Hey !

Hope you’re having a great start to your week.

Kakabalik lang namin from the furious weekend hotel staycations with the in-laws.

(Tapos next week meron na naman, grabee. Not saying I’m not grateful ha. It’s just awesome that I get to do this)

Got an email over the weekend that went like this: 

“I know need mag-prioritize. Pero pano yun Coach, kung lahat ay important (syempre matic na family first), but dun sa others, they all contribute to my growth and goals din.”

Ang hassle din kung iisipin natin ang freelance life sometimes 'no? 

Parang we have so many demands - work, family, health, social life. Tapos life happens din talaga.

And dahil freelancers tayo, we don’t have that structured schedule that people from corporate have. While may clear perks talaga ang working from home, wala rin tayo masyado boundaries to work around. It can be a disadvantage all to itself.

Kaya minsan I just want to hibernate na lang forever.

But of course hindi pwede, kasi hindi tayo bears, lol. And even bears go out after winter. ^_^

Kaya yung question from the email was ... "how do we find balance with all of this?"

The answer is, we can’t. 

There is no such thing as a perfectly balanced life talaga.

All we can really do is adapt (which we’re great at as humans) and prioritize (which we’re not so good at as modern humans due to all the BS online hehe)

So mag add na lang ako ng tips on how to prioritize:

Ideally pipiliin lang natin yung highest ROI things sa buhay natin. Not always, kasi syempre there's another side din to being selfless, but we have to take care of ourselves first before we can be a blessing to others.

When I say ROI, it's not just financially, but sa other needs din. So ROI sa spirituality, relationships and the need to belong, safety, and family din.

A high ROI activity with family could simply mean that you spend quality time with them, or make some core memories with them (like that time I high-fived my Mom-in-law, hehe). 

When you have your priorities straight, commit ka na don for at least 100 days and be present when you're doing any one thing. 

When you're spending time on one area, give it your full focus and avoid multitasking. Quality over quantity. After taking care of your baseline health and nutrition, don't go more than three priorities at a time. 

And when you say na priority mo talaga sya, make it concrete by putting it on the calendar. Block off time so those important things get proper attention. 

Eto na yung hard part:

We need to learn to focus on work without distractions during working hours. I set boundaries not to check FB or chats while working. It doesn’t always work, but I can catch myself with a portable timer in front of me.

i do 24-minute Pomodoros

Then after work na lang ako nagre-reply sa mga friends. Most times. 

Okay, sometimes. lol. 

It's important to rest between projects so we don't burn out. If you can take even a short vacation after a big project, go for it! Kahit local lang, great idea yan.

After recharging, come back refreshed na.

Don't be shy to ask for help when you need it.

Whether from family or friends. It helps people understand what we’re really doing as freelancers din. Para di na sila assuming sa mga ginagawa natin at finally ma-debunk na yung “pa-facebook facebook ka lang kumikita ka na ng pera” BS. 

Hehe, trigGRRed. 

Let some things go. It’s okay. 

You can't do it all perfectly. Accept that some areas will get less time for this season (di naman forever).

for example, si JTL he actually wrote sometime back na when he was focusing on earning six figures as a freelancer, nag suffer daw talaga for a time yung relationship nya with his family, he felt like he was absent as a husband and dad. Now sya bumabawi ng grabe. 

In summary, first figure out what your most important priorities are right now. 

Family and health first before work. Then high-ROI activities that can generate income.

Next, once you know your priorities, commit and schedule specific times for them. I-calendar mo na! Then recharge after sprinting on your projects.

Third, don’t be afraid to ask for help. 

Last, accept that you'll have to let some things go temporarily. You can't do everything perfectly all at once.

The moral of the story is, wala talagang totoong balance sa buhay, so let's learn to be kind to ourselves and do the best we can each day.

We can only keep going.

Shoden "Balance-iaga" San

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