Find Hidden Time to Do the BIG STUFF

By Carissa Jean Tobin, Good Work, Great Life

My system: slow and steady

Disclaimer: I am a huge fan of the mundane. In daily life, my system serves me well.

I set my alarm during my summer vacation so that I can exercise, meditate, and begin my writing by 9 A.M. I watch ten minutes of lynda.com videos a day on creating spreadsheets. By 2032, I’ll have mastered 2011 Excel.

The downside to the slow-and-steady approach is that it’s hard to accomplish an extra project outside of your daily or weekly routine.

The other way: go BIG

So for these special circumstances, let me introduce you to another way: BIG.

I’ve learned this from my husband. His strategy? Sacrifice the small stuff to make time for the BIG Stuff.

What going BIG looked like

Like three summers ago when we were looking to buy a condo. We’d renewed our lease at our current apartment, which was our act of surrender to the housing market.

When photos of a two-bedroom condo in the building we liked popped up on my screen, I almost dumped my cold press on the keyboard. But we were flying to Seattle – the next day!

“Text the realtor,” my husband urged. “Tell him to call us.”

We talked offers and down payments late into the night – the adult version of slumber party gossip minus the Cool Ranch Doritos. Sometimes you have to sacrifice sleep for BIG Stuff.

Our trip was filled with calls to our mortgage lender. To get BIG Stuff done, you also have to sacrifice leisure time.

Back home, we prepared for the closing. My brother-in-law was in town visiting, but unfortunately for him, our attention was elsewhere. Sacrifice #3: social time.

Three days later, we closed.

I called movers and booked them for one week later. This was Pull-Out-All-the-Stops BIG Stuff.

No working out. Goodbye, meditation. We ate Chipotle for both lunch and dinner. We painted by day and packed by night.

Seven days later, bloated from lack of exercise and vegetables, stressed, and stir-crazy, we surveyed the boxes of all our belongings against the slate-blue walls of our new living room.

Done.

The BIG 5 Sacrifices

Sleep
Leisure
Socializing
Wellness
Cooking

Choosing your own BIG stuff

Want to do something BIG in your practice or business or just life in general? You can do away with your routine – temporarily – to create your website, update your business plan, or get started on that next life goal.

Warning: Taken too far, my strategy might lead to a fridge without groceries, a closet without clean clothes, and a life without exercise.

Choose your BIG Stuff wisely. It’s no small feat.

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