Areas of Interest

No one would ever have crossed the ocean if he or she could have gotten off the ship in a storm. (Charles Kettering)

I've written a lot about being busy and prioritizing what's important. I have a very aspirational nature that comes out in full force through my to-do lists, goals and intentions. Sharing the next plan I've crafted is fun. I enjoy envisioning the ideal end-point and then solving backward to each tiny detail.

It's certainly part of who I am and how my brain works. At the same time, this nature often pushes me to the edge. I bite off more than I can chew. Overcommit. Sign up, volunteer, and say yes to things I probably don't have time to do.

There are 145 emails sitting in my inbox. Over 800 unread items in my Google Reader. Just over 30 books that I haven't cracked open sitting on my bookshelf at home. I bought a few workout DVDs over the weekend to help me cultivate a wellness routine, but I've yet to break a sweat. There are several September magazines collecting dust on our coffee table. I signed up for Hot Dates and Align Your Website, but have fallen far behind on both.

It actually helps to lay it all out there. See in type where I feel behind. I used to think that there was a finish line I was running towards. When I graduate from college. When I get my first real job. When I buy a new car. When I lose 10 pounds. When there's more time. When we move in together.

The whens come and go, don't they? We are always in it. Living, breathing, existing, stretching and pushing ahead.

For me, it really isn't a matter of balance. (Even when I'm tempted to label it that.) I have always been someone with many areas of interest, but most of my satisfaction comes from doing a few things really well. I'm thinking about revisiting 168 Hours. I did the worksheet last year and took a few things from the experience, but I know there's more to learn.

How about you, my lovely friends & highly intelligent advisors? What strategies, resources or tactics do you employ to get where you want to be? To be totally ok with standing exactly where you are?

Image Credit: Untitled [86] via Stephen Brace