Notes from a recovering FOMOholic: Why I have grown to LOVE diary clashes
‘’Oh why does everything have to always be on the same day?!’’ my teammate bemoaned after we got another work clash...
We’ve had next to no work for Power of Uke during the pandemic and now a corporate gig in the countryside has come up - but it’s the same weekend I’m running workshops at a festival and my colleague has a big party in London. We’re deep in logistics mode trying to see how it could be feasible.
It is frustrating when things clash, but (as ever!) I wonder if these clashes are actually a gift?
Firstly, clashes stop us from booking ourselves up too much. Because we can’t do both events, we have to choose and it frees up time elsewhere. Could we even be grateful that not everything is possible?
But more importantly clashes show us what is important to us.
We have to draw on our personal values to make the decision.
Let’s take the aforementioned clash. I COULD technically do both. I could get myself to the South West on the Friday, deliver a ukulele workshop and then come back to the South East to do a weekend of festival delivery. The value I’d be honouring there would be financial sustainability for my business.
But as I imagine doing that I already feel a little bit stressed. I know from experience what it takes to travel with 20 ukuleles, deliver a session and travel back. I always need a day to chill afterwards, so the thought of then going onto a music festival to run a weekend of workshops activates a serious alarm bell. The value I’m honouring here is my desire to do everything to a good standard, and actually have the energy to enjoy it too. I want to show up for my festival team with energy and excitement, rather than flustered and drained.
In the past my top value was saying yes to everything so I didn’t miss out. And this served a purpose for a while! My life was full to the brim of activity, social arrangements, new hobbies, a million jobs. But over time I realised that I often compromised the quality of my delivery and presence by doing this. Yes I could be everywhere, but I was also kind of nowhere.
So at the moment I'm prepared to turn down the work in order to fully show up for the commitment that is already in the diary. Maybe in another moment the money would be more important, but that's where I'm at today. And what I'm learning through this clash is how important it is for me to go at a pace I can manage post-Covid. That has to be my priority.
I wonder what factors are at play for you when you have a clash? Is it loyalty to who asked you first? Is your decision governed by where you might earn more money? Have more fun? Get further in your career? Travel least? I also wonder if your values have changed since the pandemic?
✍️A journaling exercise for next time you have a clash:
What are the different options for this clash? (eg. Do A, Say no to B/ Do B, Cancel A/Try and do both/Cancel both and have a bath).
Which of your values would you be honouring if you went for each outcome?
Which of those values is most important for you to honour right now?
🎧I recommend this Spotify Radio playlist for this week: chilled world beats for a long summer evening.
Big hug,
Sarah x
🎠On my Carousel: Downtime after a busy week of workshops and an evening of singing, plus my Covid jab. Re-listening to my podcast recordings to decide which ones will go to Series 1 (if I write it here - I will do it!) A wedding and a solstice celebration. Enjoying these long evenings and feeling like I'm in Spain ;)
Ps. For those of you who are new here, Carousel is a model that supports you to work intuitively with your many projects and interests, and this newsletter consists of musings to support you to live in this way. You can read up more here.