my projects overwhelm me

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.


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(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.)