I am fascinated, and maybe a little too fixated, on how we spend our time and energy.
But maybe this is something to be proudly fixated on.
Life is short and my time and energy is valuable. I want to live life to the fullest.
If I'm trying to figure out where to put my time and energy, do I focus on what I want to do or what I want to be?
DO vs. BE
My answer to this has changed over time. Here's why.
BEING
When I decided to get into podcasting in late 2018/early 2019, I decided I wanted to focus on BEING a podcaster.
DO vs. BE
I took a podcasting course from one of my favorite podcasters and adopted every single aspect she suggested. I studied the way my other favorite podcasters were doing things and adopted their processes as well.
While this was extremely helpful with getting started BEING a podcaster, in the spring of 2020 I found myself DOING things that I didn't really like and weren't really me. I felt burnt out and unauthentic.
I didn't like what I was DOING. Probably because I was doing what other people liked to do.
MAYBE BEING COULD OF WORKED
I've realized that focusing on BEING could have really worked out for me, but the way I was approaching it wasn't the best.
It wasn't what I was trying to be, it was how I was trying to be it.
I was trying to mold myself into being what a podcaster looked like for other people, instead of asking myself what podcasting could look like for me.
I chose to take everything the people I looked up to were doing and automatically adopted it since I saw that is what was making them successful (or at least in my eyes it was).
I learned something here…
Just because it is working for other people doesn't mean it will work for you. Observe and learn what other people are doing, and take the bits and pieces that you think will fit your personality, goals, and lifestyle you want to live.
I learned that it is important to learn, understand, and DO the things you like.
DOING
When I eventually asked myself what podcasting looked like for me, I wasn't really sure because I was clouded with what everyone else was doing.
I chose to take a step back and instead of focusing on what I wanted to BE, I started focusing on what I wanted to DO.
DO vs. BE
When I started focusing on what I wanted to DO, I saw that my favorite part of podcasting was writing the solo episodes. I loved writing.
The more I thought about it, it made a lot of sense. I loved journaling and as a kid my teachers always had to give me a page limit because I would write so much.
By focusing on what I wanted to DO, I found out what I was really interested in, I felt more creative, tasks became fulfilling, and I felt like I was creating my own path for growth.
I started writing more and this led me to starting my blog in May 2020.
In November 2020, I wrote a blog post on the importance of focusing on DOING instead of BEING. You can read it here.
WHAT COMES AFTER DOING
Since I wrote that blog post, I have continued to write and my thoughts on doing vs. being have really evolved. I'm happy they have and makes me feel like I'm living with my eyes open.
Now that I have a true understanding of what I like DOING, I feel like I can figure out what I want to truly BE based on my interests.
DO —> BE
I can take my love of writing and use that passion to bring my whole self to BEING a blogger.
Most importantly, I can be my version of a blogger.
I feel like what I'm doing and what I want to be are finally aligning.
Knowing what you like to do can be valuable information to becoming the person you actually want to be.
WHAT ABOUT GROWTH
So where do I go from here? How do I grow as a blogger or expand into other things?
I've strategized and experimented with many different ways to grow as a blogger. I've even thought about being a speaker, author, entrepreneur, educator, advocate, etc.
So I asked myself, if I'm going to BE this person (whatever it is), what does that person DO?
DO <— BE
What do they DO to BE who they are?
Speakers speak. Authors write. Educators educate.
Am I willing to do those things?
It makes me consider how I want to spend my time and energy to become what I want to be.
What am I willing to do to be the person I want to be?
What am I willing to sacrifice? What am I not willing to sacrifice?
How can I create the time and the energy that is required to become the person I want to become?
You can BE anything, but you must define what you are willing to DO to make it happen.
A key part of this is still taking into consideration what you like to do and the bits and pieces you have learned from others that could work for you.
I've found myself wanting to apply this to more than just being a blogger.
What does an exceptional yoga teacher do? Am I willing to do what is required of that?
What does a supportive girlfriend do? What time and energy can I create to be that?
What does a promotable employee do? What am I willing and not willing to sacrifice in my personal life in order to make that happen?
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So when it comes to your time and energy, do you focus on what you want to DO or what you want to BE first?
I don't believe there is a wrong answer.
Based on my experience and talking with others, you may go about this based on how your brain works and the path that is going to get you to your version of success.
For me, my brain processes like this:
DO —> BE —> DO
Others' brains might work like this:
BE —> DO
Whatever way you like to figure out how to spend your time and energy, I’ve realized it is about aligning what you want to do and what you want to be.
do = be
