Just Make It Better

photo by Misserion

Sometimes you have to give in and do nothing.

There’s an impatience in people who want to make things better, in entrepreneurs, in my generation specifically. This immense desire to reach our pot of goals is pushing us away from this moment, further stagnating progress and increasing pressure. Reaching your own greatness shouldn’t mean feeling stressed out and emotionally slamming towards it. Being better means knowing when to stop.

I’ve been sick. Congestion and coughing has culminated into feeling fatigued and stuffy all the time. My efforts to improve the situation only had me wanting more naps. Then one day, while reading cheap, chick lit (and feeling guilty about its lack of value in improving my life, work and mind) I decided to give it up needing to constantly create.

On being super-human.

Despite it’s attempts to look otherwise the blog world is very similar to the rest of society. There’s rules, pressures, so-called experts and popularity contests. Big names talk about how they launched a book, website, or new career all while balancing everything else in their lives (insert eye roll), but none of them mention losing hair or sex drive while doing it. (Except maybe Penelope, but she’s in a class all her own.) When you see accomplishment wrapped up in such a pretty bow it’s hard to imagine how you and me, someone with flaws and insecurities, could achieve anything similar.

Especially when sick, tired or downright not in motherfucking mood.

Last week half of my apartment was without electricity for two days, leaving us without air conditioning in eighty five degree humid heat. Given the poor design of the place the windows didn’t leave much by way of ventilation. As you can guess, this really helps with congestion.

When it’s cooler outside than in your first floor apartment, it’s best to just go to the mall and ignore feeling bad about it. Fighting what you really need in that moment  leads to poor craftsmanship, bad moods and misdirected energy. If you’re working to make more of something, don’t let it consume who you are and what you do. Don’t feel guilty about doing what you want some days versus what you should do. Give up trying to make use of every moment of your day, every day.

Being happy is being productive. Even if that means sitting on the coach consuming mindlessness or playing with your kids.

Marytrs can have their “I don’t sleep” attitudes.

One of my client’s has decided to become increasingly difficult. Leaving me to either kill or fire him, two things I’d rather not do. I went home and did what I wanted (eat Hostess cupcakes and cuddle) rather than what I should have done (write a blog post). An urge difficult to give in to, but more satisfying than you being stuck with a poorly written post.

If you’re looking to become a workaholic and/or obsessed freak than expect to never be comfortable with time. Every minute of empty space will feel like an unused opportunity to tweet, clean, improve or produce. Every potential date will be examined from a fictional future, impatient to know whether it’s worth the time currently being devoted. When you’re working on a personal or external project, giving it time to breathe let’s you cultivate healthier days and better outcomes.

As I tell all the toddlers in my life, practice patience – something we all can never have enough of.

When we choose fun, love and relaxation we give ourselves what we most likely need and want. And it’s in those quiet moments when innovation often comes. Be patient with your work. Take the time to just be instead of do and you’ll find that you’ll still be making it better. Being mentally elsewhere is as wasteful as physical absence. So if you ever find yourself like me, holding a bad paperback, subconsciously brooding over a client or electrical problem, give it a rest and just commit to reading and enjoy those cupcakes.

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WAIT! Before you go, I have a favor to ask…

I don’t participate in many social networks. I joined Twitter to connect with you guys more, but as far as spreading JMIB that’s about the gist of my efforts. I don’t Digg or Stumble (although I do have an account) because it’s just not my thing. I could join the networks and suck up to get some attention, but it would be a frabicated effort and I’m over doing fake shit.

Here’s where you come in. I know the lot of you are active in social networks and I was hoping you could support JMIB where I lack. If you could spread the word on a post or the site, I’d so appreciate it. (Feel free to use the Share This button at the bottom of each post!) I know it really helps to use social networks and something tells me you’ll sell it better anyway.

So what do you say, will you help?

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