Boyan, Introduce yourself in a few sentences
My name is Boyan, 30 years old, I was born in Varna, and I live in Sofia. For more than 7 years now, I have been working in the field of education and culture, because I believe that education is the foundation of society, and culture is its decoration. I don’t like to define myself and I’m always looking for new things to learn and put my energy into. I work for Ucha.se/Eduboom.
On the weekends, I work as a mountain guide with my agency – Outsiders. I am a full-time father. I don’t stop traveling. I am constantly inspired by exciting art, people, wine and landscapes. I can’t stop being angry at mediocrity, incompetence, and impudence.
What motivates you to constantly work for change for the better and seek adventures to embark on?
I am motivated by my irritation at the mediocrity that constantly tries to surround us. We generally live in a bad place (Bulgaria) and I find it harmful if someone wants to make it even worse. I try to create things that are meaningful and of value to me and the people who use them as services or products. That is it.
I embark on new adventures because I am curious by nature and never stop searching. I’m interested in so many things and I’m in a constant duel with the clock because I just don’t have enough time for everything I want to read, watch and do.
What practical time management tips would you give to multi-taskers like yourself?
To see if multitasking is their thing. I’m not a fan of the “24/7 hustle” mantra, quite the opposite. People have different approaches to work and multitasking for some people can cause problems in focus, problems in the quality of the final results, or even worse – drive someone to burnout.
If they still manage to multitask – think about how they can “juggle” fewer tasks or make the things they do constantly interact with each other (like I do). This helps a lot. And never take away time that is meant for yourself, for sports, for good food, and the time dedicated to your loved ones. Work is not the most important thing. It’s not even in the top 3.
Many people are afraid of failure and because of that, they do not start to work on achieving their dreams. What would you tell them?
I would tell them that there is no greater failure than not even trying to make your dreams come true. And I’m sure any 60+ year old would say that.
How do you deal with tension and stress?
A few things can make me tense and stressed in my work. I’m not a doctor, no lives depend on my actions. There are so many more stressful jobs. And this should be repeated to everyone who thinks that if this ticket in Trello is not completed, then tomorrow the world will stop spinning and the human species will cease to exist.
All my thinking (especially at work) is based on the “problem-solution” concept. I try to be more rational and less emotional to make more solid decisions and not get into stressful situations. Other things – I drink a lot of water and go hiking in the mountains. Also, I do the most neglected thing lately – take a nap. Even with a baby, it’s important for me to get a minimum of 7 hours of sleep. Minimum. I recommend to everyone “Why do we sleep?” by Matthew Walker. A wonderful book.
If you could recommend one book to people who want to make their dream come true, what would it be?
“On the Road” by Kerouac. Because every realization of an idea is a journey and a process 🙂 If it should be more business-oriented – “Creativity, Inc.” by Ed Catmull (one of the creators of Pixar). Because we should always think about how we can make something better and more beautiful.
Imagine that there is a person standing in front of you who is hesitant to start working on his dream goal. What would you say to him to motivate him?
I would tell him that the alternative (working on something that doesn’t fit into the dream spectrum) is not an option. We spend an average of 1/3 of our day at work. That’s roughly 1/3 of our lives. What’s the point of spending 1/3 of our time on something we’re not passionate about anyway?
