You are not going to wake up one day and life will suddenly be easier. Said differently, everyday you wake up will be the most difficult day of your life. You may not notice the 0.00001% increase in difficulty but it’s there and overtime it will add up. You have no control over this and there is no changing it.
What you have control over is your ability to navigate this difficulty and create an environment in which the relative difficulty to you goes down.
100 flights of stairs if you are out of shape. Difficulty level: High.
125 flights of stairs if you are in marathon shape. Difficulty level: Less high.
More difficulty, less relative difficulty.
The same principle applies to accomplishing work. Everyday we are all dealing with a number of ever increasing demands and there is only so much gas in our mental fortitude gas tank. Then what happens when the inevitable road block comes. The passing of someone close, an injury, an unexpected financial expense. Then you start tapping into the reserve tanks and Running On Empty by Jackson Browne is playing in the background.
If you have not answered it already, the answer to are the ever ‘never’ roadblocks is no. Preparing for roadblocks is part of preparing in general.
The only thing you need to be prepared and to handle what is in front of you is energy and will. That is what fills the gas tank. With a full tank of energy and will you are capable of accomplishing anything you put your mind to. It is really that simple.
How each of us manifests energy and will is different however we are all human and the humans before have blazed a trail for us. I cannot speak to every personality type but for those of you teetering more toward introversion may recognize some of the following:
“You time” routine. ‘You time’ activities are truly endless, it can be anything, but it’s 100% a necessity to fill the gas tank. Whatever your activity may be, you need to communicate this clearly with the people around you and commit to a routine and also commit to clearly defined amounts. If you have family or other outsized obligations these time periods will naturally be less, however, if defined well they can have the same effect. Staying in motion can actually be an efficiency booster and you may find yourself getting more done even though your life is busier than ever. Sometimes 15-20 minutes can do the trick.
Whether it is surfing, reading, video games, etc, these moments are vital. Do not waste them on anything other than you, stay far away from doom scrolling, and get a full tank each time they happen.