Responsibilities connect you to the social landscape. The things you do for others make you relevant to their lives.

But carrying the wrong responsibilities can make you depressed, anxious, and miserable.

Here is a 3-step framework for optimizing your responsibility stack [You can do it in <20 mins]:

1. Inventory Current Responsibilities

Carl Jung once said, "the world will ask you who you are and if you don't know, the world will tell you." Most people stumble into their responsibilities only to wake up one day and hate their lives.

But that doesn't have to be you.

The first step to optimizing your responsibility stack is to take inventory of your current responsibilities.

Write down a list of all the roles you play.

Husband
Mother
Son
President of the PTA
Business owner
Barrista, etcetera. Be thorough.

Then turn each role into a heading by making a list of all the responsibilities you take on for that piece of your identity.

Repeat for every role on your list.

2. Map Future Responsibilities

Grab two highlighters.

Highlight all the responsibilities you want to keep, those responsibilities you want to continue carrying.

Then highlight all the responsibilities you do not want to keep, the responsibilities you don't enjoy, that you avoid, that you dread. You do not have to keep carrying these in the future.

Now list the responsibilities you could use to replace the ones you hate. Choose one replacement for each.

Lastly, list the action steps you need to take to leave the responsibilities you don't want on your way to taking on the responsibilities you do want.

3. Optimize Your Daily Routine

You can't carry the right responsibilities, or the wrong ones for that matter, when you aren't at your best. And you aren't at your best if you don't have an established routine to strengthen your body, mind, and spirit.

Create a practice you enjoy doing on a daily and weekly basis that makes you stronger, smarter, and more aligned with the Great Spirit's plan for your life.

Once you have moved through this 3-step exercise, you are ready to ACT.

Commit to your new daily practice and begin doing it tomorrow.

Take your list of action steps and put a few on your to-do list for tomorrow.

This is how you optimize your responsibility stack over time.

A 3-level Framework for Optimizing Your Responsibility Stack

Responsibilities connect you to the social landscape. The things you do for others make you relevant

The all-in-one writing platform.

Write, publish everywhere, see what works, and become a better writer - all in one place.