🌼Marcus Aurelius: 4 Things High Achievers Never Waste Their Time On

🌼Marcus Aurelius: 4 Things High Achievers Never Waste Their Time On

With each moment you’re distracted, you waste time on something unworthy.

Marcus Aurelius’s life was an adventure. He’d wake up to:

• Threats in the Roman Empire
• Family disputes, and
• Plague affecting people

76 million citizens of the Roman empire relied on Marcus Aurelius. Because of this, Aurelius was under pressure to make the right decision. Instead of wasting his time, Aurelius meditated, journaled, and reflected critically.

Aurelius knew that one mistake could throw him from the emperor’s seat. Instead, he envisioned himself as a high achiever.

Read also: 3 things that make your life harder

Marcus Aurelius focused on building good, sustainable habits rather than bad ones. This is one of the reasons people still read “Meditations” by Marcus Aurelius because they find depth, instinct, and motivation in his books.

Aurelius believed that good habits were the foundation of a good empire. Therefore, he adopted some high achiever habits that will make you unstoppable if you adopt them too.

Marcus died 1800 years ago, but we still remember him for his work. Now it’s time for you to create the name using Marcus’ Aurelius’ strategies.

Let’s get started.

1. On worrying too much

Marcus was a kind and truthful emperor.

He listened to people’s problems in his court but didn’t take the issues with him to this house. You’re a different person in your home and your workplace — don’t confuse them.

Work like your life is solely based on those people, but at your home, feel like your home is the most comfortable place on earth.

You must talk to others and share ideas, but you should untie the worrying robe when you hit your bedroom.

As Marcus believed:

“Don’t waste the rest of your time here worrying about other people — unless it affects the common good. It will keep you from doing anything useful.”

How to apply?

Worrying stops you from rational thinking.

No one has ever made the right decision by worrying or overthinking. Instead, worrying does the opposite.

You and I both know worrying is not a stoppable habit, and for that, follow these solutions:

Journal: write down everything and point out your worries

Solve one thing at one time: don’t go overboard. Fill your plate with one thing at a time

Meditate: who says meditation is all about silence? Use that time to think and listen to your inner voice

Make a separate time for worrying: don’t do it in your bedroom. Forbidden.

# the last one is my favorite.

2. On distraction

Deadly habits we all have:

We don’t work hard until we’re pressured

We do the thing in front of us even though a thousand things are in the background

This is the reason we were all distracted. We rarely use to-do lists or whiteboards since we focus on things right in front of us and ignore essentials that are going on in the background. As an emperor, Marcus Aurelius disliked this habit. He said:

“Concentrate every minute like a Roman–like a man–on doing what’s in front of you with precise and genuine seriousness, tenderly, willingly, with justice. And on freeing yourself from all other distractions.”

You’ll have a free buffet, but you must choose the right food for your health. You cannot go on and get distracted with every dish.

This way, you may become ill.

How to apply?

Change your mindset:

Don’t do the thing in front of you but do the right thing.

In the back of your mind, create a timeline of things you want to do. Don’t waste your time because you’ll never live this day again.

With each moment you’re distracted, you waste time on something unworthy.

3. On living life

You work so much to earn money

But why aren’t you happy?

Prepare yourself to live life. Your daughter’s birthday will come again, but she won’t be eight every year.

If you lose her birthday party, you lose one-of-a-kind.

Events in life are priceless.

You work your a** off to enjoy those moments, but you become speechless when those moments arrive. For that, always remember to balance your life with work and happiness.

As Marcus Aurelius says:

“Time is a river of passing events, and strong is its current; no sooner is a thing brought to sight than it is swept by, and another takes its place, and this too will be swept away.”

Everything will wash away. Everything will end. But the memories stay — you should invest in them.

How to apply?

Create boundaries for yourself. For example:

You should make time for your daughter’s birthday party

You should make time for your mother’s illness

You should make time when people need you

Some things are necessary to do.

Otherwise, why were you given a family? Life is a river with passing events but do stop at the docks to get some perspective on life.

4. On dissolving

You’re here to create a name on this earth, to leave a footprint.

Just as Alexander and Thomas Edison mix into the soil, we will too. The things that will stay behind are the work we do for this humanity. As Marcus Aurelius said:

“Alexander the Great and his mule driver both died, and the same thing happened. They were absorbed alike into the life force of the world or dissolved alike into atoms.”

No one would want to know how many (extra) hours you invested in the business.

They want to know the results. Don’t invest in the wrong things that people don’t value. Stay away from people and events that are all about taking and taking.

Instead, live your life and create your name for the events. Do right by your people. Create and leave your footmark for something people will remember.

How to apply?

Whether it’s 2023 or 3033, people will always appreciate the following:

Kindness

Gratitude

Help

So, be kind and helpful if you want to be remembered for the change.

That’s the surefire way to leave your mark on the world — otherwise, you’ll die and mix into the soil like everyone else.

High achievers are not known for their work in the organization but for their work for people, even though nobody asked them.

Read also: Arnold Schwarzenegger’s five rules for a successful life

Final thoughts:

If you’re not a perfect person, I am not too. (Nobody is)

Every one of us learns.

But the significant part? Admitting mistakes puts people 10% ahead in learning.

And if you still think you’re perfect, think again.

Contributed by Noorain Ali

For more information and updates join our WhatsApp group HERE

Like our page on Facebook HERE

Join our Telegram group HERE