Every time I meander into a supermarket these days, as soon as I step foot through the sliding door, my brain almost instantly becomes a pile of mushy goo. The goo that was my brain becomes ever goopier as I walk up and down the aisles, taking in all the sights and sounds. And the choices.
Too many choices.
When I’m done shopping, it’s like trying to think through a block of wood, I can barely remember where I left my car. Thankfully, I have a trusty list and a general sense that I shouldn’t buy everything that strikes my fancy. The point is we are presented with millions of choices in the confined space of the grocery store, and yet we are able to winnow the choices down based on what is best for us.
Your personal and professional evolution can take the same track.
For instance, I really like ideas.
Nothing gets me jazzed like a really great notion, something cool and interesting, especially one that stands out as a unique way to solve a problem. That’s how my mind works, it hunts for these disparate connections that could, almost, possibly, make a marked difference in this world.
After the initial high of the idea however, my interest wanes. Then comes the hard part of detailing and strategizing how to implement this wonderful dream and bring it into real life. That part I seem less than inclined to do. In fact, I stop. And yet the ideas keep on coming.
The more conversations I have with creative professionals, the more I hear a similar tale of woe. So many options, so many things to do, but often we have a clear lack of motivation to do them. The core desire is missing. I tell them, and you, to give it a rest. Just stop and think about what the best choice for you would be.
My situation is a case in point. As much as I like my ideas, I like writing and finishing my books much better. That’s the juice that gets me going, my passion, and what I need to focus my energy doing. Recently I thought up a great model to use my writing as a business, providing certain industries with content development for blogs and websites. It would be hard at first but possibly lucrative. I have the skills in copywriting, web design, graphics, and internet marketing. In short, I know that I could make a real go of it.
But I don’t want to.
I may have the ability to do it, but it’s just another package on the supermarket shelf. Just because the box looks tantalizing, with all its fancy colors and overblown promises, doesn’t mean I need to buy it. This particular box isn’t on my list, so I give it another look, remind myself that it’s not good for me, and move on.
Instead, I focus on my diet. Write on the blog, write my books, look for interesting things and ideas to write about, and try to help people where I can. That’s about it.
And honestly, as I go over my list, that’s enough. My cart’s full as it is.
