There is free time curve in our lives. In childhood we have almost all day for anything we want to do. When we grow up we get more obligations and less free time. Yet we have lots dreams and goals (at least I hope you do). It’s easy to jump on too much and complete nothing.
So we better understand potential and constraints which we have in the current season of life.
Before picking goals and active projects leading to your life vision you need to asses your current situation. Be sure to not overwhelm yourself. Unless you enjoy the journey, you’re not in for a good time.
- How much time can you spend on your goals? Consider both time you already have and time you can free up. Be honest with yourself. When I was at university I could easily have 4-6 hours a day to work on my goals. Now in my forties I have a family, children, relatives requiring my support, a job, etc. So I can spend 4-6 hours a week. That’s a huge difference and that’s fine. It simply means I can dedicate myself to less goals at a time. Still I have plenty of years ahead and so do you.
- What is the quality of that time? Ideally you should have uninterrupted slots without distractions at your energy peak time during the day. That’s not necessarily possible. The key here is to adapt to your situation and stay positive. Let’s get back to my years at university. I know that my energy peak is before noon. But I’m at university during this time. However my evening peak hours worked perfectly well if I hang out with friends in the afternoon instead of evening. It worked great most of the time. Fast forward to nowadays. Those evening hours I dedicate to my kids. So I had to pick night hours after kids go to bed. It’s quiet at home and I don’t expect interruptions. So I can be in a flow while working on my goals.
- How long do you expect having that time? This is partially about being sure you can sustainably put in the work and partially about staying healthy (both physically and mentally). You need to be honest with yourself when deciding how much time you plan to spend each week. It’s got to be doable without stressing you too much. As much as you enjoy working on your goals, you better continue enjoying other parts of your life important for you. For example, I know that nowadays I can consistently have 4-6 hours a week for the next couple of years (in two or three slots per week). At the same time I know that I’m not willing to sacrifice my family time, favorite sports series, or sleep time. So I plan based on this constraint.
Be wise with how much you have at your plate. It’s better to start small and extend when you have a system in place and realize that you have more room in your days. It may result in a slower progress initially. On the other hand overcommitting is a strait way to stress, slipping off your plan, and eventually abandoning your goals.