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How to Juggle Multiple Projects Without Losing Your Mind · The Daily Writer

• 0:16
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome everybody to the Born to Create podcast.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_00: My name is Kent Sanders, and I'm your host.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_00: I'm an author, musician, and a teacher, but my most important role is being a husband and a dad.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_00: Here on the show we talk about practices, habits, and strategies that help us live out our creative calling.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_00: This is episode 14, and today we're going to be talking about the topic how to juggle multiple projects without losing your mind.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_00: You can find the post that accompanies this episode, as well as all the links, at KentSanders.net slash juggle.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_00: Jugglers have always fascinated me.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_00: As a kid, I would watch variety shows like That's Incredible or The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and just stare at the screen.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_00: I was mesmerized by the bowling pins, knives, and flaming torches flying through the air with such precision.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_00: As a teenager, I learned to juggle three tennis balls at once, and I can still do it pretty well.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_00: It's not that hard to keep the balls moving for a couple of minutes, but eventually you'll make a mistake and they all come crashing down.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_00: Juggling tennis balls is one thing, but juggling creative projects is quite another.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_00: It's a common struggle every artist faces.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_00: In fact, one of my readers recently sent this email, and I've edited it a little bit for length and clarity, but here it is.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_00: This reader said with all these different things I want to do and hope to achieve, I sometimes get lost in keeping track of all the things, and I get a bit discouraged.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_00: In my head, I keep trying to create an inhumane time schedule for each day.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_00: And maybe it's not unachievable, but it's also quite strict, and I won't be able to keep up with it over time.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_00: Do you have any advice on handling many projects at once and not getting lost?
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_00: This particular reader is a college student, but her struggle is not unique to any particular circumstance or period in your life.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_00: Most creative people have a variety of interests and responsibilities and are therefore juggling several projects at any given time.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_00: I am facing this myself.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_00: My duties at work have been growing recently, and I'm also trying to juggle several side projects.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_00: These include my blog and newsletter, some freelance writing and editing, a book project, and now a podcast.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_00: I love all these projects and consider each of them really important.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_00: So I wrote back to the college student and I shared a few thoughts on how to juggle multiple projects without losing your mind.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_00: But I was also speaking to myself, since this is an issue that I constantly face.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_00: If you're juggling a variety of responsibilities and projects, you'll find some value in these practical tips.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_00: So let's go ahead and dive in.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_00: Number one is focus on the right projects.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_00: It's easy to feel lost in a sea of projects.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_00: This is why it's so helpful to step back from those and revisit your annual goals occasionally.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_00: Then determine which projects will help you to best meet those goals.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_00: You know, honestly, it's hard to let go of something that is kind of like your baby, something that you birthed, something that you brought into the world creatively.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_00: But if you want to be effective, you have to be ruthless in cutting out projects that are not contributing to your overall goals.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_00: Number two, visualize your goals.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_00: My good friend Eric Elder is a writer and a pastor who runs The Ranch, which is an online ministry.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_00: He recently shared with me a great visualization tactic.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_00: He said for each of his annual goals, he creates an image and posts it where he can see it every day.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_00: The book I'm currently working on is a parable type of story called Born to Create.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_00: I created a simple mock-up of the book cover, printed it out, and wrapped it around a real book.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_00: And whenever I see the prototype and the end result of what it will look like, it really inspires me to keep plugging away.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_00: By the way, you can check out episode ten of the podcast for a simple five-step system for reaching your goals.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_00: Number three, build in breaks.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_00: When you're working against multiple deadlines, it's hard to stop because you feel a pressure to keep on going.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_00: But it's not healthy or productive to constantly be in work mode.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, after all, if God needed a Sabbath day to rest after the six days of creation, then you need to take a Sabbath as well.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_00: But a weekly day off is not enough.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_00: You must know your own biological clock and understand when you're most productive every day.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_00: Work with your body, not against it.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_00: Number four, kill two birds with one stone.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_00: See if you can figure out ways to combine projects and save time.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_00: For instance, are there ways to work on writing while commuting?
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_00: Or are there some ways to work on your music while you're waiting between classes or appointments?
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_00: Look at your projects and commitments to see what you can combine in some creative ways.
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_00: Many creative endeavors can be repurposed for different audiences.
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_00: For example, this podcast is repurposed content for my blog.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_00: I'm simply putting it in an audio format for a different audience, and for my regular audience to enjoy as well.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_00: Number five, embrace the seasons of life.
• 5:23
  SPEAKER_00: Life is made up of seasons that come and go.
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_00: College students, those with small kids at home, and empty nesters are all in different seasons of life with different commitments and different rhythms.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_00: My life with the twelve year old is different than it was with a toddler.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_00: If you have too many things going on and you feel really overwhelmed, it might be time to reevaluate your commitments.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_00: It's perfectly okay to let some things go if you're going through an especially intense season in your life.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_00: If you're feeling stressed out and overloaded, don't be intimidated by this list of five things to keep in mind.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_00: Pick one tactic and put it into action today.
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_00: You can't do everything at once, but you can do something to improve your schedule and your peace of mind.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_00: So how do you juggle multiple projects at once?
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_00: What advice do you have and what's working for you?
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_00: I'd love to hear your thoughts.
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_00: You can join the conversation and find the post and the links that accompany this episode at KentSanders.net slash juggle.
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_00: When you visit my site, you'll find all kinds of great resources to inspire your creativity.
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_00: I'd also love to share a gift with you when you subscribe to my newsletter.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_00: You can check it out and learn more about my books, writing, and services at KentSanders.net.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_00: I'd love to connect and you can send me a tweet at Kent Sanders, and you can find me on Facebook and Instagram as Kent Sanders.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_00: I hope you'll also check out our Born to Create Facebook group by visiting KentSanders.net slash Facebook Group.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_00: Until next time, remember that you were born to create and designed to make a difference.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_00: What will you do with the time you have left?