I very distinctly remember the year 2005. The year was distinctive for many reasons, but mainly because I hit my stride career-wise, and in the height of things, I was juggling 6 different gigs at once.
It was a crazy time, but enormously satisfying. I was teaching multiple classes of acting and public speaking, directing two different plays at the same time (not recommended), writing a book, and privately coaching about 5 different clients during this time period.
To say I was busy is obviously an understatement. Each day I kept post-its by my alarm clock to tell me what day it was and where I had to be. Yes, it was insane, overwhelming, at times stressful and mind-boggling and yet I thrived. In hindsight, the balance of my life was completely out-of-whack; I had no social life or relaxation time to speak of. But I believe everything happens for a reason, and eventually I made up for it!
I think balance is essential. I really do. But I also discovered that I'm the type of person who needs to have multiple activities going on all at once in order to stay interested. Boredom kills creativity. Like a shark, I need to constantly keep moving or I lose interest in myself.
So now, 7 years later, I'm back to the juggling act. I'm not quite up to 6 gigs (nor do I want to be), but I am once again, writing (of course I am), coaching, directing and teaching. And loving every minute of it. And though it takes some effort these days to do so, I find ways to make time for the special people in my life. My friends are very high on my priority list; so I make time to meet for coffee or a brew and keep in the loop. Finding the balance of work and down-time.
I do not feel overwhelmed quite yet, though I anticipate I will as the play I'm directing goes into tech, the deadline for my writing projects get closer, and my students demand more of my attention. But the thing is, I've done this before, and I can do it again. And this time around, I'm really learning to enjoy the ride.
It's going to be a great summer!
