Picture an ideal situation of professional life; one is majorly occupied by the hustle and bustle of their career and it gets increasingly difficult to make time for other priorities of life. The work atmosphere in most parts of the world is not easy. In the United States, the corporate culture calls for no less than 9-10 hours of work a day, while working in senior positions can take you to a time capsule of more than 10 hours a day. Not just America, but millions of people across the globe are engaged in a schedule similar to this, which makes it quite difficult to scoop out some hours of the day for other things.
People strive to cut their work hours short so they can spend time with families and address other priorities of life. Many of them also manage to devote themselves to other kinds of interests that they have in life. A perfect example remains James Michael Lafferty who is prominently known as a CEO of different Fortune 500 companies in the FMCG sector, namely Procter & Gamble, and Coca-Cola. James has also been a CEO of British American Tobacco (Philippines) and is currently the CEO of Fine Hygienic Holding in Dubai. Apart from that, James is also a professional track and field coach, who previously coached Nigerian Marathoners and Philippines team during Rio Olympics 2016. James co-founded the first and the biggest marathon for beginners – The Bull Runner Dream Marathon – an event that is held in Manila, every February.
That’s not all. James has also been a professional athlete, having run more than 30 marathon events. He is a three-time national champion in Powerlifting in The Philippines and still competes in the sport of weightlifting. If you think that’s enough, then note that James is also associated with a leading newspaper in the Philippines – Philippine Star and is actually an award-winning columnist. Not to forget, James is also a trainer and public speaker who has spoken to more than 75 companies in the leading business sectors.
All-in-all, James is a prime example of delving into different interests in life other than your career. If you are inspired by him or people like him, here is what you can do to keep tabs on your potential interests:
Cutting Down Distractions
Believe it or not, the primary reason why we fail to pursue other interests is that our schedule is clouded with different sorts of distractions. If you sit down and scrutinize the least important things you are giving time to during a day, it is better advised to pull the plug on them. Scrolling the internet, having more than 2 drinks at the bar, extending hangouts or simply being a couch potato can seriously kill most of your time.
Active Discipline
Discipline is the push that drives you to achieve your goals. If you are supposed to be working out at 8 pm then there should be no question otherwise. It’s the discipline which you develop as a core characteristic in your personality which takes you everywhere.
Drive For Adventure
Nobody became rich or earned remarkable success working a 9-5 job and following the order of life defined in the 20th century. If you wish to make your life interesting and add activities which would really make you feel alive, cut the part where you are most likely to be following a monotonous routine. Go out on adventures, hang out with people you wish to become like, take risks, try sushi, kiss her and never stop counting on adventurous experiences.