Writing this has been therapeutic for me and I hope it helps you.
I did not make specific prayer requests here but many are implied.
INTRODUCTION
There are many sayings in the 12 step community that have helped me over the years.
The saying that has helped me recently is this, progress and not perfection.
I feel disappointed inside that there is so much I want to do yet it seems that I am moving like a snail.
However, as I wrote this I have been able to notice that there has been significant progress.
While I am not moving forward at the speed of light, there is evidence of gradual headway.
It is like I am a pioneer that is on an adventure while walking in the wilderness.
What has been visible for a very long time has been the dense vegetation on the path.
But then there are intervals when the path gets to a clearing on a very tall hill.
That is when hindsight reveals how much distance has been covered.
There is both more challenges to come as well as there is evidence of meaningful progress.
This message began as a brief email to an individual.
It was my response to an email of a very transparent person that shared.
Their sharing included a summary of their current struggles and what is working for them.
The topic of their email was borrowed here, progress not perfection.
They asked readers to share their compulsions and addictions as well as what was helping.
So let me ask you the same, what are your struggles and what is working for you?
My response blossomed into what you have here.
As it blossomed I noticed and recorded what has been happening in my life.
I am coming to realize that each part of my life is connected to each other part.
I might think and plan in categories but the reality of life does not sit in separate stalls.
My health, fitness, spiritual life, social life, learning, creativity, and more areas interact daily.
I have had an inclination to depression.
Generally, I have super high expectations of myself.
I know that ideally, I could accomplish a great many things.
But just because I can imagine it and plan it that does not make it an instant reality.
But what trips me up is that realistically I am not a robot.
I cannot write at 200 words a minute.
I cannot concentrate for 12 hours at a time.
I cannot read all the books by my chair, on my selves, and on my Amazon Wish Lists.
There is just one of me even though the plans in my files could employ 40 people full time.
I have been struggling with these kinds of matters for decades.
Along the way, I learned many lessons.
I experimented with many online tools and have kept using just a few of them.
During the coming months, I will make short videos to review and recommend these tools.
You are invited to consider these for your own use.
I request your best prayers.
What has been helping me is the following.
WORKAHOLISM
I have been participating in a daily accountability conference call at 10 AM my time.
We start with Action Plan both for self-soul care as well as Keep It Simple work plan with a margin.
Then a topic is suggested by one of the 4 to 7 men.
We are done in 30 minutes.
Most of these men are in commission sales or own businesses.
These men pointed me to this workbook for WA that has been very helpful.
It has short lessons with lots of questions and space for each of the 12 steps.
As a writer, this has been helpful to write my way to in-depth insights into my patterns.
On Thursdays, we go an extra 30 minutes.
We check in at 10:00 to 10:15.
Then we hang up and work on the workbook until 10:45.
Then we call again and share what we just learned.
This is a great system.
Here is the list of other Workaholics Anon meetings on phone, Skype, and face-to-face.
TOOLS
I told the men that I have been pruning my task management online service.
I use Kanbanflow https://kanbanflow.com to organize my TODO lists.
I had been using that for years but it had been cluttered with old tasks that were years old.
After pruning it is now up to date and far more useful to keep me focused.
There is a saying that in order to change your life you must change your habits.
Changing habits is simple to plan but not easy make into a repeated routine.
I have rarely gone to fitness clubs over the years.
There I toyed around with various fitness equipment.
But I did notice a few people that were diligent about their fitness.
Some would carry a sheet or clipboard with a note of how many reps on each machine.
I have had complementary sessions with fitness coaches that introduced me to that method.
It never stuck with me but I understand the importance of persistence and feedback loops.
Fitness is not my chief priority at this season.
But there are other areas that need greater self-discipline.
This helps me track my plans and actions about healthy habits.
I can see in a glance how I am doing about Prayer, Meditation, Journaling, Exercise, Learning, etc.
DESIRE MAP
I have completed 7 of the 8 modules of The Desire Map by Danielle LaPorte.
The Desire Map is a book, workbook here
and online videos here
I intend to complete video module 8 today.
This has been super helpful for me to know my 3 Core Desired Feelings.
Those 3 terms have already helped me to simplify, focus and navigate my too many projects.
C60 or Carbon 60
I have been taking the best nutritional supplements I could afford for decades.
I have had some improvements but they were difficult to measure.
Mostly when I use the powders in my morning smoothie and take tablets I do not crave junk foods.
Generally, my energy level is steady so I do not lean on sugar to get a jolt of energy.
There is lots of material online about Carbon 60.
Taking a little 2 or 3 times a day has greatly enhanced my awareness and mental clarity.
My emotions are much calmer.
I have plenty of insights into the ordinary elements of my daily life.
I feel less stressed by the tiny bumps along the road of life.
Thankfully, my inclination to sexual fantasies has greatly reduced.
I do not need that spiritual darkness pestering me.
I have become far more sensitive to violence in movies and TV shows.
So I avoid those more and orient more to biographies, documentaries and historical dramas.
All is not rainbows and butterflies.
My increased sensitivity makes me more aware of the suffering and injustice in the world.
I feel more overwhelmed by my own weaknesses and shortcomings.
I feel more disappointed in those in authority that did not root out the corruption long ago.
GETTING THINGS DONE & KANBANFLOW & COMAPPING
He teaches to get the ideas out of your head and into a system that you use.
That provides peace of mind for more creativity, problem-solving, and fresh ideas.
I have dozens of projects there on many mind maps.
Some of those projects are in good order but mostly those are a cluttered mess.
For the next two weeks, I will focus on pruning those projects.
I will bring them up to date, prioritize them, and distill the core concepts into useful guidelines.
My intention in pruning these online maps is to come away with basic blueprints.
These blueprints will change as I get into motion and begin to publish various units online.
But before I start I need an overview of how the parts might flow together as systems.
A very successful online leader said that we tend to overestimate what we can do in one year.
Yet we tend to underestimate what we can do in 3 years.
He guides others and his staff to use the 3 year time horizon.
His organization has grown amazingly in a short time.
So the blueprints will be oriented to a 3-year time horizon.
CALLING
All of these ideas are like little arrows that point toward the same grand objective.
My guidance from God for decades has been around the same things.
I have come to believe that my purpose, calling, and destiny is sketched out before me.
I am uniquely prepared to pioneer innovative online lifelong learning for adults.
This will include a synergistic blend of podcasts, masterclasses, ecourses, online communities, etc.
What is in my heart and mind is far beyond what I can do alone.
So I must include in the blueprint ways to enroll and involve others.
I will need advisers, editors, beta testers, and more.
PODCASTS
I have studied how to make podcasts several times over the years.
I understand most of the basics.
I have the essential equipment.
In those mind maps are many outlines that could become podcast episodes.
I have more than enough knowledge, skills, and motivation.
I have been reminded of 2 key guidelines from my studies.
Both of these direct me to record 7 to 12 episodes at a time.
Most people who begin to produce podcasts quit at about episode 3.
So it is recommended to record at least 7 before going public.
Those can be released gradually or all at once.
Also as a podcaster, it is not known ahead of time what people will like.
So offering several sets of podcasts as seasons or albums it is a way to test the market.
I have more than enough outlines for a dozen such albums.
Today I am not declaring when the first ones will go public.
I am saying that is the direction I am headed.
I hope that this will finally get me out of my excessive researching and planning modes.
It will surely challenge me to apply progress not perfection along the way.
As always I request your best prayers.
And I thank you again for each of your prayers.
CONCLUSION
My life is imperfect, but by the grace of God, I am making progress.
Little by little, there are improvements.
My job is to consistently pray, meditate, journal, talk with individuals and meet with groups.
That leads to graceful spiritual growth, peace of mind, and improvements in my personal world.
Let me repeat a previous paragraph and make this into an invitation.
This message began as a brief email to an individual.
It was my response to an email of a very transparent person that shared.
Their sharing included a summary of their current struggles and what is working for them.
The topic of their email was borrowed here, progress not perfection.
They asked readers to share their compulsions and addictions as well as what was helping.
So let me ask you the same, what are your struggles and what is working for you?
Shalom
John
