean ALL the distractions.

I felt way more energetic.

I was finally doing something meaningful with my life.

I was surpassing my expectations.

But little by little, I started to feel more and more exhausted.

I could hear the voices of Andrew Tate and David Goggins inside of my head, so I kept pushing regardless.

But that could only last for so long...

The inner feeling that wanted to take a break became stronger and stronger.

The longer you fight it, the bigger the setback.

Taking a break is 100 times better than burning out.

You have to find a healthy balance.

This is a difficult subject, but I’ll try to explain it as well as I can.

I’ll lay out a few strategies that can help you create a healthy balance in your life.

Self-experimentation

One of the most important things you could possibly do is self-experimentation

There is no one-size-fits-all balance.

Everyone is different.

Therefore, everyone has a different optimal balance.

The best way to find it is by self-experimentation.

You have to keep trying different things.

Even when you think you’ve found the perfect balance.

The more you iterate, the closer you will get to your ideal lifestyle.

I highly recommend journaling to help you with this.

Write down what change you’ve made, and what result it has brought you.

Write down how it influences your mood, productivity, and behavior.

You have to take it slow.

If you change too many things at once, you won’t know what influences what.

Only change one thing every week.

You are in this for the long run.

Living in the present

Another strategy that has helped me a lot is by living in the present.

I feel like we too often focus on the future, obsessed about our goal.

Our mind tells us that we must focus on work 24/7 in order to reach our goals.

But this isn’t necessarily true.

In order for you to succeed, you will have to tackle other problems in your life as well.

You have to listen to your intuition (or your heart) in order for you to know what problems to solve.

Perhaps you have a health problem.

So, take care of your body, eat healthy and get fit.

Perhaps you have a mind problem.

So, acquire knowledge to get the necessary clarity.

Perhaps you have a spirit problem.

Are you truly fulfilling your human needs? Like socializing?

Often, these problems aren’t as obvious when your mind is in control all of the time.

You have to realize that you are not your thoughts.

It is a tool that we can use for our survival.

Meditating will help a lot with this.

Just sit still and allow your thoughts to come and go.

Once you get good at this, you will be able to hear your inner voice more clearly.

That voice will tell you what problems you need to solve for you to truly improve your life.

Time management and prioritization

The last thing I want to talk about is a more practical strategy.

The two strategies above are for sure the most rewarding, but it could take months and even years for you to find that optimal balance.

So let’s talk about time management and prioritization.

The first step is to prioritize tasks.

Use the Eisenhower matrix to categorize tasks into 4 quadrants based on urgency and importance.

This helps you focus on what truly needs to be done.

Delete or delegate tasks that are less critical.

Each day, identify the top three priorities that need your attention.

By limiting your focus, you're more likely to accomplish tasks that have the most significant impact.

You also need effective planning.

Before you go to bed, spend the last 20 minutes reviewing your day and planning the day ahead.

Write down:

• What you’ve accomplished

• What you’ve learned

• What you can improve

Then, plan your next day.

A clear plan helps you stay focused and avoid feeling overwhelmed.

Next, you need to set boundaries.

Clearly define your work hours and stick to them.

If you are working from home, be disciplined about starting and ending your workday at the same time.

Let people you are working with know when you’re available and when you’re not.

You could also use auto-reply messages or notifications to manage expectations.

Last but not least is to use technology wisely.

You can use apps and tools designed to help with time management.

Think about:

• Calendars

• To-do lists

• Timer apps

Use website blockers or time limits on your phone to minimize distractions from social media and other non-work-related activities.

Apps and tools can aid in managing time and minimizing distractions, making it easier to focus on what’s truly important.

Discovering your optimal balance is far from easy.

But it is necessary if you are planning to play the long game.

After all, life is all about the journey, not the destination.

You might as well make the most of it.

If you’ve managed to make it this far into the newsletter, thank you.

I hope you found some value in it :)

Until next Saturday!

- Tibor