HOW CAN I LEAVE THIS BEHIND?

"Variety” might be the word that best describes my career so far. A series of chasing multiple dreams at one time, each being a spoke in the wheel of a career. This is largely covered in my very first blog post from 2012. I’m certainly not alone in having this personality, as many entrepreneurs keep their hands in several projects, from NBA stars to pop singers - I seem to share their distaste for holding only one core job. An argument could be made that one of my jobs has possibly outgrown that model. I find myself running a significant software company requiring much of my attention. So why is it that I’m still taking on multiple projects?

In the last year I’ve designed a handful of audiovisual systems for venues. I’ve designed two recording studios, an elaborate corporate website, branding and videos for others. I got my old band back together and released a few singles. I even started a TV show with a couple of buddies where we drive around L.A. writing and recording a “Song in a Day”.

I’m not looking for side hustle. I don’t want it, I don’t need it…

BUT I ADORE IT.

In my day to day work at Jetbuilt I find myself pulling many of the same levers. Over and over I work for certain things - the same things. When a victory or a milestone occurs, we celebrate it, then a minute later I’m back to pulling the same levers that I was just before.

Stepping away for an hour - or for a day or two - to face an entirely different challenge might seem like a huge waste of my time. Surely it should slow my progress, or cause projects to slip behind. But the opposite seems to happen. It’s like sitting in a hot tub on a cold night - it feels great. Yet, after 15 minutes you’re so miserably hot that you need to jump into that icy cold pool. It’s such a refreshing diversion for a minute or two. Jumping back into that hot tub feels even better than before. How can I leave this behind?

POINT OF DIMINISHING RETURNS?

Some who know me have encouraged me to focus more - and drop some of these side projects. What about being stretched too thin? What about being overloaded? Yes, I’m aware that I can become a bit dithered - and likely drop a ball or two. Me drop a ball? The guy who comes unglued when others do that? Is there really a trade-off here? Is there a measure of value? A point of diminishing returns?

Saying “no” has always been the skill that most eludes me. When some friends asked if I wanted to run a marathon with them, said “sure”. I’d never even run around the block much less a mile, but I’m always up for a challenge! I literally crave adventure of any kind and when a project comes along - particularly one that is a stretch for me - I jump at the opportunity.

Experiences and opportunities come when they come. We don’t know what they will bring us. Taking a side project allows me to experience a challenge that I would never come across in my regular work. Assuming I accomplish that challenge, the experience translates positively to my regular work time after time. When I design an audiovisual system, for example, I am using Jetbuilt as our customers do. I hit barriers that frustrate me, giving me insight into how our customers must feel. I report them to tech support like a customer would and I get to see the team go through their process. When I design marketing media for a client, I’m no longer the boss. I design what I feel to be clear, informative, beautiful, and engaging - often to be told that I missed the mark, and to go back to the drawing board. At Jetbuilt, my team pushes back some, but not the way a true client does. It forces me to step back, research more deliberately, and return with something that they agree will help them sell their product. I return to Jetbuilt with that experience. Or perhaps it’s an individual I met on one of these projects who I would never have met which gives me new angles of objectivity - or perhaps a different insight to leadership. Other times it’s simply the distraction itself - giving me the ability to forget about what I’m struggling with. Then, when I return, the solution comes more easily.

These diversions prove to be more valuable than I ever expect at the outset. Perhaps more than anything, it helps me be more aware of what is going on outside of my bubble. Perhaps I’ll be ready for that next revolution if I’m not stuck on my treadmill with my head down.

Cheers.