Hi Friends,
If you are anything like me, you may find yourself trying to figure out this: How do I spend more time doing what I love? When you find yourself in a semester of classes you don't enjoy, or work you find unbearably boring, or have a moment of reflection and ask 'how did I get here?,' you may be around the corner from this question.
For me, this question first became important when I was 25 working in a company where I didn't enjoy the work & I was not undervalued. (Btw, I was let go from that job six months into it because I wore headphones in the office).
In the last few years, this is a general principle I've adopted:
Turn opportunities into obligations.
In my life I've never missed a car payment, insurance payment or an energy bill. I've never missed a payment for any of these for over 12 years. This goes for most of my life obligations. I'd pay rent on time, go to school or work on time, and be a good citizen on the road (for the most part 🙂). I ask some friends ranging from 25-55 years old, and they are the same. They have never missed an insurance payment either!
But when it came to life opportunities (that are not an obligation), for some reason, it's easier to continually push them off. For me, I'd say things like:
- "Tomorrow when I have more time, I'll start..."
- "When I finish school, I'll do x, y, or z."
- "When I have more money, I'll start..."
- "When my life is less chaotic, I'll do x, y, or z."
Life tasks fall into two major categories:
- Obligations: rent, housing, food, insurance, shoes, school, work
- Opportunities: Start a YouTube channel, start a podcast, be vulnerable on instagram, write a book, workout more, create meaningful relationships... you can probably think of a few more.
And I kept putting things off that really were meaningful to me. And the first item to go was usually the opportunities: like working on my own business, starting a YouTube channel, and investing in my health. This is a system that I had to unlearn - it was the simple process of making opportunities into obligations.
How to Turn Opportunities into Obligations
What does this look? Well it starts with identifying what you have been putting off. Then, from there, it's a process of - just like when you go to work or pay your insurance, making it a non-negotiable. Identify it as an obligation.
Practically, add your opportunity into your daily structure and the rest is history. Simply put it on your schedule. Start with 25 minutes a day. I've heard Kevin Hart talk about this in his latest book release called The Decision. He mentioned that he always starts his day with the gym, because that is time for him.
For me, when I start work I start with 25-90 minutes to work on my 'opportunities.' As long as I work on opportunities, for 25 minutes, I'm happy. It means I've made it an obligation.
Something else I may do is push myself a bit, specifically around finances. So, let's talk about money. I've heard experts say, "Pay yourself first." This general strategy is this (Investopedia)
Pay Yourself First is a personal finance strategy of increased and consistent savings and investment while also promoting frugality. The goal is to make sure that enough income is first saved or invested before monthly expenses or discretionary purchases are made.
I love that advice. And let's go one step further: our principle applies well to money. By default, we often put money into our savings last. We tithe, pay our bills, buy that item we are eyeing on Amazon, and then if anything is left, put it in savings. In our default, obligations come before opportunities. But, what if you did it the exact opposite? When money comes in, pay yourself first.
Personally to push myself, I sometimes will even pay myself more than I 'should', to the point where I don't know exactly how I'll pay the bills... because some how, I know I always end up paying the bills! By doing this, I bet on myself. It's turning opportunity into obligation and a bet I like to take.
And this advice works if you are just starting out or if you are pursuing your life and work in an intentional way: You may already have some things heading in the right direction, but this helps to get more things in the day-to-day workflow that matter. It's for the freelancer who enjoys freedom from a 9 to 5, but wants to step out further. It's for the business owner who hasn't seen a rise in income for the last 5 years. How do you spend more time doing what you love? Turn opportunities into obligations.
What is something that has been on the back-burner - an amazing opportunity for you - and it's only been sitting in the back of your mind?
My favorite finds this week
- Article: The Eisenhower matrix of prioritisation What are you focused on this week? Will it be what is urgent and important or urgent and unimportant? Review this article for a bit of clarity and inspiration on planning your week.
- Current Book: Range by David Epstein : I'm only two chapters into this book and absolutely love it. The subtitle is Why Generalist Triumph in a Specialized World. More than just the title, this book does a wonderful job of realigning our assumptions of the way to 'get ahead' in life. Looking forward to doing a full review of this book soon. This NY Times Review of the book is a good synopsis.
- Favorite Iced Coffee Currently: Philz Ecstatic Iced Coffee (with Creamy Cream and Sweet Sugar - if you are using the app). Description: Our bold and refreshing iced coffee, with sweet notes of milk chocolate. I met Phil back in February. We text. Nice guy 🙂
- Quote: “The courage to be happy also includes the courage to be disliked. When you have gained that courage, your interpersonal relationships will all at once change into things of lightness.” ― Ichiro Kishimi
- Website: Nomad List - Want to get lost in the potential of world travel and find out how much it would cost to live in Lisbon, Berlin, or Toronto? Nomad list is a fun website to explore. You can see how much it would cost to live as a traveler in rural Japan all the way to the most popular cities of Europe.
All in,
David
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By David Iskander
I'm David, a search specialist, and beginner YouTuber from Orange County, CA. My motto is: Whatever you do, do it beautifully. I enjoy making YouTube videos about website design, tech, productivity, and faith.
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