At some point, we’ve all likely been told, “Don’t put your eggs in one basket!”
I know I have, more times than I can count.
It’s advice given when you’re in danger of concentrating all of your effort, focus and attention in just one area. Why is this dangerous? Because if you stumble and drop the aforementioned basket, all of your eggs smash to bits and you’re left with diddly squat.
Often, this advice is given in relation to money. But actually, there’s something much more costly at risk here – your very identity.
I learnt this the hard way, having reached a point about 5 years ago, when I realised that the teaching job that I’d given every fibre of my being to; that I’d put before relationships, health and even sanity; wasn’t the right job for me.
It wasn’t so much that I dropped the one basket I was carrying, but rather I looked into the basket and realised it was empty. Somewhere along the way, the eggs had fallen through a gap I hadn’t spotted and one by one, they’d gone. I was too busy marching on to notice.
The result? An identity crisis.
Cut to today – I left that job soon after coming to this realisation, and I was/am much happier as a result. But piecing my identity back together took a lot longer though than finding a new school. So I’d really avoid taking this route if at all possible.
If you’ve followed my story, you’ll know that I’ve started another new chapter in the last year, and have now left school employment in favour of running my own business, Skills with Frills, teaching wellbeing/mindfulness within the education sector.
I’m absolutely loving it, but it’s massively time consuming and it quite easily could become my only basket. If I let it.
Having been here… having felt what it’s like to be left with one sad empty basket, I’m determined that this won’t happen again. That’s why I make an effort to prioritise relationships; it’s why I allow myself regular nights off for my hobby, Jiu Jitsu; it’s why I don’t feel guilty about having the odd weekend away.
Being passionate about something is awesome. And a little unbalance is completely normal.
But don’t let one thing take over your whole life – don’t let it become who you are.
Anxious-Ambition.com 