There are going to be many times in our journey when we want to embark on a new project of some sort. This can be a very tempting time to devote all our resources on that new project because it is new and exciting. However, this can be a very damaging event in our journey as it will disrupt the momentum that we have going in other arenas. By disrupting that momentum, we will have to get back into it once the project is complete and that will take extra time and effort to get the ball rolling again, if we ever do it get it rolling again.

The real key is to temper our excitement for a new project with the need to maintain the steps that we take every day to continue our journey. This is going to take a couple of extra steps. First off, we need to analyze our current lives and find where we are going to get the time and energy to add into the new project while still maintaining your current investment into your journey. This is likely going to cause us to forgo something that we either enjoy doing, a pastime of some sort, or to reassess the things that we think that we “need” to do each day. There are places that we can find that time and energy if we are really motivated to start that new project. It is also possible that the sacrifices that we need to make to do the project seem to be too extreme. This means that the time is not right to start that new project.  So keep the project in mind, add it to a journal or list of things you are interested in exploring later and come back to it every so often, see if the time is right to start into it. Just because we have a great idea for a new project, doesn’t mean that we need to dive into it right now in our lives. Our overarching goals are the important thing to keep in mind.

Take me for example; I have a book that I wrote years ago that has been ready for a final edit. I have decided that I really want to get this edited and to self-publish it. It has become time for me to move forward in that endeavor. Now the issue I find myself in is a lack of time to get everything I want to get done. So I have to prioritize things. I had first thought to stop writing these posts for the month and rely on the backlog of posts that I do have and use that time to edit and get the book ready, but that would be killing the momentum that I have built and would result in even more work down the line. Thanks to my wife,xiaoyi, pointing that out to me, that option was off the table as these posts are a very imporant part of our journey. Now I face the challenge of finding the time and energy to get that book done as well. I am in the middle of evaluating what I can do in that regard and hope to have the book ready to go by the end of summer. Keep an eye out for that announcement.

So what projects are burning for your attention and how are you going to get them done while still maintaining the momentum of your journey?