More time. Less distractions. More money. Less non-work/school responsibilities.
But you don’t, and more than likely, you never will.
Why?
As soon as you get more time, you’ll find more things that need to get done.
As soon as you block out your distractions, others creep in and take their place.
As soon as you earn more money, you realize it will take a lot more money.
If you accept the limitations of your life (time, focus, and funds), you can begin working on what’s most important: your mindset. Don’t worry about what you cannot control. Instead of thinking about what you can’t do, come up with a list of things you can do.
The Stoic philosopher Epictetus wrote: “First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.”
It sounds so simple. Because it is. Why, then, do we make it so complicated?
If we have a certain amount of energy each day, every time you make an excuse, you are spending energy avoiding your goal instead of obtaining it.
When you truly want something, what once appeared to be barriers become opportunities. Things will start coming together and any setback can be spun into something positive, always propelling you forward toward your goal. Remember how lucky you are, in all of recorded human history, others have done more with less.
Rumi, the 13th Century poet said: “what you seek is seeking you”. But your reward cannot begin seeking you until you begin seeking it first.
If you cannot find the time or focus, it may be time to accept that what you are pursuing is not important to you. And that’s ok. Realizing this before you get started will save you many future headaches. Can you imagine someone dreading school only to realize a career with their degree is a more intense version of the program they so eagerly avoided? Search the depths of your soul for the very thing you were born to do—not what others would like to have you do.
You can get a better job. You can find time to write more, read more, meditate more, enjoy whatever it is out of life you desire! But only if you make it a priority in your life. As time moves you further from birth and closer to the end, make sure you are following the pursuits that bring you true happiness, those that open the well of boundless inspiration. If you have lost track of your focus, figure out what’s distracting you, eliminate it and replace it with better habits that will bring you closer to your life’s goal.
No more complaining now. You have everything you need in your life to begin. Whatever you do and wherever you find yourself, do yourself a favor and seize it with both hands!
Originally published on sustainableevolution.com on 24 January 2023.