Fast or Slow, Progress is Progress

We can't always control the speed at which we learn our lessons.

Growing up, I loved Lego. I liked following the plan, I loved deciphering the hieroglyphics that were the building instructions. Seeing building blocks literally evolving into space ships and houses and cars and buildings would keep me engaged for hours.

The sound of rifling through a bin of Lego is a core memory.

When some cheap or old electronic would break, or simply outlive its purpose, I was pulling out a screwdriver and turning it into building blocks. (They didn’t always go back together the same way.)

I say that to say, I love figuring things out. Figuring things out is fun!

This is definitely more applicable when it is specific to things that aren’t me.

Physical, mechanical things are so clear and ‘obvious’ to figure out, and you can often find instructions or a manual somewhere when it proves to be too difficult.

While psychology and sociology and the ‘people based -ologies’ also fascinate me, I’m not always quick to figure them out.

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Last Monday, I sat in this chair and forced myself to type words, any words, just to get myself to start writing. I didn’t necessarily know what I wanted to write, but also my brain just didn’t want to engage. Even the things I WANTED to do were unavailable.

I realized while writing that I had to abandon the path I was on, that I had been on, and pivot. It was a tremendous ‘Aha!’ moment for me, and I felt a lightness after having it. That lightness lingered all week, as did smaller epiphanies about my personal growth.

The thing that didn’t happen all week? A shift to what the new thing should be. A plan did not immediately surface, but I can feel it burbling inside my head. I know something is coming, I just have to tap it in the proper manner to get that brain syrup flowing. (eww)

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Last week wasn’t “productive”

I didn’t churn out # words. I didn’t engage in my communities. I didn’t create any content or plans. My Medium account got 1 post, and it was a short one. (Maybe talking about Medium is its own topic for another post. I have thoughts and opinions.)

While I didn’t ‘create value’ or bring much into the world, there is a renewed sense of interest.

Clawing through my ADHD crap has given me a new framework I’m experimenting with, dare I say it might be its own book and a smaller part of a larger ‘productivity system’ that is so hard to find for a neurodivergent mind.

I say that to say, as the month draws to a close, my income is dipping to a 4-month low. To look at the numbers, it’ll be ~12 posts on Medium for the whole month, versus my June count of 23 or May when I churned out 27. Go figure, I’m making less money.

This week is a bit better, I’m in a new Mastermind, surrounded by people creating their own businesses more similar to my efforts. I have ‘co-workers’ to get inspired by!

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Lessons Learned

The big take away from this past week, sometimes I’m a slow learner. My business model and ‘system’ for getting this done have been broken for over a month, but I didn’t want to believe it or accept it.

Just getting my ship to move from where it was a week ago til now is slow going.

We can read the wisdom of productivity gurus and inspirational leaders all day long, but the mindset behind change is not instantaneous.

If you’re trying to change your life, be forgiving, sometimes it takes time. But also be ruthless in identifying what isn’t working and dig into that change.

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Gratitude Time!

My subconscious, or whoever, is to blame for me having an epiphany while writing. He doesn’t like to volunteer information, it’s almost always wrapped in something unidentifiable. He also doesn’t just push me to do the right thing. So, thanks to him for at least letting me find my latest wisdom.

I’m also grateful to my new friends and peers, some of which are the most recent newsletter subscribers.

Of course, most of all, I’m grateful to you for reading this far. If you don’t know me and you’re reading this, please leave a comment, let’s change that!

For now, I’m tasked with going to my shop (I do ‘woodworking’ for fun) to create some earring holders for my wife (who sells earrings) to put in an exhibit at a local hospital. Off to make sawdust!