Are You Spreading Yourself Too Thin?

Sensing a Pattern

The theme of people being spread too thin keeps reappearing for me this week, so I thought maybe my readers would also be experiencing that. I think my awareness of the theme started with

Morgthorak the Undead

’s post about stepping back from Substack with the quote from Bilbo: “Why, I feel all thin, sort of stretched, if you know what I mean: like butter that has been scraped over too much bread. That can’t be right. I need a change, or something.”

The next thing I knew I was viewing a Note from someone else with that exact quote. I purchased a book from Amazon titled “Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less”¹ a week ago after watching a YouTube video. I suppose my focus on that video and the subsequent purchase could be the catalyst.

Law of Attraction Steps

But, really, who knows how long my spirit has been asking for a solution to being spread too thin? According to Abraham-Hicks the steps in the law of attraction are:

1. Find a problem (notice the contrast between wanted and unwanted).

2. When you ask, it is given vibrationally by God-Source.

3. You have to line up with the solution and allow it to enter your life.

Spread Too Thin

So I’ve been spread too thin for a long while now, especially as I try to figure out what I would like to focus my time on. As you can see I have three Substacks. I just can’t see that some of my work would make sense on the other two so I went with the three. But I usually see them all under the umbrella of “writing on Substack.” It’s my other interests and what I do when I’m not working that can be spread all over the place.

I’ve got a huge to-do list and a glut of books that I want to read. I’ve also been recording some of my mother’s old vinyl records (from a large collection) into MP3s to take to the gym or park when I want to exercise. I’ve also been very focused on increasing my good habits.

Habitica

I’m still using Habitica as I described in the following article on gamifying your life. But I found that some days I couldn’t get through every habit (then lose all my character’s health, lose a level, and become upset). So I’ve created a separate chart where I give points to certain things like eating vegetables, or reading from a book, or going to the gym or doing physical therapy exercises, and then just add on to Habitica that I got 10 or 20 points from that list. That way I can keep it varied, but I’ve still got habits on Habitica that I have to do each day. Between the two I’ve started to really get back into productivity mode on those good habits.

So I’ve got my habits, books, chores, and various interests (including a few online courses). There’s always something to be done. Part of my work is learning how to prioritize which things are essential.

The following graphic is based on an image in the Essentialism book I mentioned earlier. When you spend all of your energy on many different tasks, you may get good at some of them (some progress done), but you will not excel as you could if you focused on one essential one.

The phrase “Jack of all trades, master of none,” didn’t originally have the second half and was used as a compliment. But it’s the longer version that I have known and often felt applied to me. I know a little bit about a lot of things. I’ve studied computer programming, calculus, web design, graphic design, law of attraction, the Essenes, the Drama Triangle, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Psychology in general. Yet I’m working in a church at the moment. I do get to use my web & graphic design skills there, but still. It’s not like I’m a master designer right now. And I don’t know that I want to be.

But I’m trying to let in the answer to what I’ve been asking for through meditation and other processes.

Picking The Essential

I’ve only just started reading this book on Essentialism. I can’t talk about how much it’s done for my life (if it will). But the issue I’ve had is figuring out what is essential. I think I have mostly been swayed by fear to work on one project or another.

But, I’m taking steps to look at those fears in the face and question those beliefs. So maybe that will eventually help me to pick an interest and focus more intently on it. Maybe it will be writing (which can involve a lot of reading). Maybe it will be more design work. I’m honestly not sure - that’s the problem.

Growing up I never learned what really interested me. Instead, I learned to go with the flow of what others thought I should do. So I’m having to study myself and see what really interests me and what actions were only taken from fear as well.

Social Media Procrastination

I’ve written about how people can get stuck in a fear mode and “freeze” on social media. This is another way in which other people may spend too much time doing something (other than what would actually benefit them) out of fear. When you’re scrolling through social media you’ll see things that may make you smile, laugh, cry, and want to kill someone within a matter of minutes. These are all like those little arrows in the picture above that show your energy diffusing into the ether.

Threatened People Procrastinate on Twitter

You have a lot of energy inside and it could be very well spent on what you consider to be the most worthwhile activity. But are you spreading it out too thin on social media?

I think a lot of the people with a savior mentality (Social Justice Warriors - SJWs) are doing this. They don’t think consciously about the best use of their energy and then they waste it all doing non-essential tasks that often backfire on their stated goals.

If they took some time to self-reflect they could identify actual steps they could take to solve the problem. Then they could spend all of their energy on that task. But most SJWs don’t. Instead they talk online with other people, showing off what they’re doing or complaining about what other people are doing and the energy just gets diffused so much they don’t actually get anywhere with their stated goals.

Don’t Complain, Just Self-Contemplate

I’m not complaining that they do that. I’ve already written about how I have done it as well. The important thing to recognize is when you are doing that and ask yourself, “Is this a good use of my time? Or, is there something else more worthwhile or essential that I could be doing?”

Feel Free to Comment

You’re welcome to comment on this. Do you do this as well? Do you have examples when you’ve seen others doing this? Is this a skill that should be taught when children are young? (I think so).

EDIT: After reading about essentialism June 21st, I started watching videos on de-cluttering on YouTube this morning (22nd) and got a lot of decluttering work done around my home. Even after writing this note, resting with lunch, I felt the desire to go back and clean some more. It was an extremely productive day. Check out the note for more info. I’m really glad I bought this book and added reading to my daily habit checklist. It’s certainly been helpful.

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1. The book link on Amazon is an affiliate link if you want to help support the Substack by purchasing there.

Thumbnail image from Pixabay