An Opportunity to Be Completely Honest with Yourself

In my coaching, I often notice that people will pour a tremendous amount of time and effort into something they describe as a “side interest,” while simultaneously neglecting critically important aspects of their lives, like their exercise, diet, relationships, or mental health.

We’ve all done it—some area of our lives feels too complex, uncertain, or confronting, so we throw ourselves at something else to take our mind off it. It feels great at first, distracting ourselves from pressing problems in favor of an exciting new hobby or research interest. It feels like the “new thing” is something we can understand and master and make tangible progress in.

But this story always ends the same way: as we ignore important areas of our lives, the costs and consequences start piling up, until one day the dam breaks. And then we are left to pick up the pieces, an experience so painful that it often restarts the whole cycle.

The line between areas and resources is an opportunity to be completely honest with yourself: What is inside the circle of your responsibilities, which no one else is going to take care of for you, and what is outside?