In a nutshell, the 50% rule says instead of trying to do all the things, do the half that most resonates with you. At first blush, one may think that it’s all about doing a half-ass job, but in reality, I embraced this practice years ago with a different analogy.
During the 2022 Olympics, I sequestered myself at home, due to the pandemic. In addition to watching more TV than ever, I saw more of the Olympics than I ever had. A novel thought overtook me: countries don’t send one olympiad to do everything; they send a team. And every Olympiad participates in events where their talents and skills lie.
After my Olympic revelation, I approached my projects with a more realistic expectation of how much I could achieve in a given amount of time, while also acknowledging that other things must also be accomplished. Although I rarely ask for help, I quieted my inner perfectionist, reminding myself that “done” is better than “perfect.”
What works best for me is to schedule doing things in a small increments of time. For example, during the workday, I get two 15-minute breaks. For the first break, I read a little from four books. The afternoon break finds me working on some creative project or studying. And whatever time I have left over from my hourlong lunch and 15-minute vibration plate workout, I blog.
The weekends are when I have the most time to leisurely work on projects the way I would if I didn’t have a day job. Nonetheless, the biggest priority on the weekends is to rest. May not seem that way since I never just sit and veg. Having an open schedule IS relaxing.
I’ve never thought of how I scheduled my time was doing 50%, though. It’s optimistic to think that things which bring me joy occupy at least 50% of my time. Some days, that allotment feels closer to 10%. Yet, when I look back over all the projects that I’ve completed over my lifetime, I feel blessed to have had the time to get them done and have something to show for my life.