Magic Never Happens In The Middle

Imagine there is a vertical line in front of you.

Everything to the left represents work, and everything to the right represents life.

Take a moment to think about where you fall on this spectrum throughout the day.

We're told about work-life balance - it's a buzzword these days.

I used to always want to have a life where my life and work could strike some kind of balance.

Then I realized a few things.

And it's not something those in control want us to know.

Doing both at the same time

I'm going to preface this by letting you know that multitasking does not exist.

Keep that in mind as you read forward.

We live in an age of connection. This can be argued to be for worse or for better.

But undeniably, it makes it harder to separate work from our lives.

We scroll social media to zone out from our work tasks.

We check our work email when we're with friends and family.

We're always semi-connected to the other side.

Better yet, here's a chart for what I'm trying to say:

We live close to the line, so it's easier to switch back over in rapid succession.

This is a terrible way to live.

I know many people who can't enjoy their lives because they're caught up in what might happen at work.

This not only impacts your relationships and ability to experience fulfilling moments, but it also inhibits your work.

You're half on, half off, and aren't able to experience either side fully. Work-life purgatory.

That's a scary place to be.

It'll lead you to burnout real quick.

Trying to do some of both at the same time does not and cannot work.

Pushing the boundaries

To get the most full experience, we need to set (and keep) boundaries in the middle but expand the ones on the outside.

So opposed to living close to the center line, we need to live a life like this:

We need to work and live fully.

That means that when I'm working, I am doing nothing but focusing on the words that I'm writing in front of me.

No checking my phone. No pulling up Youtube. No music.

Only me, in full creation.

But that also means when I'm doing life things, I'm present in those as well.

If I'm having dinner with my partner, I'm not checking my email and/or Twitter. I don't talk about work unless she asks or if I want her opinion on something.

Being disconnected from one side while being on the other provides peace of mind. That's because your brain only has to focus on one thing at a time.

You start to experience things in a new way.

You begin to do things more efficiently.

Things take less time.

You'll see benefits everywhere in life by spending time deliberately.

You start to notice things that are simple distractions from your goals and move away from them.

You start to see the beauty in each moment.

Work fully, then live and play fully.

The illusion of balance

Now let's put this in the context of real life.

Contrary to what we hear, life is not a game of balancing.

It's very hard to look forward to the future and know exactly what your day is going to look like.

If there's one thing that I know about this world, it's don't plan on plans going to plan.

There are always going to be things that need your attention out of nowhere.

Your designer can't finish a project for you, or a family member has to go to the hospital.

Some events and tasks are impossible to foresee and plan for.

When these things happen, we need to adapt and make changes to our original plans.

Instead of life looking like our chart above, it actually looks more like this:

Life isn't about knowing how to balance - it's about being good at counterbalancing.

Not planning, but adapting.

Being ready for whatever could come next and being okay with it.

What gets most people isn't dealing with the unexpected events; it's their emotional resistance to them - not being able to get over the inconvenience.

The more you resist, the longer it will stay with you and suck your energy.

Accepting that things aren't going to go smoothly is half the battle. Once you're okay with it, you can focus your energy on adapting and being fully present.

Living a life of magic

To become good at living a magical life, there's one defining factor.

Time.

Your time is your limiting factor.

It's invaluable.

And it needs to be treated as such.

The difference between those who live a life of magic and those who live a boring life is how they view time.

Let's dive in.

Time is money

I always thought this saying was bogus. Time is time.

Then I realized something that shifted the trajectory of my future.

The more financial freedom I get, the more time freedom comes with it.

This led me to a new awakening: Money isn't a store of value; it's a store of time.

Ever since then, I've viewed both things differently.

I now see money as more valuable because I've started to see my time as priceless.

This isn't to say that you should spend all your time trying to make money. The workaholics have it all wrong.

But instead of spending time and money aimlessly, this shift intends that you be more deliberate with your energy.

It's easier to live a life of discipline and intention than it is to deal with the consequences of living a life that's not.

Singular Focus

If there was one takeaway that I hope sticks with you, it's this:

Do one thing at a time, and give that one thing all of your attention.

Again, you cannot multitask.

Multitasking leads to mistakes and slower execution times.

Obviously, there are times that aren't super high-stakes (folding laundry while watching Youtube), and mistakes are okay. However, when it comes to the times that matter the most, we need to let go of everything around us.

Whatever you are doing in this moment is the most important thing that you could be doing.

If what you're doing doesn't hold that weight, then why are you doing it?

The ones who are deeply in love with life are the ones who can find a silver lining even in mundane tasks. They get so into the moment that nothing else could even matter.

They aren't concerned with how their post on Instagram is doing or if their work needs them because they are too absorbed in grocery shopping.

I could give endless examples, but all I want you to understand is this:

Doing one thing at a time and giving it your full attention leads to a happier, more efficient life.

Now

Plan on things not going to plan.

There's something about this sentence that doesn't quite align with the bold text above it.

Can you think of it?

Plans are future-oriented.

That isn't bad, per se.

However, it's easy to get lost in the future and neglect to experience the now. You cannot do both at the same time.

This is a place where multitasking absolutely can't exist.

"So I can't plan ahead?"

That's not what I'm saying at all.

I plan my time ahead, but I don't hold onto the plans too tightly.

My plans serve as a guide for what I need to be doing now when that moment arrives.

If something arises and I need to deal with it, that's okay.

Such is life.

If you're able to live life in the present moment, you're over halfway to living a life of magic.

Now is where everything actually happens. Until now, everything is speculative.

We went a bit longer than we normally do today, but I had fun.

I hope this was helpful in guarding your peace as well as your time.

Unfortunately, a 9-5 doesn’t usually respect your “balance” or your boundaries. If you needed a sign to start you’re own thing, here it is.

Until next time, with love,

Noah