The Curse of Wild Ideas: How to Keep Momentum and Balance

It is Monday, we are just back from our holidays and my head is too full of ideas. While that seems like a good problem to have, I can see how it will not end well for me. It might unfold as follows: a photo I need to share with friend A as it refers to an inside joke, a thought that adds to a conversation with have with friend B, a long list of things that need doing around the house, a chapter for a story to write, calls to family members, bookings for the summer, leads for business proposals, follow ups on work meetings, the longer I sit, the more items add themselves on my mental list. My problem is: along that tumble of vague ideas the dynamic shifts from all the things I „could do“ to „should do“. That is when it becomes stressful and too often unattainable. What to do?

Luckily, this time is different. Because I have this blog. And before I start running around like a headless chicken, I take an extra breath and write to you.

Distractions? What?

Because while it is fun to chat with friends, I have work that needs doing. Those things that are hard to accomplish, they love their cosy hiding spot behind fun excuses. There they can linger and slowly foster into unhappy thoughts.

Yes, I could arrange more puppy meets for the dog as the weather is getting better. I could start planting to get ready for spring. I should visit some of my elderly neighbours and check in with relatives far away. I could read that interesting book.But alas, not only the flowers: along with those books, my pile of unfinished tasks is growing. I can’t keep up. Exhaustion and resentment is the next step.

Cycle of Life

The tricky bit is: on the one hand, it is undeniable, that once you reached a certain momentum, doing more tasks is much easier and everything gets faster to accomplish. It’s like riding an old, heavy bicycle. At first, it takes a lot of effort to get it out the shed, check for air, dust off the saddle and climb on. Then you slowly start kicking it off the ground, discouraged by wailing creaks of the rusty chain. But once you gain momentum, the world whizzes past. It is fun. While you are at it, you can take extra turns, fly down the valley and use your speed to roll up the next hill.

On the other hand, you need to stay on the path that is right for you, watch that you have enough muscle power left to reach your destination and to make sure that you don’t take too such a daring turn that you lose your balance and fall off.

Yet, if you never swerve and turn, you might miss the best bits of your journey. That’s why I like to keep those ideas coming.

Surely, ideas on chores, for conversations, on paths to take and explore: they come flooding in. So, I wonder, how about if I write down ALL my ideas, big and small? And before I act on them, I consolidate my list. And then, I pick and chose.

Get a basket

So, my idea for this cycling season is: Let me put them all into a basket as they come. Then fish those out, that will make my days better. Then when there is a time in my days and energy left for my journey, I have a reservoir to refresh myself and see where those lovely ideas take me next!