This is Johanna Rothman’s August 2026 Create an Adaptable Life Newsletter. The Unsubscribe link is at the bottom of this newsletter.
I hear a lot about work/life balance. I don’t buy that. While we spend time at work, we only get one life. And my theory of life is to live it with as much gusto as possible, to create my best possible life.
That’s why I like to consider a different question: What would you keep, change, or remove to make your best possible life?
Yes, I often think of these questions as part of a retrospective. And now, I’ve been asking these questions about my life. Mostly because I need to make some stark choices about where I spend my limited energy. (Chemo brain is a real thing. Sigh.)
- Keep, because most of the time, we want to keep a lot of what we already do.
- Change, because even though I love my routines, sometimes, it’s time for a change.
- Remove, because it’s time to simplify or shed what no longer works for us.
I’m actually starting with the third, as in what to remove. Sometimes, those are the easiest choices for me.
Remove What No Longer Serves Your Needs
If you have seen any of my videos, you can see I have a bookcase of many paper books. Yes, I’ve written some of those books. But other people wrote more of those books. I no longer need all of them.
I’ve also continued to clean up my office, which is staying (surprisingly!) relatively clean.
But some of what I need to simplify is very difficult for me—my interactions with some dear friends and colleagues. That requires me to change to make my best possible life.
Change What No Longer Serves You
People enter and leave our lives at random times. Sometimes, we move away from each other, leave jobs, or change interests. We no longer interact the way we used to.
But because I have limited energy and I have big projects I want to finish, I am not able to offer the regular support I want to offer to some dear friends and colleagues. At first, I felt this was very difficult. Then, I realized I was not serving anyone’s needs. I couldn’t be there for my friends. Nor could I do what I wanted for myself.
I was shortchanging everyone. That was unacceptable—and definitely not the mark of anyone’s best possible life.
While I feel as if I am a support vampire (I take support from anyone who offers it), I am not currently able to offer support in the ways I once did. I suspect that when I’m done with chemo, I will be able to do so again, but that could take a while.
That’s why I’m keeping a lot of my routines.
Keep What Still Serves You
Except for my first chemo days, I still walk my regular step count. In addition, I exercise because no one ever got stronger by sitting around. While I try to eat a relatively clean diet, there are days when saltines and ginger ale are my friends. I can’t change that, but I can adapt. (I have become a big fan of zero-sugar Greek yogurt, because that gives me protein and does not irritate my stomach.)
Everything is a balance—it’s just not work/life balance. It’s an adaptable life balance.
Consider these questions as you create your best possible life. You might realize you, too, have choices about what to keep, change, and remove. We can’t foresee the future, but we can adapt to our current reality. And that will allow each of us to live our best possible life.
Read More of Create an Adaptable Life
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- Create an Adaptable Life Blog to see the weekly question.
- My Books.
- My store.
- Managing Product Development Blog
- Johanna’s Fiction
- Tip Jar. (My newsletters will remain free. And I do want to offer you an option for you to show how much you value my work.)
Till next time,
Johanna
© 2026 Johanna Rothman