Choose a path?
I wrote last week about finishing the blogging challenge and being excited about next steps. Then a myriad of things happened, least of which is that my internet is down today due to a deliberate cut in our mainline fiber of our ISPs network. But, I will not be deterred. I have a dream…a dream of working from my home or on the road, not being tied to a corporation and doing what I love. While I like what I do now, I’m getting pretty burned out.
Choose a path.
The challenge still sits in my mind with some follow-up to do. But I have three other, no wait, make that four other, books calling my name right now:
And not to mention two writing books that I’ve been reading a chapter at a time to help me craft my words into blogs and books (NaNoWriMo is closer than it seems). But where to start?
Choose a Path!
That is where this blog comes in. I think I have a plan for tackling this journey and these books while still enjoying the process. Each of these books has tasks or ideas that can be undertaken at a given point – some chronologically through the book, others I can pick and choose. I plan to undertake one section of a book at a time. For example, I am just about to finish reading and start writing in The Desire Map, so I will do a section at a time. I often like to start these great projects, work at it tirelessly for about a week, then get bored and move on. If I plan to work on smaller chunks, I feel much more confident that I will achieve the small milestones which will lead me to the larger milestones.
Path chosen.
From Four, Divergent by Veronica Roth
Shadow Hunters: The Mortal InstrumentsSome of you may say this is too much. Some may say it’s just right. Other may think I’m crazy to approach this in this manner. Excellent! For a quick bit of background, I have at least 8 books going at one time. Some will never be finished (i.e. Game of Thrones, Book 1), some I like to savor a little longer (the final Mortal Instruments book), some I get lost in and need to get out of for a bit (SoulSpace), and others I devour in two days (Divergent series.) So having this many books in progress is not unusual at all for me. What’s unusual is that I have a plan this time for making the most of this information in a manner that (I hope) will work for me.
Share.
Do you have a plan for growth? How do you handle a pile of books that you really want to get through but do not seem to have the time needed?
joyjourneynow 
When I was younger, I was a constant reader with a wide range of “eclectic” genres. I now find that I struggle to get through any books that are not business or marketing related. My plan is to create my business to the best I can, so that consumes me more than my desire to read good fictional material. I guess this means I have abandoned my passion for novels in favour of creating a better business. Perhaps when I reach my goals I will once again find the time to revel in the imagination of fictional writers as I once did….. One can only hope. 🙂
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I will hope with you on that one! I tend to bounce back and forth between books to help me do something and pure entertainment. I have discovered I can do both because I usually don’t read the business books before bed. Let’s build these businesses right now and we’ll have all the time in world for reading for fun.
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I’m a big reader, always with a book or two in process and a big old pile of books waiting to be read. Like any task, break it up into small chunks: read for 15 minutes a day if that’s what you’ve got available. You’ll be amazed how quickly that grows to 30 minutes and more…
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Absolutely! I’ve been extra busy this week and haven’t read much, but I do get 15 minutes in here and there. I swear it helps my sanity!
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I like to get lost in a book, but like you I often get bored after that first marathon of reading. I believe it’s best to break it up to avoid burn out.
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Yes, small chunks work well for me too. If I marathon something for too long, I’ll often not finish it!
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I purposely learned how to speed read so I could get through more of the books I have to read. For books I just want to read, I incorporate those into my purposeful pause which are planned breaks specifically for my self care. Recreational reading is something I prescribed for my mental health. Having some sort of plan to guide your next steps helps tremendously. While the hardest part is usually to start, maintaining the momentum to finish can be just as challenging. I recommend hiring a business coach to keep you accountable to your goals.
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I like your idea. I already read at a pretty good pace, so I get through things quickly, but sometimes I like a leisurely pace. I’ll consider hiring a coach…I am also interested in learning how to coach…someday.
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A lot of time I move through life very organically. I may start in one direction, yet I remain open to all the things that are coming towards me and then I say yes to the ones that resonate or speak very strongly for me. Often I have a lot of books on the go at one time as well, and go back and forth from one to the other to see what nugget I take away at a particular moment in time. One book I seem to return to over and over again is Steven Pressfield’s “The War of Art” and each time I read it, something new pops for me. My plan is always to keep doing what I am doing, for as long as it interests me. I’ve been very open to changing throughout my life and I see how although I may not have come out with the long-term results, I’ve had a lot of fascinating experiences along the way. I look forward to hearing more about how the path you choose unfolds for you, Lori Ann! Have fun and enjoy the journey!
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Thank you, Beverly! I like your comment that you’ll do something for as long as it interests you. I’m facing this in another part of my career life…some of the things I’m doing for work are not that interesting any more. I struggle to stay engaged. And I dive into a book to relax and refocus.
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Hi Joy,
Excellent post 🙂 It is so important to just choose one path and stick with it 🙂 I have a few books that I need to get to as well lol
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One path…it’s a hard one for me to do, but I keep working at it!
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Reblogged this on Social Like Me and commented:
I like this path to freedom in business by Lori-Anne DeLappe:
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It’s true that books can help your growth, but I would make sure that you’re leading the way, so you can be in control of your journey. Doing too much research can impact your growth negatively. So make sure that you have a business plan, and that you’re taking consistent action, on a daily basis, with the intent of building a successful business. Best 🙂
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Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Excellent advice. I’m building the business plan step by step right now as I finish up my current project. Staying focused and leading the way are good reminders.
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Great reminder! If we have dreams and goals, we need a plan that takes us to get there. I thought about my life goals (what success means to me) before, and I realized that what I was doing was not leading to what I wanted to get. So I made a shift and I’m spending more time on my online fitness business. Thanks for sharing the blog and I love it!
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Kaz, thank you! I am getting ready to make a shift, although it’ll probably be a year long process. But it took reexamining my goals as well to help me realize the time was coming for a change. And this blogging project is helping as well.
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