THE DAILY #97

Sometimes I talk about these little side topics, almost in passing. And I end up getting readers from them. For example, had a couple people ask me for more articles on cryptocurrency. 🙂

It’s funny, I think I talked about Bitcoin maybe a couple of times. Obviously, it isn’t my focus here. I even remember one lady who sorta raked me over the coals the one time I talked about it here in the Daily. She was NOT happy! 🙂 But then, I get other people out there wanting more.

Same thing with RVs. Obviously, RV camping is part of who I am. And apparently I have some of you who follow me here at BMA out of that mutual interest. Very cool!

Anyway, I see you guys. I appreciate you. I’m not going to start talking crypto with ya here, since that’s not what BMA is all about. But… fist bump. 🙂

Honestly, it was no surprise.

See, in the subscriber survey that many of you have done for me (thank you if that’s you), one of the big things that has come up is issues of time management and lack of focus.

Comments like…

“too many balls in the air”
“overload of responsibilities”
“having enough time”
“distraction from the general noise”

You get the idea.

Now, I’m no freakin’ master on this stuff. I mean, I’m not going to sit here and give you the impression that I’m some kind of master of productivity because that’d be disingenuous. I’ve learned and applied quite a few strategies on time management and productivity – and I’d be happy to share them with you here in The Daily. But, like everybody, I fall off the wagon sometimes, too.

I have some days where I feel I have so much to do that I feel snowed in. And I’ll just… do something else. 🙂 Go work on my RV or something. 😉

It is kind of ironic how, sometimes, we react to “too much to do” by simply doing nothing. 🙂

This online business stuff is hard. It takes work. It can be downright overwhelming, especially in those early stages. I’m not in those early stages anymore (obviously), but even now it can be overwhelming.

I’ve learned to cope with it by simply evaluating who is in the driver’s seat. That person would be… ME.

What I do with my time is my decision. What I decide is important is, likewise, up to me.

Deadlines are up to me. Active projects are up to me. And if I decide to simply turn off the computer and go camping, that’s up to me, too.

I also routinely re-evaluate what’s important. I mean, I learn from other people in this niche, too. You might think I’m a “guru” in this field, but trust me, I read many of the same bloggers you do because I’m always learning. And, like you, I also sometimes feel overwhelmed at all the ideas and “things I need to do” that come up when I read content from other bloggers.

But, who is in the driver’s seat? That’d be me. Not them.

When I am my own center… when I am my own source of stability… then things become less overwhelming.

I give myself permission NOT to do things. To put things off, if needed.

I don’t compare myself to others. I only compare to where I want to drive myself. I run my business the way I want to drive it.

Being in the driver seat of your own life is a decision you make. It is really just a mindset.

Your alternative is to allow everybody else to dictate your schedule. It is easy to be in that situation and feel that’s just the way it is. It is just your responsibility. You’re “forced” to deal with all the stuff other people need you to do and then try to shimmy in your own goals in between. Stuff like working on your blog or business.

But, if you were the driver, would it be that way?

Are you being a driver or a passenger in your daily life?

Now, if you feel you’re currently a passenger, don’t feel bad. But, the thing to do is to begin (in baby steps, if necessary) to exercise more and more of a driver role in how your day is spent. It doesn’t mean a total rewrite of everything and an abandonment of responsibility. It just means that you adopt the mindset of a driver and begin to make a few decisions.

I mean, even when we drive a car, we’re still traveling on a road somebody else built. We have to react to traffic. But, we’re still the driver and we ultimately decide the path. And, that car won’t go anywhere unless you make it go there.

Life is the same way.

So, if you have a day job, or family responsibilities, or any number of things that you feel are robbing your attention away from other things which matter (perhaps your blog or your business growth), then…

What small steps can you do to begin to be the driver again?

What can you do to be cause rather than effect?

Hey, I never said the answer would be easy. 🙂 But, a lot of time management really just comes down to realizing who is in the driver seat.

Either you’re driving… or you’re riding.

– David