This morning I woke up, took the dogs out, then grabbed a banana and sat at my desk. I stretched and said, "hey google, play some instrumental reading music" to activate my Nest and settled into my routine of reading one chapter of the book that is currently inspiring my writing, Bird By Bird. I highlighted all the brilliant sentences that popped out at me and at the end of the chapter, I feel buzzed with ideas and inspiration. I closed the book and turned on my typewriter. After over a month of daily writing, just the electric buzz of it often gets my brain in the right headspace like the Pavlov dog when he heard a bell. But other times, I just stare at the blank page and type the words "I'm not sure what to write" and then I keep writing stream of conscious style.

At 9:45 AM my alarm goes off and I know it's time to shift gears. I turn off my typewriter and pull out the piece of paper I'd been typing on, labeling it and putting it in the folder.

I stretch, pour another cup of tea or coffee, brush my teeth and get ready for the day.

Usually at 10 AM I have a call scheduled, either a client call or a connection call and that kicks my day off right. If I don't have a call, I check off the most important and urgent thing off my list. I've started "eating the frog" at the beginning of my day after I heard the patron saint Glennon Doyle say "worst thing first thing, best thing next thing" on her podcast. It really stuck with me.

I work from 10-2, sometimes just from 10-12 depending on how well I slept and if I have other life priorities. I check off the needle movers first, the things that bring in money - which is my Main Thing right now, then I might indulge in some secondary tasks.

This is how I'm able to write a book about my year of National Park travels AND build a profitable business.

If you asked me what my Main Thing is, I'd tell you it's my business. It's the thing I spend the most time, energy, and money on.

But I also love writing my book. I am jazzed by it. If I could, I would spend 60 hours a week writing it.

But it's not my Main Thing because I need money and I want to build up my business to be easy, profitable, and sustainable. So the book can't get all my time. I have to set parameters - routines so I stay focused on my business.

I haven't always done this. I used to go extreme into everything I did. I had four "Main Things" and everything felt urgent and important. My to-do list grew and my to-done list shrank. I got overwhelmed and burnt out.

As a mentor of mine Diana Davis says, if you want to build four fires, you have to build one up first, make it self sustained and THEN focus on building the next one. You will wear yourself out building all four at the same time and it's likely that they will all burn out.

You have to choose your Main Thing. It's not always the most fun thing - the thing that is lighting you up the most right now. But it doesn't mean that you don't do the fun thing. In fact, the inspiration you get from your new idea might fuel the motivation for your Main Thing. BUT you have to be disciplined and focused on spending the majority of your time, money and energy on the thing that moves the needle the most. You have to prioritize it.

And don't forget to have FUN with your Main Thing - the point is to find the thing that moves the needle the most AND fills your cup. And eliminate, automate, and delegate the rest.

But it's important not to focus all your time and energy on a new idea if your Main Thing fire isn't raging.

That's a recipe for burn out.

What's your Main Thing?

Cheers,
Summer

PS. Here's a picture of Typewriter I use everyday to tap into my inner Hemingway (I thrifted it for $15!)