A tired man walks into his room and slams the door while face palming himself and asking:
"How did my cups get overfilled? Why are they not balancing out?"
The tired man finally realizes that he spread himself too thin and sometimes when you give people an inch, they take a mile.
Let's Sort the Cups
I have realized that I have said a lot of yesses but I have not exactly followed up with all of them. Opportunities are coming my way like a hailstorm (too much, too quickly) and although I am thankful for that, my cups tell a different story. They are my feedback system like a priority list. It tells me where I need to spend more time and energy on. I answer to time. I respect it. Sometimes, other people don’t understand time constraints. I have a different list sitting on my desk than theirs and that is okay. Although I am thankful for the multitude of opportunities people have laid out in front of me, I have to decline. I can't let one cup get overfilled while the rest are empty, they need to be balanced out just like my priorities.
Reflection 1: Accept that time constraints exist and act according to priorities. Say NO when needed.
It was a SLIP-UP
Do you ever feel that child-like excitement of starting something new and making solid progress? Then you have a slip-up where you announce it too soon and BAM now you are being interrogated.
Interrogator: "So when will you be posting about that project? (⓿_⓿)
Me: Well to keep things simple, if it is up there, then it is done ¯_(ツ)_/¯
Interrogator (10 mins later): sO wHen WiLl yOu pOsT?
ಠ_ಠ
Me: ….
To simply put it, I have learned to stop, breathe and then consider things more logically about the progress that is being made. Time and patience are two critical ingredients needed here. I don’t want to unnecessarily create expectations by giving out premature announcements about what I am doing. Things can change unexpectedly, and I would like to adapt with them accordingly. Sadly, sometimes people don't understand changes.
Reflection 2: Don’t say YES too soon. Don’t give out premature announcements.
Where’s the FUN?
I forgot how fun it used to be to immerse myself in activities for the sake of pure joy and excitement instead of the persistent expectations of others which drives toxic competition. I have learned to steer away from that. After all, my expectations for myself are more than enough. The final lesson I learned is to extract joy once again from being here. I am very thankful for the lessons I have learned this week and the new people I have interacted with recently. Don't be a stranger.
Reflection 3: Rekindle with the fun side of why you do what you do and stick to it.
This post was made as an entry for the #dreemportchallenge and #thoughtfuldailypost collaboration. I have used the @peakd front end to make this post. Want to join in the fun, check this post out.
