I have recently developed a new technique of closing tabs IRL. If you already understand the previous sentence than this will be perfect for you. If it didn’t then it still might but let me explain the problem then explain the solution (and the title) I came up with.
I like too many things and want to pursue too many life paths in too many directions all at once. Which ends up with me beginning many things, getting nowhere, then starting another new thing. Until years have passed and I haven’t accomplished anything meaningful to me with substance.
Over the past several months, I watched videos of interviews from millionaires and highly accomplished people. Those interviews have shifted my mindset on the concept of experiencing time. Many of the millionaires became so within two years and the vast majority did so in an instant later in life. Sure, after incredibly long hours and hard work but I do that for free anyways. The highly accomplished people focus in a specialty for so many years but many periods are 2-5yrs and can change careers many times in their lives.
That’s step one:
You are not running out of time. You can be many different versions of yourself throughout your life. One version of yourself may last 4 years but if you are 30yrs old and are planning for the next 40yrs, the you have 10 versions to go through. Thats 10 new people to be and a nice thing about age is that each older version is an update. You have all previous knowledge, connections, hardware to use from previous versions.
Each version needs a theme. If you’re spread too thin, nothing good will materialize. Good work takes time and effort. But if you are like me and jump from idea to idea and want to do everything and don’t want to miss anything then it’s time to lay some thoughts to rest.
That’s step two:
Write down all the things you might want to do one day but is not feasible today. This lets me free thinking space in my mind for more important ideas. I can’t ‘just forget’ the ideas and remember them later as my mind will panic and make me actively remember to remember them one day to not forget. So, writing them down in an idea graveyard, a notebook designated for these types of ideas only is required.
Some ideas are obvious and easy to sentence to the grave, others are not. This is where reading books like Essentialism by Greg McKeown will come in handy. Look at your daily life realistically and any spacial events coming up and write them chronologically.
That’s step three:
Before sentencing ideas that are possible and likely in the relatively near future to the grave yard, they need to be ordered somewhat chronologically or put in a special section for easier resurrection later. Allowing your brain not to be scared about forgetting and not becoming these future versions of yourself whether you will want to become them when the time comes or not. Letting you have clear intentions on your priority.
That’s step four:
Every thought except your priority needs to be in your thought graveyard. Priority means one, un, uno, 1. No more, don’t try, it doesn’t work. This can be difficult but please for your sake just try. Your graveyard put all spiralling hopes and dreams a place to lay so you can finally get meaningful progress done on a single project. Without the worry of losing those hopes and dreams and forgetting the versions you someday want to become but can now focus on become at least one of them instead of floating paralyzed in a sea of unrealized potential.
That’s step five:
After you have accomplished your priority, no matter the time lapse, it is possible to visit your graveyard notebook and resurrect an idea from the dead, to have a zombie sprout from the ground, to crown a new top priority.
Always add new ideas to the graveyard to stop from cluttering your mind and when time go into the graveyard and select an idea to grow into and bring life to.
Example of the first entry of my graveyard notebook below.
I like to explain why I put this idea in my graveyard so that future me remembers why and has all the information.