I’m a bit of a broken record when it comes to balance. I think about it a lot, talk about it often, and find myself looking for it everywhere. Maybe it’s part of getting older, but I’m less likely to find myself wandering to extremes these days and more at home looking for a place where multiple things can coexist.
So it’s no surprise that in reading a recent Austin Kleon blog post, that I found myself nodding along and then quickly thinking “yeah, but there’s also this other side to it…”
There are some things that don’t have an endpoint. Laundry will always pile up, certain maintenance will have to be done. And if you’re lucky enough, the thing that you love to do will become a cycle of complete one thing and then start doing it again.
However, I’ve also lived on the other side of this where a cycle that should be broken keeps going because I just keep my head down working. It’s a good way to keep yourself busy, but it’s also a recipe for wasting time on things that should’ve gone away a long time ago.
The easy solution is to be constantly mindful and observant to avoid falling into that trap, right? Well, at least in my case, being devoted to keeping it going means my focus narrows – the blinders go on and the wide view disappears. So, the tunnel vision that’s giving me terrific productivity is also hindering me from doing the self-examination that would provide the balance I need.
So what do I do?
First step is taking some time at the end of this year in the next couple weeks to exam this past year (as painful as that will be) and put things in their proper place before moving into 2021. Next step is setting up regular check-ins with myself – to pull my head up from all the things I’m doing and get that wider view. I’m still working on the exact plan, but it’s coming together in my head.
In the meantime, I’ll also squeeze in some time right around New Year to read Austin’s book Keep Going again. After all, that is the whole point, isn’t it?