Successful Juggling
June 7, 2006
I’m emerging from a long period of feeling overwhelmed. Through a series of well-meaning ventures, I woke up one day to find myself incredibly over committed. Part of the problem is that the rest of the world doesn’t stop just because I said, ‘Yes.’ Add a family wedding to an already busy schedule, and that can be one ball too many.
So what happened? Well, I got rather stressed which only exacerbated things. I would go into stretches where I just felt paralyzed. Of course, all that did was make me feel worse. When I finally would get my brain working again I realized I had two choices.
1. Duck and let all the balls smack me in the head and then try to pick up the pieces. Or
2. Start juggling and just keep focused on what has to happen next.
I chose number two. I started to look at exactly what had to happen for each project. I broke it all down into little bite-sized pieces. Then I started to examine my work habits and realized that I’m most successful and happy when I work that way. It’s not that I can’t see the big picture, but I like to feel like I’ve accomplished something on a regular basis. Maybe it’s an instant gratification thing. Waiting until you’ve spent months toiling on something to get the payoff, just drives me nuts. By having small manageable tasks, there’s regular feedback and ongoing accomplishment.
Now the question is, can I keep this up? I have a break from commitments for a little while, but I’m sure I’ll have a million things going on again soon. I think examining my work habits a bit more may be in order. I definitely have some really bad ones that I need to find ways of adjusting. I suppose the first step in all this is just identifying the habits that work and don’t work. So, yeah me! I just accomplished something!
Technorati Tags: productivity, personal growth, habits, self examination, wabi sabi
Comments»
I’m with you on the breaking it down into “little bite-size pieces”. Though seeing the big picture is great, the instant gratification is needed in order to keep the machine going…
Enjoy your little break and let me know if you come up with a grand plan!
carly,
it is always easier to break down a big task into small pieces and get them accomplished. you get the instant gratification and you also are working towards the accomplishment of the bigger task. this is a classic jedi mind trick!!!
but, don’t postpone commitments because you are trying to finish some task. the tasks come and go and will always be there. do what you want to do cause that opportunity may not be there again.
Ever read any books by SARK (www.planetsark.com)? She discusses the Art of Micromovements which this piece reminds me of.
I applaud your site, ladies! I am eager to read more of it.
Also, be sure to check out the blog of Andrea Scher on http://www.superherodesigns.com - I think you three would enjoy what she has to say.
Keep up the excellent work!
Sounds like WabiSabi baby steps to me!
I haven’t read anything by SARK. I’ll have to take a look at it. I love the name super hero designs! I’m definitely going to have to take a look.
Pardis had an excellent point on not putting things off. I have to figure out how to not overcommit in the first place, or just find better balance when I’m there. I’m a terrible procrastinator. It’s something I really struggle with. I’ve elevated it to an art and need to really kick this habit.
>Thanks for the great comment, Pardis! I’m definitely loving all this interaction!
>Emily, thanks for the compliment and I will check up on those sites!