I often find myself remembering the days that were the hardest—those intense stretches when personal or professional stress was at its peak, yet critical tasks and decisions still had to be made.
These are not the easy days, but they are the ones that stay with me the longest.
On such days, I approach time differently.
Instead of seeing the day as a single overwhelming whole, I break it into smaller, more manageable blocks. Sometimes that means dividing the day into two halves: morning and afternoon. Other times, I structure it as 3-3-2: two blocks of three hours and one of two. Within these blocks, I decide which tasks matter most, which can be slowed down, and where I need to give my full focus.
Some blocks are intentionally slower, allowing me to conserve energy for the moments when critical decisions need sharpness. Other times, I move steadily with short breaks in between, keeping myself in motion. This way, even in the most difficult circumstances, I create rhythm instead of chaos.
By the end of these days, I may feel drained, but I also realize they leave the deepest imprint.
Human nature remembers intensity. It’s in those difficult, almost painful days that I discover more about my resilience and my ability to carry on.