This week's question is one I think many of us consider as we pursue passionate work. Many of us spend a lot of time stressing about the long term outcome of working in jobs we don't love, but what about the balance we need to hold onto when we are pursuing what we love.
Here's this week's question:
"Dear Ask Remabulous,
I've been thinking about the colors of my life.
There are so many things I want to do and try. I am making it a priority to surround myself with things that make me happy. But how can I make sure I
don't go overboard?
I am scared that if I pursue everything it will suddenly be too much of a good thing. I'm not
wanting to overload my life with too much STUFF. Even if all this new excitement and experimentation makes me
happy, I worry that I'll end up losing sight of the simple pleasures.
I want there to be balance while I am expanding into a new and better life. I want to be healthy, while not knowing where life is headed at the same time!
How do I make choices that reflect my joy in new options and committing to my passion, while still having a life that isn't nuts. I guess that's what it all boils down to.
Thank you,
Wanting to climb all the beautiful mountains at once
Dear Mountains,
Thank you for this question! This is a topic we haven't really covered yet, that of taking care of yourself once you do follow your passion, and I am so happy to address it...
image: cessna 206
Once we have shifted over to doing work we love, as a solopreneur or an artist, as I know you have, we can feel like we've gotten out of a tiny little box that has been holding us hostage for far too long. Once we get used to giving up on our passion for years the amount of energy that comes when we return to it and make it the center of our lives can be huge!
I know in your case that you have been working on your passion, but not with the level of commitment that you have now for quite a while. I am sure that you are caught up in the rush of it all right now.
Creative people- and entrepreneurs and artists- all of us- get this a lot- once we realize one thing that we discouraged ourselves from doing is actually possible, we suddenly translate that lack of limits to everything else we've been holding back on and we want it all RIGHT NOW.
This is perfectly natural, but the only way these things are actually possible, or doable in a sane and balanced way, is if they are tackled in manageable chunks. A teacher of mine uses the three foot ring toss as a visual metaphor- you want the steps you lay out for yourself to be a close range ring toss. While it is possible to get the ring on the pole from 25 feet away, it's more unlikely and more frustrating.
So, here's what I would suggest: get all those mountains you want to climb down on paper. These could be things you want out of life, projects, work ideas, everything. Long term, short term, anything. Let yourself play and if possible, write it in a pretty journal you keep just for this purpose. The panic that can set in with creative people is that if ideas aren't acted on right now, they will never happen, when the opposite is actually true: acting on only a few ideas at a time, or even just one, is the way to ensure you will get the most happening in your life.
I love that you are concerned about balance at this point. That is a really good sign. So once you have written down all your goals, also think about what a balanced life means to you. Wanting to be healthy is different things to many different people- write a list of criteria of what it would look like for you to be living in a healthy balanced way- is it getting a good night's sleep each night? Is it eating well and cooking at home? Going for walks? Regular time with friends and family? Something else entirely? All that matters is that you figure out what it is for you and get that down on a list.
Then put the balance activities on your calendar. Make sure you commit to them. And after that, put down commitments from your current work and projects. Make sure you aren't compromising them for new ideas.
Finally, look at what time is left. it may be more or less than you thought, but think about how much time you want to be climbing mountains right now. What feels like a good amount of time each week? Put that down as well.
Then, go to you list and pick the thing that speaks to you most urgently, the one that says "it's time for me to be out in the world!" and commit to working on that idea during that time.
As you come up with new ideas, put them in your journal. And as soon as you finish one mountain in your scheduled time, you can return to your notebook and move on to the next.
This way you get to move forward and you get to hold onto balance at the same time.
Make sure you think about those little things you want to hold onto loving. Do one every day, even for 5 minutes.
I think this way, you can have it all without feeling frantic.
Thank you so much for your question- please share how this works for you!
xoxo,
Caroline
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