Turn your face to the sun/ Let the shadow fall behind you

I've written about this before, but I get this question all the time, so here I'm tackling it again. How do I do it?

I tend to get asked this question with regard to either reading as many books as I do or just in general balancing my life. I think the answer just might be that I'm naturally efficient and quick, but here's another attempt at the details:

1.  I only have two hobbies, reading and aerial. 
2. Well, I guess there is fitness, but it's tied to aerial.
3. I take a lot of aerial classes a week, but because Drew and I fly together and are doubles partners, it's time together plus creative outlet plus community. So efficient!
• But also the best! Seriously. 
4. We do fitness stuff at home with the occasional spin and barre class at studios super close to home (well, I do those classes), so there's not a lot of time wasted.
5. I used to be really lazy about cooking. That's gotten better, but again we do easy-ish meals and cook together.
6. I'm not as obsessive as I'd like to be about keeping the apartment in order. You have to let some things go.
7. No children.
8. Sufficient sleep is a priority.
9. I can walk to work in 12min, so I don't waste time commuting. This is huge. While you can take a death by a thousand cuts approach to getting back time or saving money, if you can save either with huge expenses (which I do with this strangely cheap and centrally located place) and time sucks, it will make a larger impact.
10. I work when I can be effective. I get in the office early and rarely stay late because that what makes me efficient and productive. 
11. Scheduling stuff after work helps. Then I know that I have to get enough done and be efficient enough in the time I have or I can't do X fun thing.
12. Life is a marathon, not a sprint, so I pace myself and prioritize self-care.
13. I don't wear make-up or have any sort of beauty routine. I shower and brush my hair. That's really it.
14. I read all the time. If you can only read when you have time to devote 30+ min to the activity, it will be hard to get through books. If you can read for 5min and maintain mental continuity, that helps a lot.
15. I read quickly. I'm naturally a more empathetic, engaged reader, which makes me slower, but I've become increasingly analytic and detached. It's a different experience, but it's faster.
16. I track my reader and push myself when I get behind.
17. I don't waste time evaluating books, since I know that I have to read them regardless.
18. I read summaries if a book will be hard so that it's easier to follow. This feels like a cheat, but I do it anyway.
19. I'm not naturally social, so I really sort of hate going out and I prefer a small group of close people in my life. Saves time.
20. I accept that I will be mediocre at some things and focus on what is important to me, regardless of what the world thinks that I should do.
21. I don't get sucked into all the other things that I want to do, like get back into music, do Irish social dance, paint the apartment, write fiction, join bookclubs, etc. Even writing that out makes me sad. There is so much that I want to do!
22. I'm happiest when busy.