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Pattern Recognition
Journal Prompt Response
What are some of the major patterns that appear repeatedly in your life? What about patterns that appear when things get tough?
One pattern that repeatedly appears is overworking myself and then getting burnt out.
My imagination abounds. I’m constantly coming up with ideas and thinking of new ways to combine ideas I’ve already had. Sometimes I get in a mode where I’m striving to take steps forward with every project I’m interested in. But it’s not sustainable for me.
I quickly begin to feel overwhelmed. I start to think that there’s no way I can finish it all. I end up constantly thinking about how tired I am. Then I end up indulging in my hobbies, feeling guilty for not getting as much done as I think I should.
I try to get out of that rut by doing things slowly, working on a singular project, bit by bit. Then the sense of accomplishment kicks in and I start thinking about all the things I’m capable of doing. Then I start trying to push myself more, and I go down the same path of overwork. It’s not a fun cycle.
I’ve been working on maintaining awareness of this pattern. Doing so has allowed me to prolong the periods of working on singular projects. As a result, I’ve been able to achieve more goals with much less stress.
