Finding Balance Beyond Hustle Culture

Hustle culture has created a group whose primary focus is on work, often leading them to claim they don't have time for anything else. When asked about hobbies or leisure activities, they respond with, "I don't have time," which, in my opinion, translates to "It's not in my priorities."

However, with 24 hours a day and 365 days a year, there is enough time for us to lead well-rounded lives. Of course, work will be a big chunk of our day, some periods of our lives, and some phases will be even higher in intensity. But we should try and balance with other parts of our lives, including the five other pillars in the LEVELL Framework: Love, Exploration, Vitality, Education, and Legacy.

Maximizing Your 24 Hours

Each day presents us with 24 hours to allocate to various activities. To create a balanced life, it's essential to prioritize and make time for activities beyond work, such as relationships, personal growth, and self-care. Here are some tips for making the most of your day:

1. Prioritize and schedule: Every three months, you can have non-negotiables. In my case, it's usually sleep (a weekly average of at least 7 hours per night) and exercise (at least 150 minutes per week). If we break it down to each day, those take less than 1/3 of each day.
2. Establish routines: Creating daily routines can help you build consistency and maximize your time. Morning and evening routines can set the tone for your day and help you wind down at night, increasing overall productivity and well-being. Of course, routines can be broken, and that's fine, but try and keep them a majority of the days of each week.
3. Practice time management techniques: Use the Pomodoro Technique or time-blocking techniques to increase focus and productivity during work hours. This will help you accomplish more in less time, freeing up space for other activities.
4. Limit distractions: Be mindful of time-wasting activities and distractions, such as excessive social media use or multitasking. By limiting distractions, you'll increase productivity and have more time for leisure and personal growth. Creating routines and "Focus" configurations on your Apple devices is a good productivity tip.

The LEVELL Framework as a Guide

The LEVELL Framework, which stands for Love, Exploration, Vitality, Education, Legacy, and Livelihood, can serve as a guide for creating a balanced life. While Livelihood focuses on income-generating activities, the other five pillars remind us to allocate time to relationships, personal growth, and self-care. We can avoid neglecting essential aspects of our lives by keeping these elements in mind and planning for the medium and long term.