By Robyn Frost

 

Fundamental F*ckonomics

 

 

 

WARNING: If you’re under 18 or adverse to a curse, stop reading now.

 

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How much time and energy do you give to things you don’t care about? Do your friends/overly-interested family/Daily Mail make you feel like you ‘should’ do things that, in fact, you don’t really want to do? Just don’t have time for any of it?

 

Hey, I feel ya. It’s so tiring.

 

This term I’ve been implementing a new creative technique which I wanted to share with you all. I call it Fundamental F*ckonomics. Use it and you’ll get more time, energy, money and happiness –  and ideas as a result. It’s really easy. Simply say ‘f*ck it’ a whole lot more.

 

It began over coffee with a friend. We were talking about how to achieve the ever elusive work/life balance. According to her, I should be drinking spirulina from a NutriBullet and working out at 5am every day if I want to live the good life.

 

F*ck that! I’d rather have a g&t and a lie in on the weekend. Not sorry. 

 

‘F*ck’ is crass to some, but beautiful to others. And it’s worked wonders on my life. You know what’s coming – yep, it could change yours too. I recently read ‘The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck’ by Sarah Knight, a brilliant book “for people who are exhausted by presenting a facade of interest, enthusiasm and conformity to the rest of the world. Feel free to be yourself and live your best life”.

 

HELL YEAH.

 

This was extra fuel to my fire. And so Fundamental F*ckonomics was born.

 

‘How do I start living this totally amazing new life?’ you ask.

 

It actually all comes down to budgeting. Don’t worry, I’m crap at maths too – but hear me out.

 

 

1. Make a f*ck budget. You’re born with a lot of f*cks to give. You carry them round in a big bag wherever you go. Remember primary school? You cared what your lunchbox looked like, whether you had the ‘right’ school shoes, and whether or not you were invited to Lucy’s 8th birthday party.

   You gave a lot of pretty irrelevant f*cks and you’re not getting them back. They’re goddam precious – like a life currency. When you give a f*ck you give a person or thing your time, energy or money. Be strategic. Can you afford to give that f*ck, or could it be spent on something better?

Which leads us on to part two…

 

 

 

2. Make a list of things you’re not prepared to give time or energy to. Mine includes but is not limited to: ‘clean eating’, Facebook quizzes, 10k runs, other people’s children (excluding family, sort of), health apps, Game of Thrones, Dry January, being a morning person, Piers Morgan.

 

The beautiful thing about not giving a f*ck about certain things is you gain time, energy and money.

 

Think The X Factor is totally overrated? Don’t give a f*ck and gain 2 hours of time. Enough time to write SMPs or book a holiday, both of which have the potential to add far more value to your life long term. Not feeling that 6am spin class? Conserve all your energy with a longer lie in. Best friend getting married? Hey, you just found lifelong love, I think I deserve *insert present here* more than you do (save money).

So how does this fit into life at SCA?

 

There are opportunities all over the shop. Every day brings something brilliant and new – something to get excited about, stuck into, say yes to. New opportunities drive us towards something unknown, opening up more doors for learning, development and success.

 

Let’s be real though – work/life balance is a very real thing that we 100% have to take seriously. Otherwise we’ll burn out and the work suffers.

 

So let’s get our f*cks in order.

 

We’ll prioritise the things that make us grow and we’ll learn to distinguish between good opportunities and great ones (take the latter). Whether it’s an idea that needs to get the chop, or a severely overrated exhibition, acknowledge that you do not give a f*ck and be on your way.

 

A f*ck not given is something gained. You’ll reclaim hours and hours of time you can now invest in things that give you drive – like ideas and making shit happen. Then you’re headed for the good life.

 

Balance is a mindset. It also comes from a g&t in each hand – sorry, NutriBullet.