My typical day begins at 4:30am. I wake up, spend 2 hours working on The Intentional Academy*, then spend a bit of time on self-care before leaving for work at 7:00. By 7:30, I’ve walked a mile and a half, taken a train ride, and made it to my office. I spend another half hour on Intentional Academy before I start my day job.
*Working on The Intentional Academy is everything from producing inspirational content to creating online workshops and writing a book.
I work wall-to-wall until the end of the day. With my course load, I have just 11 hours at work each week that I am not in a scheduled class or meeting. I use those 11 hours to prep classes, give students feedback, and research teaching innovation.
At 5:00 I head home (train + walk another mile and a half) and spend a few hours with my kids before the bedtime ritual begins. Once they’re in bed my wife and I spend time together until 10:30 or 11:00 – then it’s off to sleep for 5 or 6 hours before I launch into my next day.
On top of this, three days a week I manage to run 3 miles and rock climb at the gym for a couple hours. On the weekend, I get up at 4:30 to work on Intentional Academy until everyone else starts moving, then I spend the rest of the day enjoying time with my family.
I find myself answering the “how do you to it all?” question a lot. I have to admit, my SnapStory does paint the picture of a pretty active life.
Here’s my secret: We’re all equally busy.
At any minute, you’re doing something and NOT doing literally everything else. In this moment, of the infinite options in the universe, you’re reading this sentence.
When someone thinks they’re busier than someone else, they’re mistaken. We all have this one moment. That’s all. The real question to ask is: are you spending that moment doing something that gives you energy, or something that drains you?
When people complain about being busy, what they mean is that they are committed to spending too much time doing things that they wish they weren’t.
I don’t feel busy (usually).
I’m just filling my life with the things that I love to do.
A second secret If the first secret is to recognize that we’re all equally busy, then the second is to grapple with the notion that we’re all finite. This ends. I have hopes and beliefs about what follows, but the temporary nature of it all drives me.
36,500 days. I hope.
I’m not being dark or morose. I don’t sit around pondering death. But I fully embrace that I don’t get today back.
I see a lot of people suffering from destination disease. “If I just make it to _____, then my life will be good and I’ll start enjoying it.” People with this mindset spend their lives deferred – waiting for a someday that never seems to come.
The past is gone. The future is uncertain. But I have now. And I want to spend it as powerfully engaged as I can.
The only thing to get from life is the growth that comes from experiencing it.
Michael Singer
Conclusion
Let me wrap up with two final points. First, the practice of waking up at the same time every day is critical. More than quantity of sleep, your body needs consistency of sleep. Waking at the same time is one of the most important decisions I’ve made.
Second, the WHY. It’s easy to keep moving when you’re on a F***ING MISSION. I’ve found things to work towards that are so important, and seemingly so far out of reach that there is no stopping me. But beyond that, I love the hunt. If I never reach my goal, I’ll live a happy and fulfilled life. Why? Because the things I spend my time on as I pursue these goals are what give me energy and joy.
