Realizing that I can’t possibly fit all the things I want to do in one lifetime has been one of the most frustrating, humbling, and empowering realizations I’ve had lately.
The hard truth that comes with what Oliver Burkeman calls being a ‘finite being’ is that there are always going to be more things worth doing than there is time to do them.
This effectively means that in order to do anything worthwhile, you have to shut the door to other worthwhile pursuits.
The eternal optimist in you that tries to look for a way — a fool-proof prioritization system — that will somehow enable you to accomplish everything you want to is not always working in your best interest.
It is often the case that you must exchange and for or, and be willing to turn down legitimately exciting opportunities and creative pursuits, to find the one thing that everyone needs to get anything done:
focus.