28th September, 2021

Heading into a long weekend, desperate to spend quality time with family, I’m reflecting on the ever-present stress of wondering whether or not I’m doing enough. Am I taking on enough projects? Am I helping enough people? Am I showing enough value?

As a somewhat typical first generation family member to go to university straight from school, I’ve always felt the pressure to succeed. I was never particularly pressured to do ‘well’ as such, only ever to do my best. Most of the chronic pressure has - even if I’ve never been consciously aware enough to admit it in the past - been entirely self-inflicted.

One of my fellowship mentors has done well to instill in me a mantra that, if I’m not careful, will need to become a tattoo in order for me to action it:

If you try to do everything, you will finish nothing.

Consider the consequences of taking on too much and having too little energy for each pursuit. Consider the downright lie that is the supposed virtue of multitasking.

For all the plates that you have spinning, which of them can (nay, should) you allow to crash to the ground?

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