I
have a lot of projects. Travel, learn
languages, work out, start a blog, the list goes on and on and on and on. I want to do all these things, plus keep
doing the stuff I’m already doing. (I
totally can, right??) And, not surprisingly,
I end up feeling overwhelmed and accomplishing nothing.
Maybe
this sounds familiar?
I
have stuff that I sort of ‘have’ to do, like creating more teaching resources
and maintaining my teaching store. But….
I also want to do other things, like:
-write
a book about time management for people with nontraditional jobs
-pass
my 8th figure skating moves test and start competing again
-donate
and build more houses in Latin America
-develop
a course to teach Catalan to English speakers
-speak
10 languages!
I’m
all over the place…
And
I’m so overwhelmed by all the things I want to do that I end up not really ‘moving
the needle’ (making true progress) on any of them.
Maybe
this sounds like you, too?
So,
I’ve been thinking a lot about how to handle all of these seemingly disjointed
projects that are all part of my one big project (my life!). Here’s my secret:
>>>>
maintenance mode <<<<
I
know, sounds really exciting, right?
But, in order to really focus on one project, my brain needs to
‘backburner’ everything else. Our brains
are programmed to keep reminding us about unfinished tasks until we actually
finish them. So, in order to focus on
newer projects, or to move ahead with a focus project, I need to put everything
else in maintenance mode. Stuff can
still exist and even grow in maintenance mode, but it means is that I don’t have
to think about any of it outside of when I’m actually doing it- it’s all
routinized.
Maintenance Mode means that those projects do not require significant decision making or complicated thinking in order to move forward. Things are still getting done, and the projects are still happening, but all of the decisions and set up have already been done. They are *almost* on auto-pilot.
Some
examples of things in maintenance mode right now:
-Teaching
Resources Store: product creation:
Every morning, I wake up and create for 2
hours, no matter what. I’ve already
chosen the projects and laid out all of the pieces. I just need to wake up and write.
-Travel:
exploring around Seoul:
I’ve already planned out an activity or area
to explore for each day that I’m here.
So I just need to put my shoes on and off I go!
-Language
Learning: Thai (currently Beginner/ A1):
There’s no Duolingo program for Thai, so
I’ve come up with my own very simple flashcard system, using the words and
phrases from an app and from my Berlitz phrasebook. I just have to get a cup of tea and my piles
of flashcards, and start studying.
All
of these projects are in maintenance mode right now. They’re all set up. The decisions about how
and when and why to proceed have all been made.
I don’t have to think about these things any more, I just do them. This frees up the rest of my time and energy
for working on newer projects or projects that are stalled and need thought to
move forward. And I can feel less
anxious because I know I’m still moving forward on these things.
* *
*
(This post was
written on a Saturday morning, after spending much of Friday wandering around
Insadong, eating everything in sight, and visiting the MMCA art museum in
Seoul, South Korea.)