How to focus when you want to do it all

Hey honeys and hustlers,

Today, I’m bringing you some words from Anna Mackenzie, the writer behind the Anna Mack’s Stack newsletter. She’s the person who introduced me to the phrase “portfolio career,” referring to the folks who want to take the skills they developed in their corporate career to become entrepreneurs and start their own businesses. I think this sits almost at the opposite end of the scale, where slightly maniacal people like me sit, to classify folks who developed their skills outside of a traditional role. There’s a lot of evidence that shows that the most successful entrepreneurs are the ones who start later in life, likely after their time in a traditional role. With so many mainstream media, journalism, and podcast roles in flux, I thought this article would be great to share with you all.

A few nights ago, before bed, I decided to wind down with a bit of light reading and peruse the results from a portfolio career survey I ran last year. Because who doesn’t love internalizing research insights before nodding off for their evening slumber?

While re-reading the findings, I found myself poring over response after response from people who were struggling with their focus. What to focus on, what not to focus on, and whether focus is optional or a requirement for building a multifaceted portfolio of work. Some lamented:

Focus. Some say it’s the enemy of multi-passionates with big dreams and long lists. We struggle to prioritise because we want to do it all. We get pulled in ten directions because our curiosity killed the cat. We don’t know what to do, so we try (and fail) to do everything.

Over the years, I’ve learned that trying to do it all doesn’t work, and picking something at random doesn’t either. And so instead, these days I anchor each decision by answering the following questions:

• Are my needs being met?

• Are my wants being explored?

• Is my purpose being fulfilled?

Mack’s Hierarchy of Needs

Today, I’m channeling my inner Maslow and applying his framework to help those of us building a multidimensional life decide how to prioritise and when to focus.

First of all, we need to satisfy our basic needs:

1. Money

2. Time & Energy

3. Connection

Then our wants:

4. Creativity

Then our purpose:

5. Legacy & Impact

Here’s why things need to be done in that order:

• Money. The bottom of the pyramid. You can’t act from a place of deep purpose while you’re stressed about paying next month’s rent, nor can you make good decisions for your future from a place of financial desperation. Security comes first, always.

• Time & Energy: The second layer. Both resources are finite, and without any time or energy to spare, you’re unable to do much else.

• Connection: The third layer. Building an unconventional life is hard. It’s lonely. Relationships become everything. Not only because every opportunity sits on the other side of a conversation, but because connection gives you support, guidance, expansion,n and encouragement. You can’t do it alone.

• Creativity: The fourth layer. With core needs covered, it’s time to experiment, create, and have some fun.

• Legacy & Impact: The top of the pyramid. This is the time to finally focus on the bigger questions, larger goal,s and longer time horizons. The meaty, meaningful stuff.

What to do based on where you’re at

Some ideas to help you take action, because we all know action = everything.

If you need to make money:

If you’re self-employed, the fastest way to generate income is by selling your existing skills as a service. If you’re a marketer, pitch for marketing projects. If you’re a CFO, make it your mission to find a fractional finance role. If you’re deep in the red, don’t be picky. Don’t be precious. Find something to cover expenses so you have the headspace to figure out what’s next.

If you need to free up time & energy:

Something’s gotta give in your calendar, and it’s your job to figure out what that is. If you’re employed but have dreams of starting a side hustle, can you go down to 4 days a week? Could you give slightly less to your job (controversial!) and redirect energy towards your passions? Audit your week. Get ruthless. Find a way.

If you need to find community:

Reach out to strangers. Go to events. Ask people for virtual coffees. Share your ideas online. Approach people who are doing what you want to do and ask if they’re open to a chat. Organise a meet-up. Curate a dinner. Get out into the world, and opportunities will start flowing in.

If you want to get creative:

Without the pressure of needing to monetise, give yourself free rein to tinker on a project or tease out an idea. Drop a waitlist for a product and see if people respond. Start a newsletter. Record a podcast episode. Make a mood board. Create a video. Take a class. Play around with AI. It’s time to get jiggy with it.

If you’re ready to build a legacy:

I’m still figuring this out, but to me, legacy is about doing something bigger than myself. Work that’s tied to meaning, a message, and a movement.

Final thoughts

Mack’s Hierarchy of Needs is not a perfect framework, and I’m not delusional enough to think it maps neatly to real life. In reality, the layers blur. The process isn’t linear. There’s tension between short-term survival and long-term gains.

But there’s something to be learned here. That you can be eternally passionate and still layer with intention. That you can focus on needs first. Your wants next. Your legacy last. That you’re able to be strategic, not scattered. Curious, yet considered.

Because when you prioritise this way, one day someone will ask ‘what are you working on?’ and instead of freaking out, you’ll lift your head, smile cheekily and proudly proclaim…

‘I’m working on it all.’