Jem Cope - Looking for Work

My cofounder recently told me he keeps what he calls a “Top 50” list. It’s a rotating list of the 50 most important people in his life. When he has downtime and wants to catch up, he checks the list. When he’s in a new city and deciding who to see, he checks the list. He’s one of the most social and well-liked people I know — one of those people everyone wants to hang out with. And when he’s with you, you can tell he’s giving you 100% of his attention. But because of that, he used to overcommit. He’d spend time managing one-sided relationships and hanging out with people who didn’t really matter to him. The list helps him focus his energy on the people who actually matter. Not just close friends or family, but also people like mentors or old friends who’ve always been there. If you’re not on it, you might still get some of his time. But his best? That’s reserved for the people who matter most. It’s kind of ruthless… but also kind of genius? Especially for people who get FOMO or over exert. At the end of the day, you can’t be everywhere, and you can’t give your best to everyone.