Okay, let me tell you how things went down for me, trying to get to a state of ‘less ball’.
The Breaking Point
It really hit me about two years back. I was juggling way too much stuff. Seriously. Like, my main job, trying to run a small side thing online, family commitments, trying to stay fit, even keeping up with dumb TV shows everyone was talking about. It felt like I had maybe ten balls in the air, and honestly, I was dropping most of them half the time anyway. Sleep was garbage. Always felt tired, kinda snappy. You know the feeling?
I remember one specific Tuesday. Got a call from my kid’s school, something minor. Then an urgent email from my boss. Then a notification about the side gig needing attention. And I just sat there, staring at my screen, feeling completely frozen. Couldn’t handle one more thing. That was it. I knew something had to give. Couldn’t keep adding more balls; I needed fewer.
Dropping the Balls (On Purpose This Time)
So, I started cutting things out. Wasn’t easy, felt like failing at first.
- The Side Gig: This was tough. It made a bit of cash, but the stress? Way too high for the return. I just… stopped. Wound it down over a month. Told the few clients I had that I couldn’t continue. Felt bad, but also, wow, the relief.
- Saying No: Started saying ‘no’ a lot more. Extra projects at work I didn’t have to do? “Sorry, can’t right now.” Social stuff I wasn’t really into? “Gonna sit this one out.” People get used to it surprisingly fast.
- Simplified Hobbies: Used to try and learn guitar, and coding, and get into photography. Picked one. Just one. Decided messing with old radios was enough for now. Less pressure to be amazing at everything.
- Information Diet: Cut down on news, social media scrolling. Realized most of it just made me anxious or feel like I was missing out. I wasn’t missing much, turns out.
How It Feels Now
It’s not like life is perfect now, don’t get me wrong. Still got responsibilities. But it’s manageable. There are fewer balls in the air. Maybe three or four instead of ten. I actually catch them most of the time.
Honestly? I sleep better. I have more energy for the things that actually matter, like my family and my main job (which feels less like a burden now). There’s more quiet time, just thinking or tinkering without feeling guilty I should be doing something else ‘productive’. It’s slower, maybe less ‘impressive’ from the outside looking in, but it feels way better on the inside.
So yeah, the ‘less ball’ approach. It wasn’t some grand strategy I read about. It was just getting fed up and starting to throw things overboard until the boat felt like it wouldn’t sink anymore. Worked for me.
