My first Steemit post had me stating I would activate 'Beast Mode'. I wish I could tell you that it worked, that I am now living up to my potential. However, it hasn't been so simple.
At first it was great! I was charged and decided to leave my job to focus on my dream (although I still work 5 hours cleaning the pub I used to do long shifts at). I managed to contact a blogger on Instagram '@luanna90' who has over 2 million followers and get her address to send her some jewellery, I completed a project that I had been thinking about for months, I planned to do so much! I was buzzing!
This feeling didn't last.
When I first started my business, in the early days and for a long time after too, I would sit at my workbench for 12 hours, making jewellery and being productive, scoring off the tasks on my mega to do lists. Lately I have been feeling like my days are incredibly short and I am getting next to nothing done. All I do is work yet I haven't made the stock I said I would make, I haven't contacted the people that I need to contact, I haven't taken enough photographs or posted enough on social media.
Do you ever feel like the days just fly past without any consideration for your plans!?
While I was working my very short 2 hour shifts cleaning the pub yesterday, I became infuriated with myself. How could I work for someone else and get SO much done in such a short time, then work for myself and waste all of my time and energy being so unproductive?
I thought about it a lot. I considered what the difference would be if I owned the pub, if I was there all day. Maybe I would take all day to clean it, or maybe I would just stare at it...thinking about cleaning it.
That's when I realised my problem. Of course, it was simple and I already knew the answer!
Do you find that you have to REALLY experience things to learn them?
Or is it just me? I always seem to know what I have to do. However I can't possibly just do it, I have to find a really annoyingly long way to truly learn my lesson and put my thought into actions. I feel like I am constantly testing my psychology to see what works for me, because I can't just naturally do what I am supposed to.
The answer was I needed to work LESS to do more! I hadn't realised how deflated I had been feeling. So much to do and none of it was being done quickly enough. I would sit endlessly at my workbench, working slowly, and never having time to do all the other things I wanted to do. I would be focusing on multiple things at a time. Looking at my Instagram, thinking about what to post and wondering if I was posting enough all while I was trying to make a necklace.
I haven't had time to look after myself!
I haven't had time to post on Steemit like I said I would!
I haven't been to the glorious beach - the only reason I moved to Cornwall even though it's far away from my lovely family and that breaks my heart. (Maybe a post for another time, if anyone wants to hear it!)
So the answer was of course ridiculously simple as it always is.
Have a set amount of hours to complete a task and put all of that time and energy into one thing.
Yesterday I put it into practice. I decided I would work 6 hour days from now on. I gave myself 4 hours to make a necklace and in that 4 hours I made the most intricate necklace I have ever made. I put a timer on and when my 4 hours were over, I stopped. I wasn't finished so I came back to it and added 2 hours on after dinner - interestingly enough when I went back to it, I kept making mistakes and it was taking me longer than it had done before. So I realised that I was probably best only doing really difficult work for about 4 hours and then using the other 2 hours to focus on various other things that didn't require as much concentration.
UREEKA
I then had time to spend an hour looking after myself! I went in a bath and I relaxed for the first time in ages, knowing that I had been productive and that my work day was over. I felt refreshed, energised and upbeat because I achieved my task for the day!
It made me think of the 80/20 rule, the Pareto Principle, where 80% of effects come from 20% of causes.
I was probably only making progress from about 20% of the work I was doing in my very long working days. What I want to do from now on is cut back on the unnecessary, the time wasting, get that 20% done then clock out for the day and do it each and every day.
From now on I am going to work 6 hours a day, I will be productive, and then I can live! And update my Steemit blog!
Sadly this month is going to be a tough one. I haven't quite made enough for all my rent and bills yet. Leaving my part time job was a risky decision but since doing so I have generally been a lot happier. I won't give in, I will keep working hard and I will push myself to work as best as I can to get my business going . I'll do what it takes because there's nothing else that I want.
I hope you make time for the career you love, but then stop, and do other stuff too. :-) <3
The best discussions happen in the comments! I would love to know how other Steemians feel about this. Are you truly efficient when you work? Can you relate to having to learn life lessons through experience?