Go to the end for lessons learnt.
Let’s see where this goes…
This is an unplanned exercise in regaining some clarity. Writing is, for me, a healing and growing exercise. It allows me to externalise what is important to me at any given time. It helps me to clear my mind and regain focus.
Time to clear some cobwebs…
After a few months of explosive growth, I fear I may have over-extended myself.
In December, I started building my plans for the future and setting outrageous goals. I broke these down into their components and made smaller goals to fit the big picture.
I made guidelines for the tasks I needed to work on each day and week and started working on them.
I smashed some of these smaller goals out of the park early on. This was something I would have either never got round to or taken a very long time to achieve. I experienced the power of achievement and its effect on motivation and self-esteem. It also helped me foster an attitude of awareness for opportunities. I realised that the people we think are lucky often were “lucky” because they were prepared and aware when opportunities came. I wonder how many opportunities I have missed because I was either unprepared or unaware!
Anyway, my progress motivated me to press on with other steps in the plan, but a couple of opportunities came up that matched the bigger picture.
Over the last two months, two job opportunities came up, both with little time to apply. I went for the first and, as I do whenever I really want something, I spent as much time as I could on it and applied. Looking back, I should have seen that I was underqualified. At the time, I figured it was worth a shot. I later found out that the job was not exactly what it seemed either…
The second is a much better fit for my overall plan, so I invested even more time into it. I attended two interviews-I think I did a good job on both and I am awaiting the results in the next few days. If it works out, it brings my plan forward at least a year. It is going to be a huge impact on my attention and growth, but this is good as it fits neatly into my plan.
If it does not work out, I will at least have learnt my areas of weakness and understanding of the job for when I go for it again in a year or so.
So I spent a lot of time preparing for two jobs? So what?
The consequence is the time spent. I am glad I did not get the first job because it is not what I thought it was and would be an even bigger drain on time and focus. The time spent on the second was worth it because I learnt from it and it may speed up my plan. However, I recently started studying for a diploma which has a heavy workload. The two applications took my time and focus away from this. It has also drained my energy and impacted my decision making. I have not been at my best.
My lack of focus and energy has been affecting the quality of everything I do. I can sense depression creeping back in after a long absence. So what can I do?
Lessons
Know your core values.
This is what drives you to do what you do in life. It shapes everything and helps you focus on what is important. You will have some sense of this based on what gets you fired up and passionate.
Focus.
When you focus on one thing, you do an excellent job of it. Start with the best thing, not the easiest. This is why most people procrastinate and do not achieve their goals. View all activities through the lens of your goals and responsibilities.
Make a list of the most important things you need to do and work at them one at a time. It sounds simple but it is not always easy. It is, however, extremely effective. If you are working on the most important thing, how much does it matter if the others do not receive as much attention?
Focus builds your character and guides you to say no to time and energy vampires. The less time and energy you have, the more efficient you must become. Cut out everything that does not serve you. This does not mean no fun or social life, but everything in moderation, and everything planned. Allocate specific time blocks to specific activities and do not mix them. Put the least brain taxing tasks at the end of your week.
Prioritise.
If you focus on one area, that area can grow rapidly, but at the expense of others. Identify and order the most important areas of your life. If multiple things are important, prioritise-you cannot do your best at everything at the same time. Some readjustments of timing and goals may be necessary.
In some cases, you may have to accept that you cannot be the best at two things because they are both of high importance to you (i.e. family and career). Compromise may be necessary-make this choice consciously!
Organise.
Create systems to automate your thinking. Set out your clothes the night before, have the documents you are working on ready. Do the same things in the same way at the same time (for as long as they work). Use checklists, folders, trays, a whiteboard, journal, diary, online calendars and other such tools for different purposes. Put things in the same place every time. Keep your workspace clean and tidy-it reduces stress and saves time.
Re-centre yourself.
Do this before you go to bed and again when you wake up. Set out your list of tasks in order of priority and read it before you go to bed and again when you get up. Do your business, grab some water or coffee and get started! Have a visual list of tasks in order of priority in a visible place in your workspace (e.g. above your computer or desk).
Self-reflect often.
This can be simple but effective. At the end of each day, before re-centring yourself, think about and write down what you did well and what you could have done better. Think about any changes you can make next time. Do this at the end of the week, month and year. Make sure you are still on track.
Regular input.
Particularly for people with depression, but also for growth in general, you need to seek outside knowledge from others who know what they are talking about. This could be people, websites or books. You cannot rely on the distorted view of the world you have in the depths of depression. Be selective in the advice you follow-does it match your core values?
Rest.
Leave space for times of no input. If you only have audio and visual input, you leave no space for the ideas and inspiration that come from within. You need time to process the input and decide what is useful. (Think: shower thoughts).
Take holidays (no devices, just relaxation) and get the right amount of sleep. True rest is essential for growth and repair-not just physically, mentally as well. Naps help a lot.
Manage stress.
Too much stress can kill. The right amount of stress will stretch you. It is amazing how much you can handle through repeated exposure. Your ability to cope with harder and harder situations will increase dramatically along with your self-confidence. Do not shy away from stressful situations. Grow.
Keep winning.
Small wins motivate more action and also build self-confidence. The more you achieve, the better you feel. It is a fantastic antidote to procrastination.
There is no failure.
Change your attitude. Take failure out of your vocabulary. If something did not go according to plan, maybe that is the way it was meant to be. Regardless, it is an opportunity to learn and grow. Keep at it until you figure it out. Progress is more important. When you stop seeing failure, you will have more motivation to try more difficult things.
Enjoy the journey.
People talk about delayed gratification being a secret to happiness/success/[insert goal here].
That is the wrong way to think about it. If you make the process of achieving your goals fun (think: checking off a list, or collecting things), delayed gratification is irrelevant. You will enjoy life, even through its struggles.
Follow your own advice and intuition.
Your gut feeling is usually right.
Focus on what you can control. Forget everything else.
If you cannot change something, it is not worth your time and energy. You can only control what you do.
Compare yourself to you.
You do not know someone else’s circumstances, you cannot control them, and they are not you. Compare yourself to you a year ago. How far have you progressed? Forget everyone else.
Never assume you have won the battle for your mind.
Keep tabs on your mind and body. Guard them carefully, do not get complacent. Continue to do things to protect, relax and grow your mind. Stay healthy!
What have you learnt from your journey?
Have you learnt anything from my journey? Is there anything you would add or change?
thejourneyx 