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How to be happy with your pace in life
[Zoom in and out. Take MEDS. Microdose rich life.]
Valeriya Patrei
June 03, 2024
Ever feel like you’re sprinting through life but getting nowhere fast?
Or maybe you’re stuck in slow motion while everyone else races ahead?
Pace in life is a deeply subjective experience.
Two people can move at the same speed, yet have vastly different perceptions of that pace.
So, if we fall into the trap of comparing your journey with others, you will end up:
Anxious
Stressed
Underperforming
Instead of only focusing on the final outcome, here's an alternative goal for you:
Find contentment with your pace in life now.
What else matters besides being fully present and at peace with where you are right now?
This week, we dive into three powerful ideas to help you
Master your pace
Reduce stress
Live a more fulfilling life.
Let’s dive in.
Read time: 4.3 minutes
Before we begin: Here’s what you might have missed in May…
In issue #43 of The Productivist, you learned how to learn. Spaced repetition is key, so go over it one more time here.
In issue #42, I shared 3 ideas to unlock your mind's potential. You can read it here.
In issue #41, you accessed my guide to building momentum. Make sure to check it out here.
In issue #40, I discovered how to approach failure productively. Find it here.
Which one was your May favourite? Just hit reply and let me know! 🫶
Big idea #1: Eliminate stress & anxiety related to pace.
Life moves at different speeds for everyone, and how we feel about our pace is deeply personal.
Two people can share the same pace but perceive it entirely differently.
If you’re dissatisfied with your pace, it’s likely because you find it either too slow or too fast.
For high achievers, it can feel like both:
Days whiz by too quickly
Yet progress toward goals seems agonizingly slow
Here's a hack to help you find balance.
Use zoom.
And no, I’m not talking about the videoconferencing tool! 😄
Here’s what I mean:
Situation #1: Do you feel anxious about being too far from your desired outcome?
What to do: Zoom in.
Focus on the small daily steps.
Grab your journal and fill a page answering the question:
What have I been doing right?
Acknowledge those small wins.
Each step, no matter how tiny, is progress.
Situation #2: Feeling overwhelmed and busy in the present
What to do: Zoom out.
Take a step back and look at the big picture.
Reflect on how far you’ve come and remind yourself of the ultimate goal.
Consider the bigger vision you’re working towards.
This perspective can help alleviate the stress of daily chaos.
Remember, if you are executing a 10-year vision, one bad week will not make a dent.
Big idea #2: Take your MEDS daily.
What? Meds?
Yes, but not the kind you're thinking of.
Your daily MEDS are:
M - Mindfulness
E - Exercise
D - Diet
S - Sleep
(H/t Brendon Burchard)
Call it MEDS or well-being habits, but they need to be part of your daily routine.
It’s 2024. We don’t need a deep dive into why these are essential — you already know why.
What we can all use, however, is a reminder to be consistent with these practices:
Mindfulness: How do you get quiet with your thoughts?
Exercise: How do you move your body?
Diet: What do you eat to nourish your body?
Sleep: How do you ensure you get quality rest?
While we all have different definitions of our ideal pace in life, I hope your definition includes all four of these habits.
When you make your MEDS a non-negotiable part of your routine, you will:
Feel vibrant
Be more pleasant to be around
And ultimately, be happier.
Big idea #3: Define what success means to you.
Think about the highest-level goals you have in life. Your 10-year vision!
Once you achieve everything you’ve planned, what lifestyle will be unlocked for you?
What will that version of you be excited about every day?
Who will that version of you spend their time with?
What meaningful projects will they be pursuing?
What would they do for fun and adventure?
Write these down. What are you most looking forward to?
Next, how could you microdose these activities now? How can you experience the well-deserved daily riches today?
For example:
I had a conversation with a client last week, and he mentioned that he would cycle for 5 hours every day once he “gets his time back”. The microdose of that is to cycle at least once per week now. That became his plan going forward, one more thing to be excited and happy about every week.
Please, abandon your all-or-nothing mentality.
If you can’t wait to be in the place where you can donate tens of thousands to a specific cause, you have no excuses not giving $5 to them every week now.
If you can’t wait to read and write books all day, you can already spend 20 minutes every day reading now. What stops you?
If you can’t wait to travel more, you should start planning your next trip now, however short.
Don’t wait until you achieve everything on your goal list. Start living a rich life today.
Two more reasons to support my argument:
If you don’t find ways to enjoy these rich habits in the present, you either won’t make time for them later or you will not know how to be present and enjoy them.
You’ll find that it doesn’t actually slow down your progress toward your goals — it speeds it up.
Not only are you showing up with more energy for your pursuits, but you also gain more and more clarity on what you are working towards.
It drives you to perform at your best.
This is what high performance is all about.
The Productivist Challenge: 7 days of M.E.D.S.
Start with a challenge and see how much better you feel about your progress and pace in life. Let me remind you, MEDS stands for:
M - Mindfulness
E - Exercise
D - Diet
S - Sleep
Plan right now: how will you incorporate these habits and when?
What will be your mindfulness habit?
I have two:
A quiet practice first thing in the morning, where I sit down, close my eyes, think about all the blessings in my life, connect with my future vision, and scan my body.
I also go for three walks during the day without any entertainment, leaving my phone behind (most of the time). This is my quiet time to think, ideate, and connect the dots.
What will your exercise habit be?
I have many here too:
In addition to walks, I work out for 25-45 minutes every single morning.
I take breaks every hour to move.
I go to pilates reformer once a week.
I sprinkle in other activities as well, less consistently.
How will you make your diet 10% healthier this week?
Reminder: Eating a healthy AND delicious diet is NOT a paradox these days.
At the same time, diet changes you make will only stick if you do it gradually.
I’ve been working towards my healthy diet for years now, so don’t compare your pace to anyone else’s.
Focus on 10% change this month.
Start with at least one of these:
A healthier quantity
A healthier quality
A healthier attitude
How will you get more quality sleep?
As always, I’ve got you covered.
Find everything you need to know about better sleep here.
By taking on this challenge, you'll see how incorporating these habits can make a significant difference in your life.
Today is a beautiful day to start taking your MEDS consistently.
The Productivist Question
On the scale from 1 to 10, how strong is your sense of agency over your pace in life these days? In other words, how much in control of your pace do you feel?
Whatever that number is, what can you do to +1 it this week?
Have a beautifully unhurried week ahead!
Valeriya
PS: Take advantage of this growing newsletter being small enough that I can actually answer any follow-up questions you may have. Hit reply or DM me on LinkedIn!