(my planner = illustrations + quotes + energtic thoughts + to-do's)
I once held a job as the supervisor of 20 intelligent, ambitious college students. When they were under my watch, these 20-somethings were responsible for being ambassadors of the University. Sometimes this meant having dinner with donors, sometimes this meant taking prospective students on a campus tour, and sometimes this meant having to do the unglamourous job of stuffing envelopes for hours at a time. I really enjoyed my time in this position, mainly because it allowed me to inetact and get to know some really cool human beings.
Recently I recalled one specific conversation with a student, where he asked what I had been involved in during my years as a college student. He knew that I had been an ambassador like himself, but he wanted to know what else kept me busy.
Did you play a sport like Suzy?
Did you participate in student govenrment like Jim?
Did you tutor like Henry?
Did you pledge a sorority like Rose?
Did you march in the band like Beth?
Act? Sing? Do science experiments for extra credit? Write for the paper?
To all these questions, I answered "No."
And then I thought for a second and said, "I guess I spread myself thick."
You see, it's not that I wasn't interested in doing anything other than that one position as an ambassador. I would have loved to help people learn how to write the best term paper, or have had the rush of adrenaline that the theatre kids got every time they walked on stage, or influeced the future of the school via student government. All of my fellow ambassadors, had done this (more!) and enjoyed it. But I knew, through my own experience, that whenever I have too many things asking for my attention and time and focus, I fall apart. Mentaly, physically, emotionally... I've been there on all accounts and it's all bad.
And though I learned this lesson rather quickly in college, it's something that I still have to be conscious of now.
"Do I want to do this?" (This one question is helping me weed out a lot of things recently.)
"Is this something that I have the capacity to do?"
"Will I be proud of this?"
"Will this help me in the long term?"
"Is this worth the time I could be giving other areas of my life?"
"Will the decreased free time in my schedule still allow me time to rejuvenate?" (This one is huge for me. As a friendly introvert who thrives on pleasing people, I often forget that alone time is vital to my well-being.)
"Are there any nagging feeling that are telling me to say 'no'?"
This list is messy and imperfect. It grows and shrinks as I learn. But it helps.
And I need all the help I can get.
How do you figure out what to take on and what to pass on? What is on your "things-to-ask-myself list"? Share and help out the rest of us.