You Can Do Anything - But Not Everything
A reflection on time, focus, and the danger of trying to do everything. Plus: a crucial update on the OB3 and why you need good CE.
We love to say, “You can do anything you set your mind to.”
And it’s true.
But here’s what we don’t say enough:
You can do anything — but not everything.
You don’t have unlimited time.
You don’t have unlimited energy.
And you definitely don’t have unlimited focus.
So why do we live like we do?
You Won’t Live Forever
Let’s get uncomfortable for a moment:
The average life expectancy in the U.S. is 78 years.
If you’re in your 40s or 50s, statistically, you’ve already lived more than half your life.
That’s not meant to depress you.
It’s meant to liberate you — to remind you to choose with intention.
“The trouble is, you think you have time.”
— Jack Kornfield (paraphrasing the Buddha)
We keep telling ourselves we’ll get to it later.
But later has a habit of never showing up.
We’re Judged on What We Finish
We all have half-done projects, brilliant ideas sitting in a Google Doc, or dreams we keep postponing until the mythical “someday.”
But life doesn’t give out awards for potential.
We are remembered for what we complete, not what we start.
“Vision without execution is hallucination.”
— Thomas Edison
No one’s handing out trophies for that course you almost launched or that business you semi-started.
You either finish it — or you don’t.
Distractions Are Stealing Your Life
There’s a whole world designed to waste your time:
* Doomscrolling
* Internet arguments
* Drama
* Pleasing people who don’t respect you
* Obsessing over things you can’t control
All of it?
It’s noise. And it’s stealing your life, minute by minute.
“It is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste much of it.”
— Seneca
Be Ruthless With Your Time
Every “yes” is a “no” to something else. Better put, if it isn’t a hell yeah, then it is a no. (Hell Yeah or No: What’s Worth Doing is an excellent book by Derek Sivers)
“You must decide where your time goes. You can either spend it moving forward, or you can spend it putting out fires.”
— James Clear
We don’t need to do more.
We need to focus more.
What’s the one thing you actually want to finish this year?
What’s draining you that you can walk away from?
Where is your time going — and does it reflect your values?
What Will You Be Known For?
In the end, no one remembers your intentions.
They remember what you did.
So stop trying to do everything.
Choose what matters.
Finish something.
Let the rest go.
You have limited time.
Use it well.
News Update: OB3 — One Big Beautiful Bill
In case you missed it, “OB3” — short for One Big Beautiful Bill — was just signed into law. It is full of changes that will affect all of us and our clients.
Here’s the problem: there’s already a flood of misinformation spreading like wildfire on social media. Even worse, many people received an email from the Social Security Administration that was wrong. The bill did not change taxation on social security - instead, it created a temporary below-the-line tax deduction for those 65 and older.
So many half-truths. Misunderstood provisions. Fear-mongering. People teaching classes on it who are less than equipped to do so.
For more information about OB3, check out this article:
Now more than ever, we need high-quality CE taught by people who actually read the bill, understand the law, and know how it affects our clients.
That’s why I’m recommending Tom Gorczynski’s upcoming class at Compass Tax Educators.
He’s one of the best educators in our field, and you’ll walk away not just informed — but prepared.
👉 Take the class. It is on Friday, July 11th @ 2 PM Eastern. It will also be recorded and available to watch later.
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