For me, blogging is hard. In fact, all writing tends to be an arduous process – tough break for someone that wants to be a writer. It’s not that I can’t write, it’s my inability to find the time and focus to write.
At any given moment, my mind is swerving from one activity to another on the day’s to-do list, which usually leaves me scattered and unable to give my ideas the thorough once-over required to develop a decent blog post.
Can you relate?
I’m starting to understand the source of my problem and, if you answered “yes” to the question above, it may be the basis of your troubles as well. Don’t worry, it’s only partially your fault.
I think there’s an expectation among many of us, especially Gen Y, that in order to be successful, we have to do everything…and then some. A real achiever can’t just focus on their job or business, they have to be immersed in ten things at once. Maybe this carries over from high school or college where the ’successful’ students are involved in a number of extra curricular activities. Unfortunately, it just doesn’t work the same in the real world.
Here on the dark side, it often takes more work to be involved with a non-profit, for example, than it did in school. Taking on too much only ends up overwhelming your mind as well as your organizational skills, leaving you burned out.
How do I know this is true? Because I’ve lived it. Right now, I’m working full time, taking a difficult class, attempting to volunteer my time with two non-profits, doing freelance work, keeping up with this blogging stuff and trying to make it to the gym every morning which, today, turned into training for a triathlon with a friend. Needless to say, I don’t make loads of progress in any of these activities – it’s simply too much.
Is this all sounding familiar? Yes? Well, I’m currently implementing the solution into my own life, and I think you may benefit from it as well. I’m cutting the excess and focusing on what’s important.
Think about all the things you do from month to month. Which ones are helping you achieve your goals? Which ones are dragging you down? Get a clear picture of who you want to be and leave everything behind that isn’t helping you get there. No, you don’t have to stop volunteering or visiting grandma, those can be part of who you are, but if one extra curricular is more important than the other, drop it. In my case, freelance work is more important than the class I’m taking so the freelance work gets priority.
The irony of finding ourselves in this situation is that we often create it in an ambitious attempt to achieve something, but instead, end up hindering our progress. When I’m at work, I’m thinking about homework for my class, when I’m doing homework, I’m thinking about writing a blog post, etc. Giving 100 percent isn’t possible, which isn’t the way I or anyone else should do anything.
What do you think? Do more and let everything suffer or take on a few things and crush them?
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