Well this is probably as close as I've ever cut a blog post I was supposed to write in a given day. It's 11:30 PM, and I have 30 minutes to type this, so please bear with me.
The nice thing, of course, is that this post will be nice and short and sweet for you to read, since I want to stick to nice, short and sweet to write as well.
Basically though, I just want to remind you to give yourself a break. Especially if you're super goal-orientated like me.
I mean, I have goals for the day, for the month, for the year, for the next five years. And that's just for my writing. I'm not even going into all the other things that have to go on in my life, like my life goals (I want to speak seven languages fluently before I die), work goals (would be nice if I died a multi-millionaire who spoke seven languages fluently) and the like.
So yeah. I like goals. Goals, to me, are like stepping stones marking out the road I'm taking to get certain things done.
There's a problem with this, though. Sometimes, I get so focused on stepping on each of those stones that I don't look up and enjoy my surroundings. And the thing with that is that if I'm not enjoying at least something of what's going on around me, what's the point of taking the journey on the first place?
Take my life at the moment. Job pretty much slowed to a crawl, so I set this huge writing goal that I wanted to achieve in July. (I wanted to write 75k in 31 days.) It was definitely doable. In fact, I'd hit 50k in a bit more than two weeks. But in week three, this incredibly amazing job opportunity came along. The problem? 18 hour work days since week three. Which means that I'm now at 63k, and will have to write 4k every day just to get to my goal.
Over the weekend, I busted my butt, trying to get into what I like to call catch-up range. And I came close. But on Monday, the 18 hour work days resumed. And today I just realized that hey, I'm working with some exciting stuff. Yes, I might not write as much. I might not make my goal. But this opportunity, I believe, will go on to define my life (in the sense that I'll be running a huge business by the end of the year. In an industry that has always fascinated me).
Why should I put the added guilt and pressure on myself to write those last 12k? I can write them later when I have more time again. I can write them, when I feel like writing instead of panicking because I'm not writing enough.
So that's what I am doing as of right now. Still hitting those stepping stones, but slow enough that I can actually enjoy what I'm going.
What about you?
You hit right on target with my thoughts about life right now! Goals are good, but we can't make ourselves crazy with them, trying to jam them in the wrong spaces. Enjoy your new business!
ReplyDeleteSo true. Thanks. :-)
DeleteOne wants to write quality rather than quantity so good for you that you have a job even though they are long hours. It seems you enjoy it and you are still planning to finish your writing but you measure the quality-good for you!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely. There's no point in hurrying if I'm just going to have to redo it all later.
DeleteThat's a heck of a lot of writing and working! Yep, give yourself a break. Stop and smell the coffee. I just completed a huge goal and now I'm trying to learn how to relax a bit. LOL. It's hard.
ReplyDeleteHahaha yeah that's the thing with me and goals. If I finish one, I start on another without a beat.
DeleteI am very, very skilled at setting impossible to-do lists and beating myself up when I fail. And my life is not a fraction as busy as yours.
ReplyDeleteLetting go and savouring the ride is wonderful - but I need to be reminded. Often. Thank you.
You're welcome. ;-)
DeleteI need to be reminded all the time as well.
Great post! Everyone deserves a break. Especially you, since you do so much! I go in cycles. I push myself too hard and then I slow myself down only to end up pushing myself to exhaustion again. I have yet to find that happy balance.
ReplyDeleteI do the same thing. :-D
Deleteoh wow, the pressure we put ourselves under! I'm trying to get my next novel ready for beta readers... but I'm still so far off it's driving me crazy!
ReplyDeleteYeah it's the the same with me. I don't really realize how much pressure I put on myself until I actually have to stop.
DeleteGoals are great, but they have to be flexible enough to allow for change and exciting new opportunities that come along. You've already achieved an amazing amount of writing, which should make you proud. As you say, you have to enjoy the journey. Love every minute!
ReplyDeleteYeah if it's all about the goals, what's the point of actually living?
DeleteMost everyone has said what I was thinking. I'm glad you're pursuing opportunities, and not letting your goals stand in your way of accomplishment. That sounds a bit backwards, doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteHahaha yeah, but it's true that goals can be more of a handicap than a help, depending on how we approach them.
DeleteI've learned to pull back and give myself breathing room now and then. It's necessary to recharge my batteries. Glad things are turning around.
ReplyDeleteYeah it's so important to take breathers. I have a tendency to forget that.
DeleteGreat advice. Too much pressure takes all the fun out of it. 18 hour days? Wow.
ReplyDeleteYep. The days are easing off again, at least, so I can't complain.
DeleteCongrats on the new business opportunity! I'm very goal-oriented, although I try to cut myself some slack when things don't quite go as plan, which seems to happen more often than not.
ReplyDeleteI do the same thing, by keeping an eye on the whole picture rather than on focusing only on the goal at hand. Still, it's easy to lose perspective.
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