At some point in everyone’s life, that little voice pipes up and says, “You should be doing more.”
More exercise. More family time. More vegetables. More productivity. More everything.
And once that voice starts talking, it’s easy to fall down the rabbit hole. There is always another level, another goal, another thing you could be doing better.
But you are busy.
Work. School. Kids. Activities. Meals. Laundry. Shovelling snow. The list never gets shorter. In today’s fast-paced world, many people feel like they’re just treading water—doing everything they can just to stay afloat. And somewhere along the way, working on yourself falls to the bottom of the list.
We live in a culture that glamorizes constant improvement and hustle. But here’s the truth: you’re human, and you’re doing your best. And your best may look very different from your spouse’s, your neighbour’s, or the carefully curated lives you see on social media. Some days, simply getting out of bed is a win—and that counts. So stop “should-ing” yourself to death. That’s not what growth is about.
The real issue isn’t that you’re not doing enough. Most people are actually overcommitted—often to things that don’t truly serve them, their family, or their purpose. Endless scrolling, too much TV, staying up too late only to feel exhausted the next day. The solution isn’t doing more—it’s refining how you use your time and where you place your energy.
For almost any goal, the simplest and cleanest starting point is this: one hour a week.
You don’t need to overhaul your entire life. Just find 60 minutes. That could be four 15-minute blocks spread throughout the week. The journey of a thousand steps starts with one, and if you consistently dedicate just one hour a week to something that matters to you, imagine where you could be after a year.
I like simple. So wherever you can simplify your life—do it. Wherever you can refine your schedule to better support your needs and desires—do it. We live in a complex world, but personal growth doesn’t have to be complicated.
Personally, I’ve committed to strength training and cardio three times a week for a minimum of 20 minutes. Some weeks I do more—and that’s a bonus. If I miss a week, I don’t beat myself up. I simply reset the intention and do better the following week.
One hour a week. One project at a time.
Refinement isn’t a sprint—it’s about finding a rhythm that fits your life.
Dr. Thom