HOW TO: KEEP LIFE CHILL EVEN WITH MOUNTAINS OF DEADLINES?

Lately, the questions I have been receiving the most from my Truly Inspired team members are:

• How do you manage to work until the wee hours and still have the energy to admire flowers and take pictures the next day?

• With being a mom, a wife, pursuing personal development through studies, how do you find time to brainstorm article ideas and create videos for Truly Inspired?

• My boss is like a superhero; juggling so much and still balancing life, cooking for the family, and taking care of your skin? How is that even possible?

• Can you share your secrets to balance all of this? I am not married yet, but I already feel exhausted even when doing just one thing, sometimes a single task fills my whole day.

• …

There are many more questions like these that my teammates throw at me when they see how it is already midnight, and sometimes as late as 1 AM in Vietnam, yet I am still busy editing articles for the team. In Australia, it is already around 3-4 AM. It is like a quiet night, and suddenly, the ping of an email startles my teammates.

In reality, it is not only my colleagues who wonder about my lifestyle and time management, but even close friends and acquaintances (who have known me for a while) often have the same curiosity. They do not understand where I find the energy to work because every time they talk to me, it seems like I am engaged in one thing or another.

Probably because you do not know yet, but I also have my moments of feeling overwhelmed too, and it is not that I do not experience fatigue; sometimes, the workload becomes quite dense, and there are times when I briefly close my eyes for 1-2 hours, but it feels almost like getting a full 8-hour sleep, even though it is a short but deep rest. However, I always strive to avoid such extreme exhaustion by finding highly effective self-balancing methods or better work practices, which I will share with you shortly:

First, understand yourself.
I have always been someone like that; I deeply understand myself.
Understanding oneself here comes in two forms: one is comprehending your own personality, work habits, and being in control of your own emotions. The other is understanding what you truly desire. In other words, what is your purpose or goal in the work or study you are currently undertaking?

Understanding oneself is a way to save time when working. Understanding oneself helps us find ways to restrain or overcome those moments when we might become distracted or lazy.

In addition, understanding the purpose when working is a way to continually remind ourselves of why we started that specific work.
Just like my case of founding and developing Truly Inspired, for example. I did not necessarily have to invest my time, finances, and intellect into this massive project, as I could have lived comfortably without putting in the effort to build my channel, shoot videos, create content, and then hold long team meetings that could last 3-4 hours, and this is without taking into account that both sides may not share the same time zone. Nevertheless, I continued because I had clearly defined the reason why I was executing this “mission,” as it is because I want to share, to inspire, and most of all, I desire that anyone who connects with me directly or indirectly through social media channels would, at the very least, change their thinking, live positively, love their life, love themselves, and love others more!

Without a clearly defined core purpose from the outset, I am certain I would not have reached this day, as the truth is that the financial resources from Truly Inspired have consistently been reinvested into other meaningful endeavours. And, you know, as I was writing this article, we are approaching the anniversary of Truly Inspired‘s founding, nearly a year ago.

The clearer your goals and objectives are, the less distraction you will encounter, allowing for greater time efficiency and increased productivity.

Second, I always learn how to relax with work through friendly colleagues or by creating an enjoyable working environment myself.
This is one of the very useful ways that I think you should consider applying to reduce work-related stress and pressure. In the workplace, there are three things that can impact us: first, our colleagues; second, our superiors; and third, the workplace culture.

Although all three are things that we cannot wholly control, if you know how to make selective choices from the start, you will alleviate some of the pressure. For me, I choose to interact with people who share similar tastes or “vibes,” as the younger generation likes to say. They do not need to be exactly like me, because that would be neither different nor interesting, but working with people who share a similar frequency, perspective, and way of thinking on certain matters will reduce conflicts. Moreover, when you hang out with people who share your vibe, you will have those moments of sheer joy that help you temporarily forget about work’s difficulties.

Culture plays a significant role in affecting our mood at work, but we should learn to focus on our work even if someone does something disagreeable or does not match our style. Remember what your initial goal was when you started the job and keep striving towards it. If it does not work out, then leave in silence and find a more suitable place.

Furthermore, learn to create a tidy, neat, and fresh workspace for yourself; adding a small, cute plant, a tissue box with charming patterns, an interesting tea mug, etc., for example, can help prevent your mind from feeling cluttered, messy, or monotonous, my dear friend!

Third, Always have a daily “to-do list” for everyday schedules.
As each day passes, our minds become increasingly cluttered with things other than work. Therefore, you cannot solely rely on your memory. There will be times when your memory fails, and you cannot remember all the important tasks for the day or week. Maintaining a daily to-do list is the most effective solution you should consider.

A to-do list helps you prioritise what is important and needs to be done urgently, followed by tasks that can be done later. Every day, when you allocate ten to fifteen minutes to jot down these tasks specifically, it will significantly enhance your productivity and make your day much smoother. Give it a try!

Fourth, learn to look at everything with love and special attention.
Why love and special attention? Because when you truly observe everything, everyone, and every task through the lens of love, you will find it easier to forgive someone if they disappoint you, or you will tend to overlook the annoying things, hence your day will not be consumed by fleeting annoyances.

When love is intertwined with your work, you will approach it with much more passion and zeal. Sufficient love for your colleagues and collaborators will foster cooperation over competition, thus propelling mutual growth.

Moreover, special attention will guide you on the right path, saving time on trivial distractions. Focused dedication will help you achieve remarkable results, sometimes in a surprisingly short period!

Furthermore, maintaining a healthy diet, proper nutrition, or engaging in a particular sport is also a way to optimise the development of your mind, body, heart, and soul! We only have this one body and one mind, so you must definitely cherish them!

Last but not least, when your body speaks, listen to it!

When you hear the message “I’m tired, I need a break” through those signals from your body, take a moment to pause! The work will still be there, and you can still continue tomorrow, but if your health declines, it will be challenging to recover as before. For me, meditation is not just a way to clear my mind; it also helps me rejuvenate various functions and states within my body! I believe you should consider adding meditation to your personal “to-do list” to listen more to yourself. When your body – mind – spirit are in harmony, you will automatically tackle tasks that you may have thought were impossible before.

I hope that my shared insights are useful to you. Give one or two of the solutions I have offered a try to assess their effectiveness together. I wish you will always find peace, so you can chill with life no matter how busy work gets, my dear friend!

Much love,
Truly Inspired