I always seem to have a thousand things going on. Currently I have about 50 non-fiction projects, 5 knitting projects, 5 fiction projects, a dozen other craft projects, 5 homesteading projects, and 4 or 5 music related projects (I play in three different community bands). And, I’m actively working on each of them.
Or.. trying to. The truth is that I’m scattered, stressed, and overwhelmed with everything I’m trying to accomplish. As a result, I’m not accomplishing much of anything, outside of homeschooling. My kids’ education always comes first, and they are making excellent progress.
But, I need to make changes to how I manage my work life. I’m trying to take on too many projects at the same time, and nothing is getting the attention, thought or time it needs or deserves.
How did I get like this? I’ve always been a productive person. There was a point, when my two oldest children were young, that I could easily manage working a full-time job, homeschooling and raising my older kids alone, and completing paid writing assignments to supplement my income. I was also active in our church, I taught Sunday school and ran a small church meeting group for single parents.
Back then, I had just as many projects going on, but I was better at managing my time and energy. Or, maybe I wasn’t and I didn’t realize it?
Either way, my focus is on what I can do TODAY to change the chaotic and hectic world that exists in my head. Intellectually, I know that by trying to do so many things at once, I’m spreading myself too thin– Physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I’m also reducing my ability to use the Law Of Attraction to my benefit. You attract similar energy to what you put out. What I am putting out is chaos, and confusion
I think a lot of people do this. We try to do way more than is reasonable, and in the process create stress for ourselves. Nothing gets accomplished that way.
How do you fix it?
The solution is simple. Slow down. Set aside time to evaluate your life, activities and projects. Decide which are important to you — Which speak to your heart and soul? Keep those. Get rid of the things that you’re doing just for the money, or to make someone else happy, or because it’s become habit.
In my case, I break up my activities and projects into overarching categories. For example some of my categories include:
- Homeschooling
- Natural health & wellness teaching/coaching
- General non-fiction writing
- Fiction writing
- Family
- Homesteading
- Personal health and development
Each of these categories brings me joy. I’ll admit that several of my projects do not.
I’ve been struggling with one project for years. I started a health/wellness book five, maybe six years ago. The text is 3/4 written, the info in the book is good. Most of it is still relevant, and my test readers have found the information useful. At the beginning of this year, I decided 2018 would be the year I either sent the manuscript out to publishers, or self-published it. In January I decided which publisher I most wanted to see this book with. I studied the submission guidelines, and wrote the entire submission package in about two weeks. Then, it was time to polish three chapters to make them shine. That’s when I realized I very much hate the way the book is written. It’s not “bad.” The writing is good, there are very few errors, and everything is both factually and grammatically correct. It’s the voice I don’t like. When I wrote the majority of the text, I was concerned about walking the line between modern medicine and natural health. I didn’t want to offend anyone. It’s not that I personally cared what the medical establishment thought of what I had to say — I didn’t. However, my step children were undergoing very closely watched mental health therapy. My step-daughter was in residential care for mental illness, and my step-son was in and out of the hospital for the same. Our family was under a lot of scrutiny and my voice in that book was one of fear. Fear of someone involved in their care taking offense to what I had written. It might seem far-fetched, but I had already had psychiatrists and physicians make negative comments regarding my work as a Naturopath and herbalist. Upon reading the rest of the book, I realized I hated the entire thing. I dropped the project. In the back of my head, I thought about rewriting the book. Almost a year later, I still have not made a decision. That project sits on my back burner waiting for me to either fix it, or let it go. For now, it can sit there. For me, this particular project has become a soul-crushing monster.
A lot of us hang on to things that don’t serve us, and drain our energy. We need to learn to let go of those things. Release them, so that Spirit/God can bring us something better. When we hold tight to those situations, projects, people, and places which make us feel drained, confused, tired, or just plain sad, we limit our ability to see the next good thing.
I believe that Spirit/God/Universe is always bringing us good things. In fact God wants only good things for each of us. Striving to achieve our Greatest Good means letting go of the negative, the things that don’t work, the things that suck our energy and having the courage to pursue those things which make us happy.
As we close in on Christmas, and the new year approaches, many people are evaluating their lives and making goals and/resolutions for the upcoming year. As we’re all striving to do better, to BE better next year, really look at what makes you happy, what makes you feel fulfilled and build on that. There is so much negativity in our world right now, so much hatred toward those who disagree. If each one of us spent that energy on doing those things which make us feel happy and fulfilled no one would have the time or energy for hatred.
