I haven’t been happy recently and that’s been bothering me. After all, how can I help you find happiness if I’ve lost my own? In a post on the blog last week, I asked my Lab Rats six questions. I decided that since I haven’t been as happy as I could be, I would answer the questions myself.
If you’ve ever read the About page on Someday Syndrome or read either of my ebooks, you will have learned a bit about my life before coming to Spain. Ever since I was 12 years old I have wanted to write and yet for years I avoided this dream, taking detours in many different directions.
In 2006, I decided to stop taking detours and get on with writing. But then I got started with Someday Syndrome and it excited me. I loved the idea of it and I loved the idea of helping people and earning a living doing so.
However, as the work behind the business began to increase, it took more and more of my energy and focus away from my fiction writing.
Starting a small business is time consuming - hugely so. I’ve recently increased my fiction writing to 3 hours a day at least 4 days a week. That, plus my part time teaching, did not leave much time to focus on the small business while still having a balanced life.
When I stepped back to look at my life objectively I realized that if I was to prioritize the things I do the order came out: writing, Raúl, teaching English, Someday Syndrome. And when things aren’t going well, it’s usually the fault of whatever’s on the bottom of the list.
Someday Syndrome is insidious – it’s no good to chart your course and then let the boat pilot itself. Crossing the Someday Sea requires vigilance and regular course changes.
For me, scaling back the business is one of those course changes. I’m on the verge of letting it become yet another detour away from my writing dreams and I refuse to let that happen again.
Newsletter subscribers will still receive the semi-monthly Someday News, but the blog will go more or less inactive and instead of offering a full range of services, I will provide a limited number of Skype-based sessions (and email support) each month as well as the popular ebooks.
If you really want a Someday fix in between newsletters you will also be able find me on the following blogs each month:
And now for you – what course changes do you need to make to get yourself back on track? What answers do you have to the six questions above?
7 Responses to “Course Changes on the Someday Journey:
Reorienting Goals”
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Thanks for sharing about your own process - it’s a really useful example of how, even when we’re doing stuff that’s aligned with our values and following dreams we decided, there often comes a time that we realize we need to change course - either because of how our circumstances have changes and new opportunities that have arisen, or because of the way that we’ve grown in the meantime, and the way that our desires have changed.
All the best with your new course, Alex!
Cath
Cath Duncan´s last blog ..What Other Coaches & Bloggers Are Saying About Goal-Setting
Wow - quite the change in direction. But a good thing - congratulations for checking the map and fixing your off course bearings.
Andy Hayes´s last blog ..Now Showing on STE: Recommended Travel Guides
Hi Alex,
That’s very disappointing news, but you have to do what’s right for you.
Just wondering why you don’t ask for guest writers or have a ghost-writer to keep you blog going and scale back?
Did you explore alternative ways of keeping it alive, at all? I would be concerned about losing all of your subscribers and what do you do when you want to take it up again?
I’ve learned a lot from your writings, so thank you.
Good luck on your fiction writings.
Karen
karen´s last blog ..Show Me Your Plan And I’ll Tell You Your Future
@Cath
I think it’s important to give ourselves the opportunity to change our minds - sticking on the same path out of commitment without desire just leads to further unhappiness.
@Andy
Thanks! I’m really excited to be able to spend most of my day focused on my writing.
@Karen
I’ll definitely be keep the blog alive, just scaling back to once every two weeks instead of three times a week. Plus the occasional guest post. The main change is in attitude - Fiction has become number one in my priorities and Someday Syndrome will take a backseat.
Hey, good for you. As someone who builds businesses for people, part of me is quietly nodding and saying, “Good choice.” And the other part, the part that knows just how damned hard it can be and how many sacrifices we have to make is friggin’ all proud of you taking a step back to really examine what you do so you can rediscover what you LOVE doing.
Don’t worry about losing blog readers or subscribers. You’ll still maintain having clients and probably do better now that you’re focusing on customers instead of readers.
Cheers!
James Chartrand - Men with Pens´s last blog ..Keep the Freelancer Clock Ticking
Interesting. I am going through the same challenges myself. Must be that freaky sibling connection
What am I balancing?
full time project leader job
Silver & Grace blog author
Make Way For Biz owner/project management consultant
relationships with partner, children, family, friends
running a household
Whew! Makes me tired just writing that list
So, this month is all about figuring out how to do it all while remaining energized and passionate about my life. It’s getting there; just needs a bit of fine tuning.
Good for you, bro. Follow your passions and you cannot go wrong.
Eliza´s last blog ..The (Mis)Adventures of Mike: Mapping out business processes
I love how you’ve simplified going after your goals and modifying them if need be into such clear and manageable steps. You’re right, it’s the complication, the putting off, the questioning and re-questioning that gets in the way and pushes things off until someday.
I also wholeheartedly agree that the web sources you cite here are excellent tools for moving in the right direction.
Good luck with it all!