And...We're Back!

Ironically, my last post here was about making a schedule and taking breaks while working. That was posted Sunday, October 21st, 2011. Today is Thurday, September 25th, 2014. So what happened? Well, around that time I began to get overwhelmed with life and work as a whole. I knew what needed to be done, but I didn't know how to do it. It's a major simplification to say it that way, but it's the truth. I struggled on until July of 2013 when I was offered a marketing position with a budding start-up because of a well-worded email I wrote. True story. For the past 14 months I have steady gathered hats at that little start-up and a few sister companies owned by the same owner. A few weeks ago I was awarded my 9th job - each of which should be a full-time job for any one person - and decided enough was enough. I have never gotten any additional compensation and rarely ever got even as much as an attaboy or a thank you. However, there is a silver lining in all this. Every experience is an opportunity to learn. Going into this job I was a struggling artist who could not get himself on a schedule, didn't eat right, had manic sleep patterns going from a few hours for a few nights or days and then sleeping 12-15 hours for a couple days and then back to only a few hours again, and certainly didn't exercise a bit. I was in a rut and didn't know what to do about it. I wasn't getting paid what I felt I was worth, and yet didn't understand why. I didn't know how to manage my administrative and marketing portions of being my own employer and yet didn't know how to learn those things either. This last 14 months has shown me all of this and so much more. I have learned the importance of keeping a schedule, being healthy, having integrity in all you do, time management skills I sorely needed, and actually learned new things that had previously scared me away. I became our company's defacto IT guy and along the way gained a great deal of confidence in myself, my instincts, and my strengths such as organization and a knack for efficiency processes. I also learned to love Google and rekindled my love affair with curiosity - a long dormant relationship that I left behind December of 2000 after leaving University. So how does all this play into my current situation and what does it mean to you? I have always wanted to do my own thing. It was only a matter of time before the corporate world began to suck my soul. As a creative and a strong Type A personality, it's just best if I go ahead with my own pursuits - but only if I can actually be successful! After all, if you don't work toward your own dreams, someone else will hire you to pursue theirs, right? So I'm making moves to go back to being my own boss. I have projects to produce and worlds to create. I have a lot of options, but here are the basics: Be responsible. Your bills won't pay themselves. Have a plan and know how to execute it, but be flexible enough to adjust as needed as you go. Know yourself and be honest enough to analyze and correct where needed. Be healthy. A healthy mind, body, and spirit will not only give you longer, more rewarding life, but it will allow you to enjoy it as well! Be yourself. Carry your own power. The moment you allow others to generate your power, is the moment you lost all your power. Be confident in your abilities and yourself. The moment you NEED confirmation or affirmation from another person is the moment you lose confidence in yourself. It's a big, bad, lonely world out there. That is not to say you will not benefit from a support network though! Of course, any support is wonderful! Just don't allow yourself to NEED it. Discipline. Self discipline is one of the greatest enemies of the human spirit. Learn to make captive your mind and your body every day. You are in control. Not the temporary elements of what make up your whole.