The Three Spheres of Balance

I can't juggle tennis balls. However, I do manage to juggle what I call three spheres of balance. I've been developing this concept for years because I had a big problem growing up. The problem was what some refer to as 'talent'.

I loved when people referred to me as 'talented' because it made me feel appreciated. Everything new that I tried, I became good at - if I kept doing it (or, if I liked it!). I was no prodigy, I just learned how to do the things I wanted to do - no big mystery here.

The Problem
The problem arose in my mid-teens, when I found I was good at a whole bunch of things like film making, still photography, drawing, writing and sports (anything that involved running). Then, in my twenties, I was playing guitar, writing songs, performing, recording songs, writing stories, painting and making friends (an often underrated skill). In my thirties, I could do all that and more - scriptwriting, editing, better film making and the list goes on. Wait a second! How does one focus on all of that?


Identity Crisis!
Aren't you supposed to do one thing and do it well? Jack of all trades or master of none? Well, what is it, 'specialist' or 'generalist'? In these times, a little of both won't hurt.

So, what I did, starting about twelve years ago, was lay out all of my so-called 'talents' and figured out which ones I needed to pursue my life's work. I weeded out some of them, but kept a few others. I had a list of ten talents and carved it down to five over the next few years so I could focus on one thing - to be me. I find so many people want to be known as a 'position' or 'job title' or 'credential' and sometimes forget who they are in the process. There is really nothing wrong with that, if you always have some of what you do involved in your activities.

The Solution
In order to keep using the talents I chose, I came up with a few simple rules for living ('my' chosen lifestyle - this is not for everybody):
1) Always work at a place which is within a bike ride away, unless the location changes daily.
2) Work at more than one place.
3) 'Work' for no more than three days per week (averaged out over the year).
4) Exploit all talents which are relevant to a given position.
5) Include fun and passion in your work and out of your work.

In #3, by 'work' I mean what you are getting paid to do. Ideally, you will like the work or be willing to change something in order to maintain liking it. I should also mention that the three days per week work rule only refers to work I am getting paid to do through my profession and not things like updating my websites, blogs, developing products, making short films or whatever else I do that I do not get immediately paid for.

One of my passions is to perform on stage. As a guitar player, I couldn't care less if I got paid or not. If it were my full time occupation, I'd risk losing some of that passion, so I do it a few times per year because I love to do it.

The Three Spheres of Balance
To sum it up, the spheres include work, passion and fun. I have projects for each that I seem to juggle well and I have gotten so used to this lifestyle that I would have a difficult time doing anything else. I must include theses three things or I wouldn't be happy at all and I would lose focus because I would be distracted by daydreaming all the time about what's missing in my life (which is not good for productivity).

The three 'spheres' are linked together like rivers to lakes, all connecting and having a little of each in every body of water. If they are linked together, then nothing is missing.

Cheers!