Latest / Inspirations for Your Life / STOP WASTING Your ENERGY! (S5) S43:E4 Tuesday

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STOP WASTING Your ENERGY! (S5) S43:E4 Tuesday · Inspirations for Your Life

0:23
Well there, hello everyone, and welcome to the
0:26
ever-popular Inspirations for Your Life show.
0:29
It is so great to be with you.
0:32
It is Tuesday, it is November 20th, 2026,
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and welcome to the show.
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If this is your very first time joining
0:41
me, I want to take the opportunity to
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say thank you and of course I want
0:45
to say welcome.
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If you've been here one time, five times,
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ten, a hundred, or maybe more, I'd like
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to say welcome and thank you, but I'd
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also like to say the important words, welcome
0:53
back.
0:55
If you're thirsty, if you're hungry, feel free
0:56
to get yourself an RO water like I
0:58
have here with some fresh lemon, or perhaps
1:02
another snack, fruit, candy, what have you.
1:07
All right guys, we'll get this show kicking
1:09
in just a second, but don't forget to
1:10
check out BelieveMeAchieved.com, of course, for more
1:13
of my amazing, inspiring creations, and I think
1:16
that's really important to understand.
1:20
You can check that out after the show
1:22
is over.
1:24
All right guys, so stop wasting your energy
1:27
with Series 5, show 43, episode number 4.
1:30
It's Tuesday.
1:31
Welcome to Inspirations for Your Life, the ever
1:33
-popular Inspirations for Your Life show.
1:35
I am John C.
1:36
Morley, serial entrepreneur, engineer, marketing specialist, video producer,
1:39
podcast host, coach, a professional keynote speaker, graduate
1:43
student at Montclair State University, a passionate lifelong
1:46
learner, and now so grateful to be a
1:48
published author.
1:50
Let me ask you something, ladies and gentlemen.
1:51
Have you ever been busy all day, completely
1:54
exhausted by evening, and wondered what you actually
1:58
accomplished?
2:00
You answered messages, handled interruptions, solved other people's
2:04
problems, and then rushed from one responsibility to
2:08
another, but what happened to your actual priorities?
2:13
Here's the wake-up call.
2:15
Being busy doesn't automatically mean you're moving forward.
2:19
Our weekly series is Stop Giving Your Power
2:22
Away, Take Back Control.
2:25
Saturday we learned to own it, Sunday we
2:27
explored know your worth, Monday we learned to
2:30
think clearly, today, Tuesday, our theme is set
2:34
priorities.
2:34
You know, let's explore 30 powerful ways to
2:40
stop wasting your energy.
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Number one, recognize that not everything demanding your
2:45
attention deserves it.
2:47
Something can be loud without being important.
2:51
Ask whether a genuineness requires your time before
2:57
giving it your focus.
3:00
That's an important thing, but a lot of
3:01
people get stuck because they're like, well, I
3:03
don't know what I'm supposed to say, I
3:04
don't know what I'm supposed to do, and
3:06
then they find themselves stuck into a problem.
3:09
Number two, stop treating every request as an
3:13
emergency.
3:15
Someone else's deadline doesn't automatically become your crisis.
3:20
Evaluate what truly needs immediate action now, not
3:24
later.
3:25
Number three, understand the differences between urgency and
3:29
importance.
3:30
Urgent tasks demand attention now, important tasks support
3:34
meaningful goals.
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Learn to recognize the difference, I think that's
3:39
really a key.
3:40
Number four, guys, recognize where your time is
3:44
being consumed without meaningful results.
3:49
So track how your day unfolds.
3:52
You might discover that small interruptions are stealing
3:56
hours from your priorities.
3:58
I think once we notice that, we need
4:00
to address them and we need to say,
4:02
wait a minute, this is something that should
4:04
not be going on in my life right
4:06
now.
4:07
Number five, stop giving minor problems the energy
4:12
reserved for major priorities.
4:15
A small inconvenience shouldn't consume the same attention
4:19
as your health, livelihood, or important relationships.
4:26
But yet people do it because they think
4:29
that's the way it should go and that's
4:31
really a big problem when you just give
4:33
everything the same priority, okay?
4:36
So I think that's an important thing a
4:38
lot of people just need to learn.
4:42
We have to learn there's a difference, right?
4:45
We have to learn there is a difference.
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And if we don't learn that, that could
4:49
harm us, right?
4:51
Number six, learn to identify the responsibilities that
4:55
genuinely belong to you.
4:57
Helping others is valuable, but taking ownership of
5:01
everyone's problems can leave your own obligations unfortunately
5:05
unfinished and you feeling unsatisfied.
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Number seven, recognize when distractions are replacing meaningful
5:17
progress.
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Every interruption has a cost.
5:22
Ask whether what you're doing moves you toward
5:25
something important or not.
5:28
I think that's an important thing to know.
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And we have to ask yourself that question
5:31
a lot.
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Number eight, stop confusing constant activity with productivity.
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Movement isn't always progress.
5:39
Completing meaningful work matters more than simply filling
5:43
every available minute that we have.
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And people think just because you're busy means
5:48
you're successful, that you're making progress.
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But unfortunately, guys, it doesn't always mean that.
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And then people get annoyed that there's no
5:55
results.
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So that's an important thing, guys.
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Number nine, understand that attention is one of
6:01
your most valuable resources.
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Where your attention goes, your effort flows.
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Protect it from distractions that often take us
6:12
back to little lasting values.
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Number 10, recognize how unnecessary commitments create emotional
6:24
exhaustion.
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Every automatic yes adds another obligation.
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Before agreeing, consider what you're already carrying right
6:33
now on you.
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Think about that.
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Number 11, stop allowing other people's priorities to
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automatically override yours.
6:44
Cooperation matters, but your goals deserve consideration too.
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Balance outside requests with existing commitments.
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Don't get into the saga of, well, I'm
6:53
trying to be nice.
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No.
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Being nice is one thing.
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Being manipulated or deprioritized of your own values,
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that's a problem.
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That's not being nice.
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That's cruel.
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Number 12, guys, learn to establish realistic daily
7:14
objectives.
7:15
Choose a few important outcomes instead of creating
7:19
an impossible list.
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Completing meaningful tasks builds momentum.
7:26
I think when we can build momentum, like,
7:27
wait a minute, I get it now.
7:29
Now I know how that works.
7:30
Now I know what's going on.
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And when I know what's going on, it's
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like, I know what I can do.
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And that's a real important thing to understand.
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Really, really important.
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So you have to realize that.
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Number 13, recognize the difference between being available
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and being accessible constantly.
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I learned this a long time ago.
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You can support people without responding every second
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of the day.
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Healthy availability includes reasonable boundaries.
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You've had people, I don't care if it
8:03
was on a date, somebody you're getting to
8:05
know, and they're constantly texting you.
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I call them a textaholic.
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I say goodbye to those people immediately because
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I don't have the energy to deal with
8:15
them, nor do I want the energy to
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deal with them.
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That is a waste of priorities.
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Number 14, stop saying yes before evaluating the
8:23
actual commitment.
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Ask about the time, the effort, and the
8:28
expectations involved.
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Don't just say next or yes just to
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be nice.
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A thoughtful answer is better than a promise
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you cannot keep.
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It's a lot easier to tell somebody, hey,
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this isn't something I have the time for,
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not something I'm going to do, OK?
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That's the key.
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That's the key.
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That is the whole key.
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And if we don't understand that key, then
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that's a very, very big problem.
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And if we don't get that, we might
9:03
miss an important part of our life in
9:07
being successful.
9:08
So we do have to know this.
9:10
We have to understand the why, right?
9:13
And recovery support, sustained performance, number 15.
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Exhaustion makes concentration and decision-making harder, almost
9:26
impossible.
9:27
Rest isn't wasted time when it helps you
9:31
function effectively.
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You know, in China, I have to tell
9:34
you this.
9:35
You know, in America, if you get caught
9:37
closing your eyes on the job, you might
9:40
get a warning or get fired.
9:41
If you do that in China, they'll actually
9:45
give you a reward saying, oh, that's so
9:47
great that you decided to take a break
9:49
on the job so that you could be
9:51
more productive.
9:53
That doesn't make sense, but that's how it
9:54
works there.
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Number 16, recognize which relationships deserve greater intentional
10:01
investment.
10:02
Give meaningful attention to people who matter.
10:05
Don't allow constant distractions to replace genuine connection.
10:11
That's important, guys.
10:13
That's important, genuine connection.
10:17
Number 17, stop allowing digital notifications to control
10:21
your schedule.
10:22
Every alert doesn't require an immediate response.
10:24
Create designated times to check messages when practical.
10:29
I was somewhere the other day, and somebody's
10:34
phone kept going off.
10:35
And they were an important event.
10:38
And you think they could silence it or
10:39
tell somebody, hey, I'm not available, right?
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Like, put your phone in do not disturb
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mode.
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But people become so like, oh, my gosh,
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what's somebody going to think?
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Somebody's going to think you have a life,
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and you're not reachable every five seconds.
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But you can get back to somebody.
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I mean, I think people have gotten too
10:57
obsessed with having to get back to people.
11:02
And those people wouldn't do it for you,
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so why the heck are you doing it
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for them?
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So stop allowing digital notifications.
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I'm talking about your iPhones.
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I'm talking about other devices that might give
11:13
you notifications.
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It could be a variety of things, right?
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And this can distract us from being who
11:19
we want to be because of these stupid
11:21
interactions, right?
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Could be a text.
11:28
Could be a voicemail somebody left.
11:31
It could be some app that you have
11:34
is updating you for some stupid reason that
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you don't really care right now, right?
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Number 18, learn to distinguish meaningful opportunities from
11:43
unnecessary obligations.
11:44
Can I have some more water, guys?
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Something can sound exciting without supporting your goals.
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And I think a lot of people get
11:54
drawn into this, like, oh, wow, this is
11:56
amazing, right?
11:57
Evaluate the actual benefit before committing.
12:02
And then you're like, well, but it feels
12:03
so good.
12:04
Yeah, but it might not be good for
12:05
you.
12:05
It might not be good for your long
12:07
term.
12:08
And that might be something hard that you
12:10
don't quite understand.
12:11
And you will eventually learn it because the
12:14
lesson will get learned.
12:15
But why not learn now before you waste
12:19
time and have to learn?
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That's important, guys.
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So we have to know what these things
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are.
12:29
We have to know what meaningful opportunities are
12:31
from unnecessary obligations.
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And we have to make those choices.
12:35
Number 19, recognize when perfectionism is wasting valuable
12:42
energy.
12:43
Excellence matters, but endless adjustments can delay completion.
12:50
Know when the work is ready to move
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forward.
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And I know that's hard for a lot
12:56
of you saying, well, John, I always have
12:58
to be ready.
13:00
No, you don't always have to be ready.
13:02
You don't have to be able to respond
13:04
in a nanosecond, OK?
13:05
That's preposterous.
13:07
Any human being knows that they leave a
13:10
message, you're going to get back to them.
13:11
They don't expect you to jump.
13:13
Don't wait 12 hours, but get back to
13:17
them.
13:17
I think the most you should wait is
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24 hours.
13:19
But I would say a business response, you
13:21
should get back to somebody usually within three
13:23
or four hours.
13:25
Very worse case scenario would be 24 hours.
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And I'm talking business hours, not like weekend
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hours.
13:32
Number 20, guys, stop investing endless effort in
13:37
situations you cannot control.
13:39
Identify what you can influence.
13:43
Direct your actions there instead of exhausting yourself
13:47
over everything else.
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And then you get so frustrated that you
13:51
can't do anything because you just put yourself
13:54
into a box.
13:57
Number 21, understand the importance of planning before
14:01
reacting.
14:03
We talked about proactive and reactive.
14:06
The example I used is preparing yourself for
14:08
an emergency, like in the event of a
14:10
fire.
14:11
Do you have two ways out of your
14:13
residence or of your building?
14:15
Do you have emergency supplies ready?
14:17
Have you practiced where you guys are meeting
14:19
at least twice a year?
14:21
A lot easier to be proactive than reactive.
14:26
If we plan for something that could happen
14:28
and we're ready for it, it's a lot
14:30
easier to do that than to just be
14:32
reactive.
14:33
And being reactive requires a lot more energy,
14:37
and frustration settles in because now it becomes
14:39
an emergency.
14:41
But if you plan for it, it's not
14:43
like that.
14:45
Number 22, recognize when your schedule no longer
14:49
reflects your core values.
14:52
If your calendar contains everything except what matters
14:55
most, something needs to change.
14:59
It's time for you to review your priorities
15:01
and remove things and add things that really
15:05
matter to you and your life.
15:08
Number 23, stop sacrificing long-term goals for
15:15
short-term distractions, i.e. cell phone, emails.
15:22
Immediate entertainment or minor requests can feel easier
15:26
than meaningful work.
15:28
Protect time for your future.
15:32
It might seem like, gee, John, I have
15:33
plenty of time.
15:34
It might seem like that, but every time
15:36
you get back, you might find yourself distracted.
15:44
Being distracted is something nobody really wants to
15:47
share, but it happens so much.
15:53
It happens so much, and then people are
15:54
like, well, why did that happen to me?
15:56
How did that happen to me?
15:57
I think that's probably an important thing to
16:00
actually realize.
16:03
Why did that happen?
16:05
Why did that happen?
16:07
What could I have done differently?
16:11
Number 23, understand that in the sacrificing of
16:18
goals, we have to protect time, and I
16:20
want to say that again and our future.
16:22
Don't just let it be by chance.
16:23
Number 24, learn to communicate priorities without unnecessary
16:27
guilt.
16:28
You can respectfully explain that another commitment needs
16:32
your attention.
16:34
Saying no doesn't automatically mean letting someone down.
16:38
I've said this to people.
16:39
When you say no to others, you're actually
16:44
saying yes to yourself.
16:46
I know that sounds harsh, but that's part
16:48
of being a good, balanced human being.
16:51
You could say no to others, and that
16:53
means saying yes to yourself.
16:56
It might seem like you're letting somebody down,
16:57
but you're not.
16:58
And most people that see you doing it
17:00
are like, well, you know what?
17:00
I understand.
17:01
I know how you're doing that, and I
17:02
recognize that.
17:07
And I think if you can understand that
17:09
whole thing, you'd be like, wait a minute.
17:10
This actually makes sense to me.
17:14
This makes sense to me.
17:16
So be aware of those things, okay?
17:22
Learn to communicate priorities without the unnecessary guilt.
17:27
You can explain that another commitment needs your
17:30
attention.
17:31
I said saying no doesn't automatically mean letting
17:33
someone down.
17:34
Just remember that.
17:35
Number 25, recognize the value of creating uninterrupted
17:41
focus time.
17:42
Even a short period without distractions can improve
17:45
your progress.
17:46
Give important work your full attention.
17:50
And when you do this, you're going to
17:51
be like, wait a minute.
17:53
The work seems like it's getting done easier
17:55
and quicker.
17:56
Yeah, when you don't try to multitask a
17:58
million different things, you'll be amazed at how
18:00
you can actually work a lot better in
18:03
your life, right?
18:04
I think that's an important thing, okay?
18:10
Number 26, understanding it.
18:13
Understanding that boundaries help protect meaningful commitments.
18:17
Number 27, it's not just a restriction.
18:22
It's a way to preserve time and energy
18:25
for what matters.
18:28
Then you might say, John, I don't know
18:29
what matters right now.
18:30
That's okay.
18:31
You don't have to know what matters.
18:34
But you will find it.
18:36
What matters links to your core values.
18:39
I think that's a very important thing for
18:40
all of us to understand.
18:43
Number 28, identify one activity that consistently drains
18:49
your energy.
18:50
Maybe it's unnecessary scrolling, repeat arguments, or an
18:54
obligation you've outgrown right now.
18:58
Recognize the pattern honestly.
19:01
You know, this is stuff you can do
19:02
privately, confidential.
19:03
You don't have to tell me.
19:03
You don't have to tell any of your
19:04
friends, your family.
19:05
You can do this all by yourself and
19:07
say, wait a minute, now I understand why
19:08
this is working this way.
19:13
I think that's a very important thing that
19:16
a lot of people don't understand.
19:18
All right, that's a very, very important thing.
19:23
And if you understand that, then you'll be
19:24
like, wait a minute, now I get it.
19:28
And I want to tell you that you
19:30
actually can make a difference if you believe
19:33
you can do this, right?
19:36
Henry Ford said a long time ago, if
19:37
we believe we can, we're right.
19:38
And if we believe we can, we are
19:39
also, just identify one activity.
19:44
I didn't say identify 15 or 100.
19:48
Identify one activity that's draining your energy.
19:51
Surely you can find one.
19:53
You don't have to reveal it to me.
19:56
Just be aware of it and admit it
19:59
to yourself.
20:00
That's all you need to do.
20:04
If you can do that, life will change
20:06
for you.
20:07
Now, I'm not going to tell you it's
20:08
going to change overnight, but it will change.
20:16
And when that happens, you're like, wait a
20:18
minute, now I understand how this is different
20:21
for me than how it was before, right?
20:25
That's a real key thing.
20:28
Number 29, redirect one block of time towards
20:34
something genuinely important for you.
20:38
Start with the 30 focused minutes, if that's
20:43
realistic to you.
20:45
Use them for a goal you've been neglecting,
20:49
or just use them to get some sense
20:54
or a new perspective in how you're moving
20:57
forward.
21:00
And once you do it once, your body's
21:02
like, wait a minute, I want to do
21:03
this again, I want to do this again,
21:04
I want to do it again, I want
21:05
to do it again, again, again, again, again,
21:06
because your body's going to love it, okay?
21:10
Your body's actually going to love it.
21:13
And if you love it, you know what
21:15
happens?
21:16
It becomes amazing.
21:20
And that's something I think that a lot
21:22
of people today don't realize.
21:27
If you realize that, you're going to say,
21:30
wait a minute, I can make a difference.
21:31
I can make a change in my life.
21:34
And yes, you can.
21:35
Number 30, guys, give your best energy to
21:40
what deserves your best effort.
21:43
Let me say that again.
21:44
Give your best energy to what deserves your
21:47
best effort.
21:49
Your time is limited and your attention matters.
21:54
Invest both with intention instead of allowing every
21:58
distraction to decide for you.
22:04
Now, here is your Tuesday challenge.
22:07
You're ready for your Tuesday challenge?
22:08
Okay.
22:09
I want you to identify one unnecessary demand
22:13
that's consuming your time or energy.
22:15
You don't have to tell me.
22:15
You don't have to tell me loved ones
22:17
or friends, just keep it to yourself.
22:20
Ask yourself, does this genuinely deserve my attention?
22:25
Yes or no?
22:27
Is it my responsibility?
22:30
Yes or no?
22:32
And what important priority am I neglecting because
22:37
of it?
22:40
And that might take you a minute to
22:41
think about that.
22:45
I recommend journaling this, because then you can
22:48
go back and be like, wait a minute,
22:50
now, okay, now I understand.
22:51
Now, this makes sense to me, okay?
22:55
Reduce that unnecessary demand where possible.
23:00
Then what I want you to do is
23:02
redirect the time towards something that truly matters
23:07
in your life.
23:10
Maybe it's your business, your education, perhaps your
23:18
family, your health, or another personal goal that
23:25
you've been postponing for days, months, years.
23:33
Why not make the decision to act upon
23:36
that right now?
23:40
Remember, ladies and gentlemen, taking back control isn't
23:47
about becoming unavailable to everyone.
23:53
It's about making responsibilities align with your limited
24:01
energy.
24:01
So you use those in that way.
24:04
Don't just talk about priorities.
24:09
Put one of them on your calendar and
24:12
take action now.
24:15
I always said talk is cheap, right?
24:18
Action is what moves the needle.
24:22
And I want you to look for what
24:31
we've talked about and how far you have
24:35
come this week.
24:40
And then journal it, celebrate it, and know
24:48
that this change is something that you can
24:50
learn from, you can grow from.
24:55
Saturday, ladies and gentlemen, we learned how to
24:59
own it and reclaim authority over our own
25:02
choices when they can get muddied in the
25:04
water.
25:05
Sunday, we learned to know your worth without
25:10
demanding on everyone's approval.
25:14
You don't need everybody's approval.
25:16
Monday, we learned something important.
25:21
How to think clearly and resist unnecessary emotional
25:26
pressure because there's a lot of that out
25:28
here.
25:29
Today, Tuesday, we're learning to set priorities and
25:37
stop wasting your precious energy on things that
25:40
don't deserve it.
25:42
Tomorrow is Wednesday, and we'll take the stage
25:46
with responsibility and turn your intentions into action.
25:53
Thursday, we're going to learn how to protect
25:55
our power through healthy boundaries and sustainable habits.
26:00
And Friday, ladies and gentlemen, we're going to
26:02
do something really cool.
26:04
We're going to live with integrity by aligning
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our daily actions with what we genuinely value.
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How many of you out there actually take
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the time to reflect on your day?
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How could I have made my day better?
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Not to criticize your day, but what could
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I do to make today better if I
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could do today again?
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You do that?
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I think that's a very valuable skill.
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The more you do it, the more you're
26:36
going to say, wait a minute.
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I learned something.
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I understand why this is this way.
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I understand now why I do this, or
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I understand why I don't do this.
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I understand the message I'm sending off to
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other people.
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You'll get some big epiphanies.
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Some really, really big epiphanies.
26:56
Ladies and gentlemen, I am John C.
27:01
Morley.
27:01
I'm a serial entrepreneur, engineer, marketing specialist, video
27:05
producer, podcast host, coach, a professional keynote speaker,
27:09
a passionate lifelong learner, a graduate student at
27:13
Montclair State University, and so grateful now to
27:16
be a published author.
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And I thank you so much for taking
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the time to join me on our journey
27:25
today with another powerful inspirations for your life
27:28
show.
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Remember, ladies and gentlemen, you don't have unlimited
27:33
time or unlimited energy, but you do have
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opportunities to make better choices about how you
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use them.
27:40
Stop confusing busy with productive.
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Protect your priorities, respect your energy, and invest
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your effort where it can make a meaningful
27:50
difference.
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Stay driven, keep growing, and you know what,
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ladies and gentlemen, I am actually gonna see
27:56
you on another show real soon.
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Have a great one, everyone, and be well.