I shared some things that ARE working for me in this season of life on the podcast this week ...
...but what about the things that AREN'T working?
Aren't those more fun to hear, anyway? Why is that?
I digress.
Without further delay, enjoy this list of 3 things that are NOT working for me in this season of life:
No. 1: Writing a Book
I guess I'm leading with the big one here, friends!
It's true: I'm trying to write a book.
And it's NOT working. π€£
Apparently, it's hard to carve out MORE time to write, when you're already writing/recording/producing a podcast AND a heartfelt newsletter each week.
(Plus kids... and students... and the Patreon community... and, well, you know how the story goes...)
This summer feels like the perfect time to shake things up and (hopefully) carve out some more time to WRITE THIS DANG BOOK. π
(Don't worry; you'll be among the first to know when I get close enough to start talking about it!)
This is particularly vexing because it's only the first of at least FIVE (!) books I hope to write in my lifetime. If it's taking me this long to get ONE off the ground, I'd better find a stride so I can birth these things into the world.
Here are some changes I'm making for the next few months in an attempt to score myself some more writing time:
- Summertime Conversations (!) on the podcast. That's right! Beginning next week, I'll be joined by some familiar - and some not-so-familiar - voices on The Beyond Measure Podcast. We'll be revisiting topics from previous episodes of the show. These conversations have been a JOY to record. While they are still quite work-intensive, it's fun to use different parts of my brain. Up first? Revisiting Episode 005: Cheers to the Quiet Ones. Look for it Monday morning!
- A One Thought Thursday Hiatus: Sad, but true - I'm taking a break from writing weekly OTTs this summer. You'll be off doing amazing things, anyway. I'll still pop in your inbox occasionally to check in, but here we are at One Thought Thursday NUMBER FIFTY, and that feels like a nice round number to hit the pause button on.
- I am only teaching FOUR WEEKS this summer! π₯³ I've been slowly backing off the number of weeks I teach during the summer months, but this is definitely the most time I've ever taken off. We all get to choose how we handle summer. I may not always want this much time off; but right now, it feels GREAT.
- My Summer Pedagogy Study for High Schoolers is strictly virtual this summer, rather than offering multiple formats for the course as I typically do. There are still some "live" touchpoints, but for the most part, this will allow me to deliver the value of the course in a time-efficient way.
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No. 2: Comparison
We all know comparison is the thief of joy.
Even still, knowing better doesn't automatically solve the problem, does it?
I can always tell I'm in a season of unhealthy comparison when I start analyzing OTHER people's work.
...more truthfully, it's when I find myself more prone to *criticizing* other people's work.
As a content creator myself, I typically look at the programs, resources, and promotions of my fellow Creatives with a sense of total admiration.
We have so much to be inspired by in our profession!
...and yet, there's an unflattering aspect of my humanity that bubbles up from time to time and makes me start criticizing work I see out in the world.
- I find myself being annoyed by marketing tactics or the way someone chooses to approach a particular topic.
- I struggle with envy over numbers or how much output someone has.
- I inwardly debate someone's qualifications, for better or for worse.
And, while it is important to approach everything we see online through a filter of reality, I do not want to feel "in competition" with anyone in this space.
...and I don't, 99% of the time.
But as soon as I feel those criticisms boil up, I always know it's much less about the content I'm seeing, and much MORE about my own battle with comparison.
No. 3: Student Assignment Formats
I'll be quick with this one... but something has to give on my student assignments.
Here's a quick summary of my journey with assignments:
- I used to give students an assignment notebook. That evolved into an assignment binder.
- During pandemic lockdown, I was one of the many teachers who transitioned to Tonara, an online assignment platform.
- As you likely know, Tonara shut down (I was not disappointed; I was pretty disenchanted with them, anyway).
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While Tonara competitors jockeyed for everyone's attention, I decided to stay out of the fray and bide my time. I decided I would let students "opt in" for whichever assignment delivery system they wanted: Assignment sheets in their binders, or virtually, via Google Docs.
- I had this whole theory that - maybe I just needed to accept different systems work for different people and it was my responsibility to adapt to each student.
- While that sounds nice in theory, I am SO tired of juggling assignment methods. Knowing so-and-so needs an assignment sheet, but so-and-so has a Google Doc is more information than I wish to keep in my brain.
...all that to say, I need to decide on an assignment delivery system for this coming year. I'm trying to remind myself there is no "right" or "wrong" decision; I just need to make a choice and see it through. I'll keep you posted!
Phew! That was a lot of words about things that are not working. β
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βMy question for YOU is: What is something NOT WORKING for you this season of life? I shared mine; it's only fair to reciprocate, right? π HIT REPLY and tell me all about it!
π₯Cheers to naming ALL THE THINGS that make life worth living... as well as those that are distracting us from the good stuff.π₯