Conscious Curation

For most of human history, we lived with scarcity. Today, for the first time, we’re drowning in abundance and our systems aren’t built for it. Everywhere you look, there’s more than enough: books, blogs, courses, videos, news. Affordability is no longer the barrier; it’s time. Even if you can buy it, you can’t fit it into your calendar.

That mismatch forced me to rethink how I live. My calendar became my gatekeeper. Before I buy a book, I ask: Will I have time to read or revisit it? Before I switch bags or cars: Do I have the bandwidth to move things over? If the answer doesn’t anchor in my calendar, my default is no. Only when it clears both the practical and emotional checks do I say yes.

In a way, I’ve re-introduced scarcity into abundance. By locking things to time, I’m forced to curate. I choose deliberately what I let into my life. Unless something truly moves me, I won’t read that book, meet that person, or watch that movie. This discipline turned me into a curator of my own attention.

Now I spend more time deciding what’s worth my time than collecting things. And that has brought consciousness, calm, and clarity into a world that overwhelms us with choice.