Unearthing the Gift

At the end of last year, I spent some time brainstorming about all the projects I wanted to do in 2023. By the end of the year, I had changed my mind and realized that 2023 was going to be a year in which I pulled my attention inward.

I have been reflecting a lot on why I am doing all the things I’m doing: creating community groups, trying to teach classes, trying to create content through YouTube and my podcast, etc. A few years ago, I was overwhelming myself with lots of side projects, my own, and also others who I was helping or working with. I felt that I needed to be doing a lot, as if I was not happy or satisfied with what I was already doing. So I constantly looked for new courses, new ideas, new projects to take on. Maybe it’s because we live in a society that praises overwork and productivity, maybe it was because I followed too many coaches who encouraged me to make every hobby into a side hustle.

The person who helped me see things differently was my husband. I was debating between paying for my Zoom subscription for the year or buying some cards (this was always my internal debate lol). I felt that the Zoom subscription was an investment in my business, although in reality I don’t have a business. I imagined that I would be doing group calls, and classes, and so I needed a Zoom account.

My husband saw me feeling overwhelmed by all the things I wanted to do, but also saw how disappointed I felt when I launched something and it was a flop. So he invited me to consider picking only one project that I really wanted to do, and to create a plan for weekly action. But I could only pick one thing, not the 10 things I had in the works. At first I felt resistance, I thought this was a sign that he was not being supportive of my dreams to be an entrepreneur. But I decided to try and see things differently.

So I picked my one focus: to improve my writing. So far I have been setting monthly intentions around my writing practice. In January, I worked on establishing a journaling routine. In February I focused on writing for at least 30 minutes each day. Now in March, I am setting the intention to write four blog posts to share on my website, one each week for a month. This is my first one.

Having only one focus has really helped me not feel overwhelmed. And I am also not trying to turn this into a business, that takes a big load off my shoulders. I am focusing on my writing because it’s fun.

What is one project you are focusing on this year?