I’ve referred to my chaotic lifestyle a like that guy who spins plates on long poles… running from plate to plate to keep each one spinning. That’s me… a million projects and goals to do and I’m running from one to another.
Before you roll your eyes and compare me to your own life, let me admit that I KNOW everyone modern woman is doing this today. Some do it with their kids activities, some do it through work and most do it with a combination of both. We are all rushing to accomplish all these things… these spinning plates. And I’m reminded of the relaxation of the no-task electronic-free day I had last month.
So one day I tried a bit of slowing down. When the kids finally let me get some work done, (i.e. I gave up parenting them and parked them in front of the television) I sorted ALL my work into a few categories. Its my favorite way of organizing myself. I whipped through a few of the easier tasks, conquered the bank statements for 2 of the 3 accounts and then tackled the Licensing Job that’s been hounding me for months. And I can proudly say I finally got some completion. 2 of the 4 Licenses are finalized and I was able to email them to the many clients waiting for them. The last two need some adjusting and pricing and then this arduous chore hanging around my neck for a year will be finished!
And the relief off my shoulders is palatable! I know the reason I multi-task so many things at once is that I get A LOT of good, minor Completion (which is my personal compulsion) every day making sure these plates spin smoothly in the air. And when it’s expertly organized it only takes a few taps a day to keep things even. Check 7 email addresses daily, fill orders weekly, update mailing lists monthly, file bi-weekly, answer the phone when it rings… all little taps that run the job smoothly.
It’s the new job that always puts a screw into the works. And every business will always have a new job. You have to or your business stagnates and stops. Filming a new video, getting our existing videos up as previews online, filming our own online course, putting the videos into a pay per view system on our website. Big plates I have to take baby steps to begin the spinning process. And like every new plate, they wobble a lot at first! But also like every plate I currently spin, if I keep at it eventually I’ll get it to the point where it only takes a few taps to spin it.
And sometimes a plate gets dropped. There have been times I’ve realized I’ve got too many and take one down. Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned by my 40’s is that I don’t HAVE to do everything. It’s okay to pass it on to someone else or just walk away, even if I know I’d do a much better job. (Reason number one I’m NOT on the PTA or Room Mom or active in the Cub Scouts… I’d take it over and overwhelm myself.)
Sometimes you just have to walk away, say “No, thank you” or quietly pretend you are completely inept for the sake of your own sanity. Because the crashing sound of all those plates dropping is the last sound you’ll hear before your mental breakdown and the quiet Lithium induced silence of the mental ward.
Sometimes it sounds appealing.