Being too curious is bad for you

I believe in limited curiosity and that's probably why I love travelling and reading so much, take e-course after e-course to challenge myself, and asking all sorts of questions in meaningful conversation with mentors and individuals of different beliefs. 

However, I refuse to engage in Facebook as I am against being curious about everything and everyone. Our world has become a constant feed of information and entertainment and there are things which do not directly concern us such as celebrity gossip, intimate life details of friends, rumours and scandals, to name a few. Instead of reading up on things which add value and propel us forward, we end up with distractions which take up so much of our time, making us ineffective and unproductive in what we should be doing. 

"The public have an insatiable curiosity to know everything, except what is worth knowing.'~ Oscar Wilde

I encourage you to know yourself, to understand the world, to relate to those around us and to learn new skills. There is freedom to be found in limited curiosity.

A timely change of mindset

It is downright frustrating and worthy of serious attention when you are unemployed for an extended period and the days seem too long and you have all the time to kill but the bank account is in the red. I hate to be jobless and being unproductive but I am probably getting too old for any kind of traditional job in such a fierce competition. I find myself stuck and torn between the need of a stable income and the fat chance of getting hired. I have no capital to start my own business either and my online business is going nowhere as I have absolutely no idea about sales and marketing. I am also ripped off by spending a substantial amount of money on e-courses which failed to deliver their promises.

I have been disciplined and proactive in seeking employment since my return from France and after numerous interviews which failed me in the end, I can't help but asking myself if this is the path I should pursue and if there is something I am resisting which got myself doomed to failure in the first place. There were heartbreaks and disappointment in the process which are discouraging. I must accept the harsh reality of life and that I am not getting younger. A full time 9-6 job teaching 3-6 years old might not be the right thing for me at this stage of my life! I must let go of my belief that I can't possibly make a living doing what I love i.e.running my own online business while making enough to enjoy the freedom and lifestyle of my choice. I need to change my mindset big time. 

So after all the setbacks and 'failures', it's about time to pick myself back up and recommit to what I feel in my heart is the right thing to do. I might be going through mid-life crisis so I need a bit of a shake to see the possibilities which have been hidden from me before. Instead of busying myself with trivialities, I must take action and do what is in front of me without procrastination. I need to get my priorities right. I must create my own meaning for everything I do. 

Transition is never easy or smooth but I am determined to make the best out of this period to grow, to get better in what is required of me, to learn the nuts and bolts of online business in every way I can, and meanwhile letting go of my outdated and stale beliefs and be patient with the progress which might take a while to bear fruit. 




 

CHINESE NEW YEAR 'RESOLUTIONS'

I am never a 'resolution' person but it is important to move forward (as opposed to being stuck in a rut) regardless. Instead of writing up lists of things to do in the new year, how about looking at the things we should stop doing?

For me, here are the things I need to stop doing in order to make my life easier:

• stop consuming too much info i.e. be extra selective about what I read online and off (and spend more time instead on my writing)
• stop going to bed late i.e. 3am but gradually tune my bedtime in half hour doses and ideally make midnight the cut off time   
• stay away from energy vampires and people who don't share my frequency
• stop being obsessed with productivity-this is a hard one for me so I need reminding that we can't possibly be productive all the time 
• stop being a perfectionist and hence a procrastinator

And meanwhile, work on the things that need doing which have the most positive impact in my life.

• be consistent, disciplined
• commit and re-commit
• be willing to experiment-life challenges are opportunities to learn!
• aim at competence in areas which are important to you and accept mediocrity in others (you can't be an expert in everything!)
•  finish off what we start
• set deadlines and put them in your schedule
• do things that take you less than 2 minutes immediately to get them out of the way
• clear your inbox on a daily basis
• be persistent

This is my first blog post of the year 2013. Yes, I skipped 4 weeks and I have no excuse. I just didn't feel like blogging when I was facing so much angst, so much uncertainties and I guess my brain shut down completely in the midst of chaos. Life is not exactly getting better but I feel the need to catch up on my blogs even if no-one is reading. I have to be accountable to myself.

So Happy February! We are approaching the chinese new year of the snake and it's not too late to start / kick that habit of yours. I am constantly feeling overwhelmed by so much information coming in and being busy but unproductive. Maybe this is the underlying reason for my business which seems to never take off the way I wanted.

Instead of wishful thinking, I know there are things I need to do to get to where I want to be. So first off, I am declaring my year with the word PROGRESS. I need to put into action my thoughts and ideas and see tangible results for my seriousness and hard work. I'd need help with technology to get my business off the ground and make myself visible.

Checking my inbox and reading every single email is not work. I am spending far too much time reading others' work when I should be writing my own. I am minimising my subscription of newsletters and only the most relevant ones are allowed in. I have also limited my access to the internet for a couple of hours in the evenings. I'd never check my emails first thing as I am happier to indulge the better part of my day in my little studio corner, creating pretty things and experimenting with new techniques.

When I come across a challenge, instead of finding a quick fix which I usually do in the past, I let it simmer a bit and then dig deeper into my soul for a feasible solution, if that is necessary at all. Sometimes what we think is a challenge is not a challenge at all. They are opportunities in disguise if you take a few deep breaths and wait it out.

Busyness doesn't equate to being productive and / or doing great work. Checking off the to-do lists doesn't make me proud when I am losing my life to doing things which are mindless tasks and distractions which aren't really worth it. While I am changing my lifestyle to one of simplicity and minimalism, the benefits of doing less should not be overlooked. I prefer to focus on meaningful accomplishments to doing errands and whatnot. I will be less overwhelmed as I let go of the distractions and non-essentials. The world is not going to fall apart if you stop checking your inbox...Include only the things and experiences worthy of being in the finite time you have.

Most of the time I hate the end result of my artwork when I have to rush through it. It makes no sense to compete with time for anything worth doing. The same applies to reading, writing, meditating, cooking, and anything to do with creativity. Dedicate time and space and make sure you savor the task at hand.

Of course I am still learning the process of doing less and it takes time to figure out what gives you the most impact on your life, your career, your contribution to the world.