There are days when I feel I can do anything and there are many more days when I feel I have to do everything.

Do anything 

It’s almost a compulsion when it comes to projects. I want to cover aspect, every perspective, every angle. 

This is a fantastic approach for analytical work (which is my other career) and for critical thinking exercises but it always seems to cause me trouble.

Why is that, you may ask?

So much of my analytical work comes with an imposed expectation I do only what I’m told to do or what people expect to be done. 

I don’t do well when people try to tell me what to do. I’m a rational thinker and deep feeler; I can figure out the right thing to do all on my own. And often the right thing conflicts with the “only what I’m told”. This conflict leads to high stress, anxiety, vulnerability on my part even though, inevitably, things turn out not just okay but fantastic at the end. People can then see all that I can do as I take them an unexpected journey and open their eyes to new possibilities and understandings. It’s the best feeling.

But not everything

But, it’s because of all this stress and anxiety I bring upon myself that I’ve had to repeatedly learn how not to do everything and still arrive at an acceptable middle ground. To still feel I got the job done to an acceptable standard by my estimation. 

It’s still a lesson I’m learning, as I sit here trying to finish a project keep tripping over new questions to investigate and answer.

But I have this week’s reminder placed right by my desk lamp to put my compulsion in check and remind me hourly that while I can do anything I can’t do everything. It’s okay not to do everything because if I do I’ll burn myself out again and that is not good for anyone, especially me. 

I can do anything. But I can’t do everything. A good life lesson to learn.