“Focusing on everything means focusing on nothing.” - Michael Hyatt
Life is Busy
It’s been a little while since my last post… Admittedly, it’s been tough finding time for my newsletter, daily sketch practice, creating new art, and of course - social media.
Sometimes we find ourselves with a heavy workload and very little time to work on the side-projects we enjoy spending time doing.
This newsletter, for example, is one of those side-projects I enjoy very much.
When life gets busy, we need to be selective on how we spend our time rather than trying to stick to a rigid schedule of posts and reminders to the world that “I’m still here!”
The truth is, you see - no one really cares if you miss a weekly or monthly post. We are all busy and just trying to do what we can. We don’t notice a missed post or two.
That’s why I decided to write this short article on the topic of a ‘busy life.’
Busy Bee
My life is currently a bit hectic. I’m feeling a little like the bee in my drawing above. I’m the bee, and the friendly flowers represent my workload.
In fact, I don’t even have time to be writing this article, which is why I’m doing it during my lunch break.
As the workload covers my head like ocean waves, relentlessly to and fro - I found a little time to take a breath and write this article -DAMMIT- before the next wave hits.
I think many of us feel this way all too often.
We take on a new project, only to realize that the rest of our lives have equally picked up steam creating less time for said new project.
What do we do?
Do What You Can, One Thing at a Time
When life gets really busy, you have to make sacrifices and focus on the most important elements and do what you can, one thing at a time.
I know this sounds easier said than done; however, we can easily stress out when we are thinking about all the work in front of us rather than just sitting down and making an action item list and getting to work!
Make a List.
Focus on the highest priority items.
Be patient.
Celebrate small wins.
Check the boxes.
Don’t be too hard on yourself if side-projects take longer than expected.
Set realistic expectations and deadlines.
Re-evaluate existing deadlines when life gets busier.
Closing Thoughts
If you’re like me and have a full-time career unrelated to art (mine is engineering & construction), but also pursuing a parallel career in art, you’ll likely find yourself feeling overwhelmed at times.
Just remember to take a step back and do what you can, when you can. It’s important to adjust your focus so that you prioritize on critical activities and readjust your other commitments.
James Clear, NY Times best selling author of Atomic Habits, said - “Nobody performs well when stretched in a half dozen directions.”
I couldn’t agree with you more, James.
I hope this article resonates with you and helps you find some solace when life gets really busy and overwhelming.
Thank you for reading JUST ONE THING!
Until next time, keep drawing, keep writing, but most importantly - keep dreaming!
Love this Jeremy! I'm just about to listen to Atomic Habits on audio book and couldn't agree more with the sentiment that you quoted here from that text.
Keep up the great work, it's great to see what you create :)