Oh man, crazy week.
It's no secret that I have a full plate these days.
There is just a lot going on. So many things. So many projects that I want to tackle and so many ideas that I want to act on. My brain imploded a little bit on Tuesday and I realized that I have to be much much smarter about what I commit to. I have to say "no" to the things that leave me feeling depleted. I have to say "yes" to the projects that fill me up.
It's my one little word, WHOLE, in action.
I did some thinking about my attitude at 6pm each day when Paul gets home from work. On the days where my hours are eaten up by "non-passion projects" I tend to be irritable and ready to throw the baby at him and hide in my room. On the days where I work on "passion projects" (more on what I find to be the difference between the two in a future post) I am upbeat and relaxed heading into our time together.
What's funny is that the amount of "work time" I spend every day is about the same. I put in the same hours but sometimes I am totally fulfilled and other days I feel like I've given too much.
I think this is what people mean when they say "work smarter, not harder." I am at a point in my personal and business life where my time is so very precious. I've worked really hard to get here and am going to continue to work hard, but it's about time I worked smart too.
Obviously every job comes with challenges and it's insane to expect complete satisfaction every day. But I do think that it's realistic to think hard about future opportunities from a "is this the right fit for me truly?" standpoint. It's better for everyone (me, Paul, Ellerie, perspective collaborators and future customers) if I head towards those "best fit" projects that make me excited to go to work.
two semi-related things : I love this sketch by artist Sirin Thada of a quote from HBO's GIRLS & this is a great TED talk from the COO of Facebook, Sheryl Sandberg.
ps. I am on the habit blog this month sharing glimpses into my days. Talk about something that's worth the effort. I am enjoying getting out my big camera more often.
