Episode #14: Prioritize Your Life
Transcript
On this episode, I'm coming to you from Crested Butte, Colorado. If you take a look at some of the prior episodes, you'll see that I come here frequently. My wife and I have special meaning here. We own a home. Take a look at the prior episodes. It will talk to you about why Crested Butte. But today, I want to talk to you about prioritization and making time for what's important. All too often, especially those of us that live in big metropolitan cities, we find ourselves living in a rat race between kids, and work, and other commitments, and friends, and family. There's just not enough time in the world to do what's important to you. So what I would encourage you is to stop, and prioritize, and make time for your priorities. And instead of saying that I don't have time for that or I'm too busy, stop and think about what it is that you're doing that's so time consuming and the relative importance it has in your life.
What I mean by that is we're all consumed by text messages, emails, phone calls, all sorts of activity, which is really disruptive. And it stops what it is that you're doing, that's a life goal, or an ambition, or a hobby, or something that you find peaceful and relaxing. So stop and think about what's a priority for you and make that happen. So, by example, this is a week that I came out here to Crested Butte, Colorado. We talk in some of the prior shows about entrepreneurship, and some of the challenges, and some of the difficulties. One of the blessings about being an entrepreneur is ultimate flexibility.
What that means is I have an unbelievable team back home that's working on some of the top events including the Super Bowl, and right now, we're doing the NBA All-Star game. They're running the day-to-day business. I'm actively involved. I'm in touch with them a thousand times a day. But I also have the flexibility to wake up at 5 a.m. Eastern time, which is 3 a.m. Mountain time, and I work from 3 a.m. Mountain time until the mountain opens up and the lifts start running, which at 9 a.m. And so, I put in a full six hours before most people are on the slopes or working or doing anything else. And then, I check in constantly with my office via technology, and Slack, and text messages, and emails, and so on, to make sure everything is running appropriately. So that's one of the benefits of being an entrepreneur.
If you take a look at this video footage, the master Charles is editing it and showing you some of the ski terrain and some of the God's country that I'm enjoying here. You'll see why I come here. You'll also recognize that this is a real challenge for me to come mid-week. I invited a ton of different work friends, social friends. Everybody has work obligations and that rat race sort of mentality, and nobody was able to actually come. So my wife, who I love to death and is an incredibly strong and successful woman, said to me it's the last thing she would ever do, is go away on a week vacation alone. My kids, truth be told, think I'm the world's biggest loser.
I would argue if you take a look at the footage that's being woven throughout this video. How could you miss this? If skiing, and being outdoors, and breathing fresh air is a priority for your life, and being active, and being engaged, why would you possibly not do this if it's a personal priority, and you're confident, and independent, and strong, and so on. I've relished the time alone. I'm finally operating on my own schedule, my own calendar. I'm going where I want, when I want. I'm eating what I want. It's a quite a luxury so I relish in that. I think it's fantastic and I would encourage more people to do that.
At the same time, being alone has forced me to meet new friends. I've met more local people, ride the chair lift with people that I didn't know, different walks of life, different thoughts, different attitudes. So it's quite an adventure, too. So the message from this episode of Simply Brilliant is, "Instead of saying that you don't have time for things, tell it like it is. That is a low priority. That is not the highest priory for me right now." And if you stop and prioritize your life and say, "This is a priority, that's a priority, friends, family, work, personal fitness." Whatever your personal goals and ambitions are and your personal priorities, make time for them. You don't have to skip them and I would encourage you to set your own agenda.
One of my good friends, Jack Daly, he says, "Design your life and live your life by design," and that's what I'm sort of suggesting here. Think about what it is that you want to do, prioritize it, make the time for that at the expense of all the other distractions, headaches, that insurance bill, that little accident, the house renovation, the painting, the teacher, the phone call, all that other stuff. It'll be there when you get back. But this week I had here alone is a memory, an activity. I have it on video tape. I wouldn't never miss this in the world and I would encourage everybody to make sure that you do what it is that is important to you, be it alone or be it with friends, whatever it is. But don't just say, "I'll skip it this year. I'll do it next year. I'll wait until somebody else can do it. Let me change my calendar." Live by design, like Jack Daly says. Do what's important to you. You'll have a much more fulfilling, and rewarding, and successful life. And that's the message for today's Simply Brilliant show.
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