I operate on a cyclical basis – I set myself some goals, I see the progress but want more and faster so I add more goals, then realise there are still some inefficiencies and time could be spent more productively so I add even more goals and then after several months of being super productive I get burnt out, take few weeks/months break from doing anything ambitious and recharge while wasting time in various ways not aligned with my web of goals. And then I start again.
Now, I already made some improvements by starting any new activity small and only increasing volume once it becomes a habit, and only then starting another activity. This helps new things sticking for the long term. However, there is still so much more that I could do and only so much time.
Some things I’d like to do are:
• Spending quality time with my wife every day
• Having time for my friends
• Practising stoicism and reading stoic classics daily
• Cooking and eating healthy
• Continuously learning about investing
• Reading books that increase my understanding of the world
• Exercising daily
• Learning new things
• Learning programming
• Setting aside time to think and time not to think
• Having some time to relax
• Doing online courses on subjects interesting to me
• Writing a journal and spending some time summarising each day and planning the next one
• And much more that I postpone until retirement
With each week only having 168 hours and work, sleep, maintenance and being human (wasting some time is unavoidable) claiming most of that, I can’t possibly do that all and make meaningful progress. So, I must prioritize. However, what is realistically possible to achieve without losing one’s mind, i.e. how many hours a week one can safely commit to ‘improving’ self vs. how many should be left for play, relaxing and recharging? I’ve been experimenting with this for years now and can’t figure out the right balance – it’s always either too little and I feel hunger to do more, or I go overboard and burn out.
How do you solve this problem (other than being retired as I have few more years to go)? Do you force yourself to take some time off? Do you have detailed structure and plan for each day or do you just do whatever you feel like doing on a given day, as long as it’s aligned with one of your goals?
How to maintain continuous improvement while not burning out?
Re: How to maintain continuous improvement while not burning out?
A few thoughts:
1. Your list has a lot of things that can be consolidated. Relax with your wife, not thinking. Take an online programming course with your friends. Listen to an investing podcast while you exercise.
2. As a person, maximal progress is not linear. Expect cycles. Maybe you have two months where you exercise every day, followed by two months where you use most of that same time to program. When you want to pull something in, push something out.
3. In my experience, the better I get at making life a web of complementary goals, the less I care about the stuff I am not doing. Days become locally optimized. Most changes would make them worse, so the fear of missing out is greatly reduced.
1. Your list has a lot of things that can be consolidated. Relax with your wife, not thinking. Take an online programming course with your friends. Listen to an investing podcast while you exercise.
2. As a person, maximal progress is not linear. Expect cycles. Maybe you have two months where you exercise every day, followed by two months where you use most of that same time to program. When you want to pull something in, push something out.
3. In my experience, the better I get at making life a web of complementary goals, the less I care about the stuff I am not doing. Days become locally optimized. Most changes would make them worse, so the fear of missing out is greatly reduced.
Re: How to maintain continuous improvement while not burning out?
First separate the lifestyle goals from the achievement goals. In other words, you want to exercise daily, spend time with family, relax, study and cook. These goals can be achieved by making it a routine or habit to do these things daily.
The achievement goals, such as learning about specific subjects, need to be tackled individually, so you will need to prioritize and focus on one or two at a time. Because these goals take time to achieve, your priorities may change while you are learning.
The achievement goals, such as learning about specific subjects, need to be tackled individually, so you will need to prioritize and focus on one or two at a time. Because these goals take time to achieve, your priorities may change while you are learning.
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slowtraveler
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Re: How to maintain continuous improvement while not burning out?
Bankai who chases 2 rabbits catches none.
I do best by figuring what is most important to me and focusing on that. Other things can entice me and I'll try them. They may stick or not and I do my best to be unattached. I know if I try too many things I will fail them all. By focusing on 1 thing, I have a much higher chance of success with it.
You'll naturally see your wife and may spontaneously have ideas for plans with her so follow these. But it's nearly impossible to force yourself to come up with fun plans with her when your burnt out and have 200 tasks to complete.
I do best by figuring what is most important to me and focusing on that. Other things can entice me and I'll try them. They may stick or not and I do my best to be unattached. I know if I try too many things I will fail them all. By focusing on 1 thing, I have a much higher chance of success with it.
You'll naturally see your wife and may spontaneously have ideas for plans with her so follow these. But it's nearly impossible to force yourself to come up with fun plans with her when your burnt out and have 200 tasks to complete.
Re: How to maintain continuous improvement while not burning out?
You can only do your best. Sometimes you have to be complacent with baby steps. As long as you are making some continuous progress, you should have some satisfaction.
I like to look back on some of my Mtn bike racing days. I was a better climber than most others. I excelled at the more difficult long, technical, and altitude gaining climbs.
A lot of that was keeping the focus on three feet ahead. But when it got really painful, it was heartening to take a quick look back. Look at what was accomplished! And maybe a little guilty pleasure from the poor saps you left behind...
I like to look back on some of my Mtn bike racing days. I was a better climber than most others. I excelled at the more difficult long, technical, and altitude gaining climbs.
A lot of that was keeping the focus on three feet ahead. But when it got really painful, it was heartening to take a quick look back. Look at what was accomplished! And maybe a little guilty pleasure from the poor saps you left behind...
Re: How to maintain continuous improvement while not burning out?
Let go of the desired outcome.
Re: How to maintain continuous improvement while not burning out?
1) Make a list of your 15 most important goals. To spare you the counting, you currently have 13, excluding your joker card of "everything else that is already postponed to retirement". 13 is fine. Why? You will see in step 2 
2) Cut off the bottom 10 (they can come later or become a priority naturally).
3) Reverse-engineer your week to meet those five remaining goals, including slots for play time (leisure, social, etc.).
I recently very strictly designed my weeks around meeting some of my priority goals but leaving some space to deviate from the plan.
2) Cut off the bottom 10 (they can come later or become a priority naturally).
3) Reverse-engineer your week to meet those five remaining goals, including slots for play time (leisure, social, etc.).
I recently very strictly designed my weeks around meeting some of my priority goals but leaving some space to deviate from the plan.