May 13

OK, just a quick confession from your author. I’m tired. There. I said it.

I’m in the midst of a long, steady, uphill run, and I’m definitely feel- ing its effects. Have you been there? I’m sure you have.

But in our culture, it’s not always appropriate to admit that you’re tired. You’re supposed to be made of steel and nuclear powered. No weaknesses allowed!

Whoever is responsible for the maxim “find work you love and you’ll never work a day in your life” was irresponsibly wrong. You’ll work a lot. And hard. And it will be worth it, later.

And that’s a key point, right? We work hard now so that we experi- ence results later. But life is livednow, which also means we must make choices to protect what’s most important and preserve our energy for the things that can’t wait until later. Some things can never be recovered once lost. You must take care of them in the moment.

I’ve been saying no to a lot of discretionary things because I have to protect my energy. There are commitments I have in my life that can’t wait until later, like family, friendships, and personal growth. You cannot sacrifice these now and recover them later.

Also, like every hard, uphill run I’ve ever done—literally or figuratively—this one will end. Yours will too. Take care of yourself.

Know your limits, and care for the things in your life that can’t wait.

QUESTION

What are the commitments in your life that cannot wait until later? How will you care for them?