Dave
LifeExcursion

@Chris, Dan: I fully agree with everyone that it is good to have multiple things going on, so as not to get bored. I think that is completely true. But while I will always have multiple projects going on, if I don’t set aside specific time to work on each one, I won’t make nearly as much progress. I think having smaller goals for each project is a valuable idea. To tell yourself, I won’t work on anything else until I have reached this goal for the current project. Once you have reached that goal you can re-evaluate and decide if you need to continue with that project, or move on to something else.

@John: You have pointed out the very question I have been struggling with. Do I want to get involved in graphic/web design full time? Part of me feels like I do. I enjoy it, and I know that I could make a location independent income, so why not go for it? The amount of work involved to get myself up to speed is pretty high, so thats what is stopping me. I am having a hard time dropping everything else I am passionate about to solely focus on that. Although, if thats the direction I decide to take in my life, then that may be exactly what needs to happen.

Bottom line is, no matter what you are going to have many things going on. How you prioritize, goal set, and schedule, it what will ultimately define how successful you will be with it. To this point, I haven’t been as successful as I could be due to my own scattered way of working. With some minor changes, many improvements will be made, and many more projects brought to completion.

Also, GOOD LUCK to Colin in his adventure to Buenos Aires. He is doing some AWESOME things (even without his car or iphone), and it will be really exciting to see how life unfolds for him on his adventures…

I was just thinking about this yesterday! I have so much that I want to do, and such a long list of dreams and goals and interests and projects that I have an issue with focus.

Yesterday, I sat down and wrote out my top three priorities, with one of two basic goals under each one. And then I brainstormed as to why this area was most important. It really helped me narrow down what needs to be focused on… although I do agree with the guys above that I need more than one project so that I don’t get bored. But, I have the same problem as you and start so much I don’t finish.

At least we aren’t those people that are bored, and complaining about what to do today…!!

I really like the ideas in this post. As you probably know, I use these principles on a daily basis, both in my ‘real job’ and my online ventures.

I’m also a huge focus on one thing type of guy! Multitasking just kills me.

And removing things that don’t add value… that’s the way to go. I cut down my tv time by probably 80%. It wasn’t giving me any value really, so I cut it. I’ve also been pretty successful at eliminating my need to attend work meetings, that has been quite tricky though!

Great post, Sean. Hope everything is going well.

It would be great to work together on these topics, it seems like there is a lot of overlap here. Please email if any of you are interested!

Based on the comments, it seems that we are all working on a million things and we all know we need to focus. The problem is that there really are unlimited cool opportunities in the world. Radical exclusion is the key, however, it is easier said than done.

I personally have shelved several very interesting projects, but I still have way too much on my plate. I also preach, “Focus on the ONE,” but still haven’t committed to what that ONE should be. As Chris stated, it really will be three or four projects, but I still am around the ten level, so I have some more elimination ahead of me.

There are many other cool things I would love to do, but I always ask myself “WHY?” I love graphic design and know my way around Flash and Illustrator, however I don’t want to be a full-time designer so I outsource that work, no matter how enjoyable it may be.

I love playing guitar, but I realize how much practice is required to become a great musician and I am not willing to pay that price. I play for enjoyment, not because I think it will provide me an income in the future.

So Sean, why do you want to learn the Adobe Suite? If you really want to be a graphic designer, focus 100 % of your energy on that. Become really good at it and you will have great freelancing opportunities that you can do from anywhere. (I am sure Colin has some great advice there.)

If you don’t really want to make a career of it, then perhaps your interest is not that strong and you should just outsource your design work.

I hope that helps.

I do like the multiple project idea as well. I get bored doing one thing for too long and having multiple things to do keeps it interesting. You have to have a limit though. Nothing is going to get done if you’re working on 10 projects at a time.

For goal setting I find making things as specific as possible a good way to go. Break things down into larger chunks and then break them down again. Keep going until you have manageable pieces and then get started. Check things off along the way and you get a feeling of accomplishment that will keep you motivated.

I guess different folks work best with different work schedules. I don’t think there is a right and wrong way – do what ever works for you best.

Lately I’ve been getting better about it. At the beginning of July I doubted my ability to successfully run a blog, but I’ve been consistently posting for two months and doing quite well.

Removing things that aren’t important is really tough because I have such a genuine interest in them, but I’m getting better at that too.

If you have a Mac, I highly recommend using Things by CulturedCode to keep everything organized. Things is actually one of the reasons I bought an iPhone, so I could keep my todos in my pocket and sync them with my Macbook.

Also, I learned Photoshop completely by myself. I started with a pirated copy and got good enough that my skills actually paid for a legitimate copy. Something important to keep in mind is that while tutorials are really good for learning to use Photoshop and expanding your knowledge, you should probably read a few tutorials or a book on design. Learning Photoshop to design website mockups is like learning to use a paintbrush to make the Mona Lisa. Knowing how to hold the brush and dip it in color doesn’t mean you’re an awesome painter. Same thing with Photoshop. Get a good understanding of the basics and you’ll be able to apply your own ideas faster rather than being stuck to the rigid instructions of a tutorial.