Embrace Your Own Seasons
Did you ever notice that different types of music go best with different seasons of the year? I have a giant collection of music, but there are certain songs that I just can’t get into unless it is spring, summer, winter, or fall. I’ve got an entire lineup of songs that I have at the ready, waiting to be used when the time is right and they just don’t sound as good any other time of the year.
Oddly enough, I’ve found that life also works like that. Perhaps less consistently, but the changes are still noticeable. For instance, I’ll be extremely interested in a certain topic for months and then find that without warning, I’ve lost all interest. In the meantime, I’ll have a renewed energy for learning more about another topic I lost interest in months before that. And so it goes…we drift from focus to focus like nomads in the desert.
In the past, I became frustrated by this change of energy because I’d be knee deep in a project and be unable to complete it. Like a fly banging into glass it cannot escape, I kept hammering away until I got angry or became physically exhausted. This pattern continued for years until finally…I had one of those “aha!” moments and decided to change my way of thinking.
When One Door Closes
While I was banging my head against a wall in an effort that I had no energy for, I failed to realize that had I picked up the momentum on my other projects, those that I had a renewed interest in, I could keep working as hard as I was before. Rather than frustrate myself, I could have enjoyed myself…accomplishing more while being happy all the while.
Looking back, I can see where the changes could have taken place. Looking forward, I can predict them before they happen. I’m not suggesting that you don’t finish what you start, but I am suggesting that you keep a list of several different projects so that you can change pace without skipping a beat.
Looking through my hard drive, I have several blogging projects, several music projects, several religious projects (I’m a zen master baby), and several triathlon and running projects. When I feel the momentum grinding to a halt, I look into my pool of interests for something else that gets me excited. I might not blow through every project on my list, but at least I am always moving forward.
The Benefit of Having Multiple Personalities
I might not be the average blogger, but this is the way that works best for me. You might do better working through a single project until completion. The point isn’t that you need to do what I do. The point is that you need to understand the way that your mind and body work. You need to spend time learning about what drives you and why. You need to dive deep into those frustrating moments so that you can dissect the problem and into a more productive activity.
In my case, I’ve learned how to cope with burnout and how to manage multiple interests. I’ve learned how to identify what really makes me happy and what doesn’t. As a blogger, it is very easy to put off today’s problems for tomorrow in order to finish one more post. I dont’ recommend it. If you feel unhappy at any time, I suggest that you stop what you are doing and think about your path.
We’re all destined for greatness, but we have to get out of our own way. Embrace your own seasons and stay fluid, physically and mentally. You can try swimming upstream, but I don’t recommend it.
PodcastWebrepreneur Radio - How to Build an Online Business Empire
Get HelpHire Me to Solve Your Problems and Make You $
