Many of us spend our days in a state of obligation—to our jobs, our chores, and even to our families and friends. But when we have time for ourselves, it can be surprisingly hard to know what to do with it.
If you’ve ever found yourself with free time but struggled to decide how to spend it meaningfully, you’re not alone. Personal creative projects, hobbies, and side hustles can often feel ambiguous.
Here are 3 steps to help you move from obligation to opportunity—from checking off someone else’s list to discovering your vision and figuring out what you want to work on next.
Step 1: Make a List
Start by sitting down and writing a list of things you think you might want to work on. These could be hobbies, creative projects, or skills you’ve always wanted to learn. Just get them out of your head and onto paper.
People usually fall into one of three categories:
- Overflowing with Ideas: If you can easily write down more than five things, your next step is *prioritization*. Choose 3–5 items that resonate most with you. These will be your focus.
- Just a Few Ideas: If you list fewer than five, you’re in the sweet spot. You already have a narrow focus.
- No Ideas at All: If you’re stuck, don’t get frustrated. Shift to thinking of this as a blank canvas. In The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron says, “Art isn’t about thinking something up… it’s about getting something down.” Don’t let the pressure to come up with a grand idea hold you back—just get something down, and refine it as you go.
In The Lion Tracker’s Guide to Life, Boyd Varty encourages following “first tracks” even if you don’t know where they lead. While following one set of tracks, we often discover new ones that bring us closer to what we’re truly looking for. Treat every item on your list as a track worth exploring. Even a dead end is part of the journey and can reveal unexpected opportunities.
Step 2: Manage Your List
Once you’ve made your list, treat it as a living thing:
- Make it Visible: Put it somewhere you’ll see every day—on your monitor, dashboard, mirror, or, like me, taped to the back of your phone.
- Edit it Regularly: Don’t be afraid to cross things out, add new ideas, or reorder priorities based on how your interests evolve.
- Be Specific: Instead of writing “painting,” try “abstract acrylic painting” or “watercolor landscapes.” The more specific your list, the more approachable and actionable it becomes.
The goal is to keep your aspirations top of mind and turn them into clear starting points.
Step 3: Act on It Daily
Now it’s time to work. You’ve got your list, but nothing will change unless you put in the effort.
- Start Small: Set a 5-minute timer. Just start. Often, momentum will carry you beyond those five minutes.
- Build Discipline: Productivity systems are helpful, but discipline is foundational. Even doing a little every day compounds over time.
- Be Consistent: If you miss a day, don’t sweat it. Just pick it back up the next day—but don’t miss two in a row. Two days off can become a new trend.
The focus isn’t on perfection, but progress.
Here’s the Thing
These steps are simple—in theory. The hard part is actually doing them.
This three-step method offers a framework to help you discover meaning and purpose:
- Make your list of things you might want to work on.
- Manage your list like a living tool.
- Act on it daily with small steps to build discipline.
It’s not about being perfect. It’s about paying attention to your curiosity and following those “first tracks” to see where they lead.
So the next time you wonder, What should I work on next?—you’ll have a process, a purpose, and most importantly, a place to begin.
Will you take the first step today?
Flashback to May 23, 2024
Last Day of 9th and 7th Grades
Flashback to May 23, 2023
Being It Real