Put Yourself First
I’m sure you’ve heard that you need to work harder when things aren’t going your way.
I’m sure you’ve heard when you work harder, someone has the sage advice that, no, you need to work smarter.
When you’re working smart, everyone suggests that you keep an eye on the clock for all your smart activities and work faster. (Authors and consultants love to sell you on time management; follow them at your own risk.)
Let's be honest: The traditional advice of work harder, work smarter, and work faster often leads to a dead end.
I’ve worked harder, smarter, and faster, and I proudly say I am a happy, recovering, no longer misguided person.
Instead, we need to work deeper.
It is quality that counts, not quantity. It’s doing what you love that counts, not crossing off a bunch of useless items on your to-do list.
We need to focus on the important things to us. Those are the things that will make a personal difference in our lives. We must do these things if we want to live our own lives and not live out the expectations of others.
The most important thing you need to do today is the first thing you need to do today. And instead of hitting the surface, you need to bore down.
We must live in joy, not disappointment, resentment, and guilt. We must live in self-fulfillment, even if others label it as selfish. We must be ourselves. If writing is that, then we must write and dare to say the things we have to say. This is our power, our confidence, our self-fulfillment.
People will always want more than you give them. They don’t mean to be self-indulgent at your expense, but their goal is themselves, robbing you of yourself in the process. This is especially true for creative people around others who are seeking a different path for the creative person than the creative person would like for themselves. Remember, through too many other’s eyes, creative people don’t have a real job. Yes, you do.
Focus on what brings you joy, and remember why you're doing it. Ensure that both are pure and untainted.
Examine your life and find your true path.
Putting yourself first is difficult, but achieving it is simply a matter of doing it.
Don’t concentrate on working harder.
Don’t concentrate on working smarter.
Don’t even concentrate on working faster.
Concentrate on you. Then you’ll find the time to do all those things you wish you could be doing, all those things life keeps interfering with.
By prioritizing your own well-being, you’ll not only be a better person for yourself but also for those around you.
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