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Article by Wendy McCance
I was thinking about this earlier today. How well am I juggling all of the things that are important in my life? Am I concentrating too hard on one area? Is a ball about to drop from a spot I have left unattended?
I think juggling is one of the hardest things an adult does. There is your job, family, kids, friends, activities, hobbies, basically as many different things as you can manage to squeeze into a day. The more ambitious you are, the crazier the juggle becomes.
I have done a fair job of juggling in my work and family life, although I have to admit, I have let friendships fall to the back of the line. Even so, I am okay with the basics of how I am playing out each day. My biggest issue is how to pull apart the working part of my day so that I touch on all of the important components.
I tend to get carried away with a thought or an action and become so focused, that I miss something important. Each day, for instance, I want to write, prospect for clients, work on adding content to my blog and read some articles. Sounds simple enough, but it goes deeper than that. I have started noticing that I am missing the boat in the way I go about these tasks.
Lets take writing a post for an example. My blog became popular because I wrote about highly personal issues in my life. Everything was open for discussion. It was that blatant honesty that got me so many followers. Then I got too caught up in the business side of blogging and writing, and so I wrote about that. At first, most people seemed onboard because they were having some of the same thoughts and ideas. It was good to hear others experiencing the same issues. Then I began to overdo it.
This is the juggling I am talking about. I was still writing about my experiences, but they were no longer as interesting because it wasn’t geared to my audience. Heck if my audience wanted to know about the business side of blogging, there are a million really very good blogs already covering that topic.
So, here I am, thinking about my very last post. It was about blogging- AGAIN (Sorry about that). I am going back to my roots and back to what really did work for me.
Back to the juggling, I am not referring to the big chunks of activities you do each day, but the little ones. Has all of the juggling thrown you off course? Evaluating where you started from, where you are going, and if the steps you are taking still make sense is so imperative.
What I have learned from my experience is that building a successful career is based on the foundation you laid out. If you break apart that foundation and essentially start from scratch, you will fail. The foundation that was already in place was what got you as far as it did. Why mess with a good thing? Stay open to what worked for you and be careful to build on that specifically.
I’d love your insight. As I am tweaking “my brand” I guess you could say, what have you liked? What has disappointed you? Overall, what would you like to see more of?
Thanks so much for any comments you can provide.
Wendy McCance
To contact Wendy McCance about a writing or social media assignment, interview or speaking engagement, please email her at: [email protected]
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Wendy,
I love the positive aspect you bring to your daily life. This post too is interesting because I became aware that my juggling balance was too top heavy. I’m finding more balance along the way and you’ve got the right idea about going back to your roots!
Thanks so much.
I had a reverse thing going on compared to what you experienced. I put my friends before everything else in my life and made some really bad choices along the merry way. Of course it was the Sixties/Seventies and we were into “community” and total hippies. I’ve since changed that aspect of my life, thank you. As to your brand…Wendy, you are doing a great job and your blog is getting better by the posting. Great job!
Thanks so much. I really appreciate your comment.
I don’t think you get carried away. I think this is what every person does. We get a particular idea or thought and we focus on it. That’s how we learn about it- we immerse ourselves in it. The problem is when we get so intrenched in it that we forget to look around and notice the rest of our followers/team ditched us a long time ago. You didn’t do that so it seems to me that you are doing a great job juggling. You noticed where you were beginning to over focus and refocused! Great job!I think our blogs must evolve as we evolve- it’s the only way to keep them organic. I think finding a balance between being authentically you the woman/wife/mother and sharing your experiences in the writing/blogging world is a great goal! and you can do it!
Vicky
Thanks so much for your comment, It was perfect.
I had to laugh because I was thinking about the very same thing today. I too get carried away with a thought but then I get distracted like a dog that sees a squirrel and then I’m off. Sigh! I actually seem to still get a ton of stuff done though. It does help that I am pretty organized. 🙂
Oh Wendy! You know how much I love your blog. Can I just point out that you are getting better and better. I am learning loads from you. I love the juggling picture too!:-)
Wendy,
When you write about the “real” stuff in your life, you are also writing about the real stuff in the lives of people like me and others that follow you. I painted myself into the same corner you refer to in this article, and it seemed what at one time flowed with ease became all “jumbled.” Sure I would like to have a writing gig, but have come to realize I already do. It’s like this for me. I paint pictures with words and if someone enjoys the picture’s I and folks like you paint, the rest will take care of its self. Thanks for what you write and how you right about what is “real”.
Regards
Hi David, thanks so much for your comment. You made my day. I guess I really needed to hear that. 🙂