Total Read Time: 3 Minutes
HOW TO BE LESS STRESSED. HOW TO ARRIVE ON TIME. HOW TO GET STUFF DONE.
In a previous article I wrote about examining your lateness to things in your life as a filter showing you what you really don’t like to be doing.
Today I want to examine the stress behind lateness, but more importantly how to reason with it.
Think of your day and it’s priorities as a movie. When you go to the movie theater everything gets put on hold. Everything before it doesn’t matter anymore. You watch the movie. If a phone rings, that’s rude. If you have to go to the bathroom, the movie is a lessened experience. An uninterrupted focus makes for the best return on investment. Yes, Investment. Everything you did prior to the movie set you up for the experience you had.
You can think about your life as a movie.
Rather, your day is you preparing for mini movies. You know what needs your attention. You can make sure all of the other things get done. When it’s showtime, you can focus on the task.
Let’s talk about arriving at the movie theater.
The getting ready, the getting out the door, the traffic, the parking, the standing in line, the popcorn, the bathroom, finding the theater, and finally, the movie. Each of those steps can be traced back from the time the movie starts.
We know what time the movie starts. That’s a constant.
“Because the train is leaving and it will not be waiting for you.”
Knowing that invariable constraint, we can look one step back at a time, and examine what we can control and what we can’t.
If We know the way to the theater room.
If We know where the bathroom is.
If we know how long the average popcorn line is.
If we know the duration of the ticket stand line.
If we know how long the worst case, furthest parking spot, would take us to walk from.
If we open google maps and know how long the traffic will hold us back.
Then we are at the juicy reason for why you’re late.
You didn’t get out the door in time.
Before that, you didn’t start getting ready soon enough.
Before that… you get the point.
That’s why you hear about people waking up at 4:30am. It’s the only way to remove constraints on your day. It’s the only way to take ownership of your day and make it what you want it to be.
The Point
When you’re late to something you care about, you’re stressed.
Take ownership.
Eliminate the things you don’t care about.
Less noise. More focus.
Start early. Arrive on time.
Thank You So Much
For your time, for your energy, for your support.
Just, Thank you.
Andrey Starostin
Email
(Yes, I respond and read every one)
Andrey@andreystarostin.com
Instagram
a.o.starostin
Bibliography:
Thank you so much, to my loved ones for your endless love and support. Thank you Kyrie for listening to my never-ending rants.
This article was inspired by a conversation I heard between Tim Ferriss and Dr. Philip Zimbardo.
Tim Ferriss podcast episode: #226
Some awesome reading to go along with the idea of making time for your priorities:
Deep work, by Cal Newport
Cal Newport touches on the importance of undivided attention and it’s capability to achieve unheard of annual goals. It was a quick read with a majority of “the meat” 3/4 of the way in.
STAROSTIN FILM 