I find many things interesting, which can be challenging. An example of the range of my interests is my recent deep dive into three of them: I attended a writer’s conference, a Tolkien conference, and a nature journaling camping trip in May. I loved each event, but if I had to stick to just one of these for the rest of my life, I would be miserable.
My inability to settle on just one thing is life long. It started when I had to choose my major for college. Math? Chemistry? Physics? All of them appealed to me, and picking one felt like a rejection of the others. Fortunately, the universe offered me a get-out-of-jail-free card. I was accepted into a program for integrated science, so I was able to study all three subjects simultaneously.
I have this same issue with everything. My nature journal trip reminded me I want to be drawing more. My new sewing machine has me itching to sew clothes, and I’m in the middle of a quilting project I’m eager to finish. Then there’s my commitment to finishing my Princess and the Pea miniature, which I haven’t touched since I finished the nightgown.
Much as I love something when I get started, I eventually get bored — usually long before the project is actually finished. I have to switch to something new, even if it’s actually something I’ve done before. Some people refer to this as being undisciplined or chasing novelty. I prefer Barbara Sher’s take on it: I’m a Scanner, because instead of going deep on a single topic, I constantly scan the horizon so I don’t miss anything that interests me.
Sher’s book Refuse to Choose!* taught me that it’s okay not to want to specialize, that liking to know something about everything is not a sin or even a handicap. Now the challenge is fitting everything in. Fortunately, her book includes suggestions for different schedule types. A schedule inspired by the school day, where there is time set aside for each of several activities, seems to work the best for me.
With this in mind, I have added time for my big projects to my schedule. I’ve identified the four projects that are my top priorities, and noted the logical next step for each. For the most complicated one — the Princess and the Pea miniature — I got out my white board and made a chart. I tend to be an “out of sight? out of mind!” person, so I’ll keep this chart where I can see it.
Is this approach going to enable me to do all the things I want to do? I can only hope so. Really, to get to everything on my list, I’m going to have to live for a few more centuries — and be in great health, too.
How do you fit in all the things you want to do?
*Note: I have no affiliation with Sher or her work. I just love her ideas and her books.
