Being Selectively Awesome
A few weeks ago I spent time cleaning and organizing my home office from top to bottom.
Everything had its place: my files and shelves were organized and you could actually see the desk; no more piles and papers everywhere. I stepped back to admire my handiwork and thought, “This is pretty awesome.”
Then I walked into the kitchen. It was a complete disaster zone! My husband, kids, and I had clearly left our mark from the busy weekend that just took place. The sink was piled high with dishes from when we made dinner together the night before and remnants of the school projects we worked on were strewn all over the kitchen table. Cups and mugs littered the countertop. And that feeling of sand under my feet? Not sand, but crumbs from breakfast. Lots of crumbs.
I couldn’t help but smile though, as I took in the scene.
I had just been patting myself on the back for a job well done cleaning my office, and here stood my kitchen in utter chaos. The difference was striking, and yet, I thought to myself, “Forget about the office. THIS is what’s pretty awesome.”
Of course, it wasn’t the mess that was awesome; it was what the mess stood for that made my heart happy. Here was the physical evidence of my priorities, of being present with my family. You could see that we were living life—together, and to the fullest extent that weekend allowed.
I understood then that this was a moment to celebrate being “selectively awesome,” a term I’ve adopted for going all-in on just a few important activities at a time. While I might not be awesome at everything at every moment, I can be awesome at a few carefully chosen priorities. Over the weekend I had chosen to fully dial in to family time. Clearly, based on the state of my kitchen, that time was a huge success!
Being selectively awesome at family time meant more to me in that moment than anything else.
And I knew it made me a better studio owner, leader, and mentor because I could step into the new week feeling refreshed and fulfilled, ready to serve others. And after that I was selectively awesome at organizing my office.
The areas in which you are selectively awesome might be similar to mine, or they might be totally different. Perhaps you’ll be selectively awesome at diving deep into a project for the studio, or to be present for a friend in crisis. What you choose to be selectively awesome this week may or may not be something that will continue to be at the top of your list forever; you’ll continue to recalibrate your priorities as the year goes on.
My advice to you is this: find what you can be selectively awesome at—just for this week—and fully commit to it, messy kitchen and all. Dial in to what’s meaningful to you and let the other stuff (temporarily) go. Being selectively awesome is all about being intentional with your time and energy, and spending those two commodities where you’ll get the most return.
P.S. Tag me on social with @mistylown and #selectivelyawesome so I can celebrate your priorities with you!
Love,
Misty