“Where the heck have you been”?
I’ve had more than several people ask me this over the last couple months – wondering where I’ve been and why I haven’t been around this neck of the woods as much lately.
A (long) while back I wrote about the concept of re-shifting and re-focusing your priorities. It stands true that focus is imperative as you strive to do whatever it is in front of you to accomplish – but focus can be just as much of a hindrance as it is a necessity.
Focus too hard on one specific goal, one particular something, and you may just miss out on a whole world of other opportunities.
Things change, priorities shift – think about how much has changed in YOUR life over the past year, even the past month.
So back to me, this blog, and re-shifting my own priorities. I’m not dead (yet), I’m not retired from writing – instead, there’s been a lot of (exciting) things on my plate that have taken me away from pantsless-land. In the meantime…
1) I launched a new business.
If you’ve been following me closely – you’ve probably heard of my new company, Proof (if you haven’t – or even if you have – go check us out).
This was one of the big reasons I packed up and moved back to Nashville. When it comes to writing, all of my thoughts related to business, marketing, Social Media, branding, and so on are housed over there – so if your a subscriber here, and you like what you’ve been a part of for the past (almost) two years – subscribe to Proof’s RSS feed and you can keep in touch with me over there.
2) I’m supporting my wife’s pursuit of meaningful work.
This is something us social-media, lifestyle design, gen-y, location independent-types talk a lot about. The idea that work can (and should) have meaning – that a job should be more than just a job – the rebellion against working simply to get paid.
I’ve been extremely fortunate to have found that very early in my life – I’m living a life I didn’t think was possible this time last year. Now it’s my wife’s turn to take steps toward pursuing that herself.
What does this mean for me? It means longer hours (as if there are ever enough of those throughout the day) and pushing full speed ahead so I can continue to support both of us while she does her thing. Happy wife, happy life, right?
3) I’m unplugging (a lot) more often
Personally, I’ve taken a significant step back from the online world. A “digital detox” so to speak. Why? Because this is where I spend my professional life – and for a while – this was where I spent my entire life (or at least it sure as heck felt like it). It’s the simple idea of work/life balance. Even if you love what you do, would you want to live in your office? Exactly.
There’s a lot of talk about freedom and it’s association with entrepreneurship – and, don’t get me wrong, it’s a beautiful thing – but equally beautiful is being able to close the computer, walk away, and go enjoy life. We all want freedom, not necessarily pure freedom – just some wiggle room.
That’s where I am, where I’ve been, and where I’m going. Life is good – GREAT actually. The take away for you? Don’t be afraid to shift your focus, to purse something new even if it means sacrificing your commitment to something else. You can do a lot – but you’ll never be able to do it all.
How has life, and your priorities shifted recently?
(Image c/o Rob Williams Design)