A Lot On My Slate. A Lot On My Plate. – Juggling Multiple Works

Day 6 of the 31 Day Blogging Challenge is here. And life seems busy already. Before starting work on this website, I already was doing web designing for a couple of client websites(one of which is launching this week, keep in touch). I was redesigning one of my website(also in final stage). I was planning on starting an e-learning venture, and I was contemplating this website. I had a small feeling inside me that I am laying a lot on my plate to handle. But a big voice inside me states I can handle it. I can accomplish multitasking by efficiently balancing the works. But how am I going to juggle the work, is still a question, because there really is a lot on my slate.

Disclaimer: This particular blog post is not really geared towards helping you with something. But instead it is designed to help me introspect and in turn, perhaps, provide value to you too.

What is the problem?

The problem is straight forward. I am not doing as much work as I should be doing.

The real questions which arises is, “What is the cause of that problem?”

I think it basically boils down to either of these two issues.

1. Procrastination
2. Performance Anxiety

Procrastination

This has been a major part of my adult life and perhaps, that is the reason why I seriously suspect procrastination is the reason why I am not doing work. I take a task in hand. I sit idle, sometimes watch multiple YouTube video to learn some part of the task. And hours later, I am still doing nothing sitting exactly where I was sitting earlier.

I have been bothered by procrastination a lot in the past. I even started making the joke that I am a ‘pro’crastinator.

Performance Anxiety

Or it could be some minute form of Performance Anxiety. I remember back when I was in 8th standard, I was asked to speak at a debate competition at the school. My hands started to sweat and I just could not utter a word of the 3-page statement that I had been preparing for about a week.

Few years later, when I stood in the school election for the post of a House Vice-Captain, I had to speak to the whole senior school. It was a rainy day, students were in their classes and all the contestants were on the stage in the ground, speaking to a non-existing school, in the open ground. It was an empty crowd, which should be comforting, but the sweaty hands and fumbled speech made their way somehow to me.

The common aspect of both these incidents was that I failed. I failed with grandeur. I failed in front of half the school.

There is some amount of irony in it though. Because I am a performance artist who has had a history of failing at public recitals and speeches.

Regardless, I think I am at a similar point in life. I am out in the open, ready to perform entrepreneurially in front of the whole world. Everyone around me is noticing me. One more failure and I will be naked in front of the world, for them to laugh on.

Or is it just distraction?

Yes, This can very well be the case of plain and simple distraction. I have almost two dozen tabs open on two browsers on my PC each. I think that also plays some role in distracting my focus. And other things distract me easily too. A phone call from a friend, urge to go and pee, the pain wall in front of me. Everything distracts me.

Where’s the discipline?

Wow, another probable cause. I should not have written just two causes above. I am not too disciplined it seems. The morning routine I am forever trying to make is still nowhere to be seen. Eating habits are inconsistent at best. I haven’t been working out since the first lockdown started. My hair has started falling. I am not in perfect shape. Wait! where am I drifting. Let us stop at lack of discipline.

How to Correct the Course of Productivity

All the causes that I have mentioned above have one basic solution. WORK.

I need to work regularly to kill procrastination.

I need to work regularly to weaken the performance anxiety.

I need to focus on work so that distractions become absent.

I need to make time for work regularly, to become more disciplined.

So basically, the main solution is work. But wait. let’s rewind. Wasn’t not being able to work the main problem?

I have decided to challenge myself now onwards. This 31 Day Blogging Challenge is an example of that. I will publically announce the things that I am doing and that will give me an additional pressure to perform within the deadline, which might help me develop a routine, and some discipline in me can be inculcated eventually.

I have started using tools specifically for organising my workflow, like Airtable, Trello, etc. I am thinking of starting regular workout and meditation too to make my body and mind streamlined for the day. What do you prefer to calm yourself and focus? Tell me in the comments.

Announcemets

This post is an announcement for the announcements which I will be making in the next live session that I do on Instagram. I have started going live on Instagram on Wednesdays at 7 pm every week. This week(8th July), I will be making some major announcements regarding my work slate. I hope you will be there to listen to me and my announcements. You can find me on Instagram at @niketsays.