How much time do you spend trying to fix other people? Other people’s problems? Other people’s LIVES?

How often do you complain there’s not enough time to do everything you want to do?

How much of your time do you spend feeling overwhelmed by things that seem to pile-up?

Stop it.

Stop it right fucking now.

Other People: Are just that. Other People. You cannot change them, “fix” them and you cannot live anyone’s life except your own. You are not some giant blue dude from Watchmen who can see the future and put yourself in someone else’s thoughts. Just think of how much you could accomplish in your own life if you refocused all of that energy back on yourself. It doesn’t mean you don’t care – it means you learn to appreciate, respect and sometimes love people for who they are. If you don’t respect them, get rid of them and make room in your life for people you respect.

Time: As Seinfeld once asked Elaine – “Are you still the master of your domain?” How many of us can say yes? Your schedule is yours and you’re responsible for what’s on it. If you fill it up with events out of obligation, put your fucking Helium Hand down and stop volunteering for shit. If you’re in too many worthless meetings, either make them count or make the move to get them off your schedule. We all have obligations and responsibilities, goals we want to achieve. But there’s a way to make time for everything you want and need to do: it’s called communicating. The most important aspect of which is communicating with yourself. Everyone’s busy – but you can choose what fills your busy life.

Feeling Overwhelmed: Nine times out of ten, we feel overwhelmed because we’re placing more importance on other people’s expectations than our own. There are a couple of ways to rectify this:

• Talk to the people in your life about what they expect. (Dialogue. I know, right? The horror.)
• Ask yourself: how can I be true to those who matter to me while being true to myself?
• Admit what’s important to you.
• Lather, rinse, repeat.

Sometimes the answers will make us uncomfortable. Squirmy. Stomach butterflies. Exhilarated. Surprised, even. I’m a firm believer in scaring the shit out of myself every now and then when I realize something’s important. The damnedest thing usually happens: my priorities fall right into line. The result? Some of the best conversations, decisions and journeys of personal fulfillment I’ve ever experienced, shared with the people in my life who matter most. Inclusion versus exclusion.

So, stop it. Right fucking now. Make a list of things you need to stop and I think the craziest thing might happen:

You’re going to end up with a list of things to start doing. And that’s going to be one ass-kicking list.