Can You Juggle?
Since as long as I remember, and before that based on my mom's stories, i have never liked making two trips.
Two trips in from the car to the house to carry things
Two trips to the trash can
Two trips to the grocery store
Two trips carrying clothes up the stairs
Two trips on almost anything...
I've gotten really good at contorting my fingers to carry as many bags as possible & leveraging as much in my arms (or on my shoulders) as possible. I have no clue why this began or even what my issues are but I've got a bad habit!
However...there are those moments in my life where;
I dropped a gallon of milk because I thought I could grab the last item
I dropped all the folded clothes to have to pick them all up & refold all of them
I dropped my Full coffee cup, because I didn't want to grab my backpack on a second trip
I dropped my iPhone...more than once
You'd think I would have learned my lesson after 39 years of this issue and the consequences, but nope.
Juggling Often Equals Breaking
Juggling doesn't only happen with carrying physical items. It also can occur in leadership:
Attempting to juggle too many tasks that MUST be done by a deadline and never giving away opportunities to other responsible leaders.
Trying to be all things to all people all the time
Worrying incessantly over items that are out of my control
Impatience over timelines that cannot be changed regardless how much I try
Juggling Often Equals Breaking
I can juggle, i learned in college late at night during finals week. My limit is three items and I can juggle those items for a considerable amount of time. Each time I've tried to add a 4th or 5th item, the same result happens, I drop everything.
In my life, in my leadership & even in the basic need of bringing in groceries, I can only juggle what I am capable of. Juggling only what I am capable of, if I complete the task & lead well, then it can be a fun and healthy experience.
If I try to do more than what I am capable of, something is going to break.