Juggling, projects and life – End of the Day for July 23, 2014

A project-oriented career and life can be a roller coaster at times. One project is rising and another falling . Add more projects into the mix and you get dips and turns and reversals that seem to come out of nowhere. While appreciated in a roller coaster, such drama is less welcome in life. It can lead to some troublesome days and worrisome nights. It is all part of living, though.

One way I try to smooth out my days is by having as many projects in play at one time as possible. My lack of focus on one area of my life helps here. I am always moving from task to task and action to action as a way of staying fresh and not feeling burnt out on any one project. I read books the same way. I will often have 2 or 3 book in progress at the same time, switching from one to another whenever I need a a break. Just like my projects, these books are often quite different. I’ll be reading a mystery novel one moment, then a non-fiction business or career book, and perhaps a non-fiction science-related title after that. I find it is a good idea to take regular breaks from nonfiction books to let the concepts, ideas and thoughts percolate a bit before continuing.

Still, down periods and down projects can leave me feeling bit down, too. Sometimes there is no escaping the feelings of futility or failure. For me, I find that the best way to combat those feelings is through action. When one project is giving me trouble, I’ll switch to another for s short time. This will give me the energy, rejuvenation and success that I can pour back into moving a different project forward.

Some people think of my life as trying to juggle too many balls at once, but just as in juggling, there are only a few balls in the air at any one time. Most are waiting in your hands, waiting to be put back into play. That is a great metaphor for the way I handle projects. Some are in the air, some are in my hand and I might not using others at all at the current moment. I focus on those projects I can move forward, catch the ones that are struggling and pay only the briefest thought to those projects that are off the table. Juggling projects doesn’t have to be stressful if you have the right outlook.

So tomorrow us another day of juggling here in the WelchWrite office. New projects will enter, old projects will idle and I might even finish a couple of projects along the way. Just as it should be, even if it is a wild ride sometimes.

Previously on End of the Day: