Many of you know I took almost three whole months off of blogging this summer. I tried to keep it up. As a helpful tool for all of us in our quarantine months. It was also, a vital creative outlet for me. Yet, as the months past, It became very apparent that I could not keep up. Mentally and physically I was running out of inspiration. Things were drastically shifting in my world and the world around me. I didn’t have the bandwidth.
I believe a lot of us push hard against releasing ourselves. From expectations, from routines, from commitments and from our own personal goals. I think this why so many of us didn’t do so well when things shifted so quickly. We were trying to hold on to too much. Do too much. Be too many things. Not releasing ourselves is especially true if those things we are doing or are apart of are things that are wonderful and fun for us.
It is very easy to cancel when you don’t want it, when you are sick, when there is something better offered. It is much more challenging to let go of personal mile markers, dreams, and desires. Often we push ourselves to an unhealthy place just by holding on too tightly. Today, as we sit in a very unusual time, I thought I’d write about a helpful tool I use when things seem overwhelming and the brain fog sets in. I use this often when things start to feel out of control and too busy.
Often times when things get chaotic or transitions hit us, it can trigger fear, anxiousness, depressions and PTSD. So here is what to do: Stop multitasking and focus on one great thing at a time!
What we focus on grows, it is that simple. So despite the clique thing that a “one track mind” is considered evil or at best just a dumb person, that can’t rub their belly and pat their head at the same time, being someone who can only do 1 thing at a time can be a blessing in seasons just like this. If you’re intent on reaching your goals, having a one-track mind is the way to be! Yeah for all of us who have this, naturally! This is a skill set, a talent, and badge of honor!
We realize that in order to have the lifestyle we desire we have to be forward thinking. Yet, February hit us all hard this year. Suddenly none of us could propel ourselves or force our way to better. We were required to homeschool our children, find toilet paper, wipe down all boxes, and try not to stress about our grandparents health risks. All while simultaneously staying locked in our homes and learning how to do ALL work remote. How do we decide what takes priority? How do we let go of things we really desire to do? (Things like my Australia trip, I never got to go on. Or if I should have less social media.)
Here are the questions to ask yourself to help you clarify and to get yourself in a growth mindset during transitions and needing to get back to one basic thing at a time.
One Track Mind Questions:
- What is my goal for this activity?
- What am I willing to risk to maintain this activity?
- What happens if this activity brings zero influence?
- What is my time frame if I choose to let this go? Am I dropping it for good or a specific time frame? When am I returning?
- Why will I choose to not invest my time in this?
- Who am I investing my time for?
- Who is not being invested in while I chose the activity?
- If I am not investing in this, what am going to invest in? and why?
“To be careless in making decisions is to naively believe that a single decision impacts nothing more than that single decision, for a single decision can spawn a thousand others that were entirely unnecessary or it can bring peace to a thousand places we never knew existed.”
― Craig D. Lounsbrough, Flecks of Gold on a Path of Stone: Simple Truths for Life’s Complex Journey
Creating Exceptional 