Optimise Your Life for 2021

Many people I know are on a quest to optimize their lives — some of my favorite people in the world will spend days trying to perfect a productivity system, get things automated, or find the perfect software for anything they’re doing. They are on a continual search for the perfect diet, the perfect work routine, the perfect travel setup.

Optimizing can take quite a bit of time and energy.

What would happen if we let go of optimizing? Who would we be without the idea that we should optimize everything?

One idea is that if we decided not to optimize everything, we’d stop caring, stop trying to make things better, and live suboptimal lives. But I know myself pretty well — I will always care, even if I am not trying to optimize. I will always do my best, which is different than optimizing — it’s taking care and giving love, even if things aren’t optimized. I believe most of you are this way, pouring your hearts into something with pure love, without needing to make everything perfect.

Have you heard about this term CARPE DIEM- which means Seize the life, or seize the day…

Lets talk about the phrase carpe diem—seize the day. The more accurate translation would be “Pluck the day”—as in: it’s ripe and ready to enjoy!

But, here’s the deal.

We can’t actually pluck or seize a DAY.

We can only pluck or seize (or squander) the MOMENT. Which means Carpe Punctum.

We all are aware of the fact how stressful it can be when we try to perfect our day or how depressing it can be seeing others the so called perfect life shown in social media.

Last week, I heard these gorgeous words on the radio:

‘It’s not about the length, it’s about the depth, it’s not about the minutes, it’s about the moments.’*

Gorgeous right. Then yesterday, I was reading  Dan Millman’s book, The Twelve Gateways to Freedom.  I have devoured his words before and will do so again. He’s an absolute gem of motivation, inspiration and personal growth.

In it, he talks about carpe punctum … seizing the moment.

Carpe diem is normally the phrase that we know and use. Seize the day. But how can you seize a day? An entire day? You can’t. You can however cease moments.

Carpe punctum is a reminder to live each day fully. Life is a series of moments and it’s the quality of each moment that determines the quality of our lives. Living in the moment makes our lives simpler and at the same time richer. It’s about accepting what life throws at us with poise and grace, dealing with every scenario in the best way we can and remembering every little moment that every little moment counts. Whatever we decide to do with each moment, once it’s gone, it’s gone forever.

The brilliant Abraham Maslow said that each moment presents us with an opportunity, one where we can either step forward into growth or step back into safety.

Which one will you choose? Carpe Diem or Carpe Punctum.