Take a look at yourself today, and where you are this holiday week. Are you attending to the present moment, or are you doing all you can to move forward with your life at a rapid, relentless pace? Do you take pride in continuously learning, or do you strive for instant gratification based on a few successes? Are you living with the mixed emotions of feeling satisfied but also spent at the same time?

Extremes are easy to reach, but sometimes less is more. Are you paying too high a price to get ahead?

Trim your list of needs, wants and responsibilities. Take on one less project, one less ambition, one less slice of your time, one less email and one less phone call. How will it make a difference to truly prioritize your time and weigh the importance of your responsibilities?

Think about each remaining task on your list as a brick in the home of your dreams. Not every piece will fit well. If you were to put your full weight into it, will it offer you the best results you hope to gain from it? Will it provide you the strong foundation you need to accomplish more important goals in the future?

If not, spend more time and be mindful of the present moment. Savor the texture and taste of each bite of food. Cherish each moment spent with your family. Do everything you can to effectively contribute in this meeting, not just plan for the next one. In whatever you do, really focus on what you are dealing with in the moment; don’t just lose yourself thinking about what needs to get done next.

You can get more value from that increased focus by reflecting and asking yourself a simple question: What did I learn today? Strive for knowledge, not just an outcome. By challenging yourself to answer it at the end of every day, you’ll recognize that your successes and the knowledge you acquire are milestones to leading better and living a fuller life.

And while responsibilities and deadlines will always loom, remember to always allocate time to nourish and nurture your mind, body and soul. You will be more relaxed, creative and ultimately find the time for those who matter most. Finding time for yourself will allow you to follow your passion. But it will also help you listen and communicate more effectively. Feeling more personally satisfied will give you a positive attitude, it will improve your home life, and it will encourage you to motivate others around you.

So as you’re making your New Years Resolution, by making these choices, you can learn to lean back, lead better, and live more.