I quit my job!
Let's start with that, as I have been working with the Arc for about NINE years now. Let me be clear and state that I will still be working in some capacity, and I may someday go back to teaching. Although I have been feeling the effects of burnout quite a lot.
I love my students that I teach, and I have a good boss. However I had written up my original draft for resignation back in 2019, and have been thinking about it for a long time.
The reason why I didn't make a move, is that my students needed me. Plus my employer needed someone for the special classes I was teaching. Despite this I need a break, to try something else, and to make more income. All of my years there it has not been nearly enough to comfortably pay my bills. Meaning I've always had to work 2-3 jobs to make the bacon.
When 2020 hit, everyone was knocked back, especially me as my work literally closed. I managed to stay afloat by teaching swim lessons. Something I continued this year, but that only lasts as long as it is warm. Plus I don't want to spend all my time juggling 12-15 clients, even if they are all amazing. It is a lot of work scheduling, even with Calendly.
I stayed on board as a aqua fitness teacher so that I could help my classes get back on track after a big hiatus because of the quarantine. Now that has for the most part passed I can focus on myself.
What am I doing... NOW? September 2021
Over the Summer I was the ONLY instructor for a couple classes, and in previous years I would relish in that. After not having much of a break for a long time I realized we really need more people. I waited all Summer for someone else to take up subbing, and no one was hired for that role. Teaching so much put me in a feeling of autopilot, and that my quality was inherently lower than my standard no matter how hard I tried.
Now that I am making a drastic change in my life I can finally get a job with many more hours, which I have had to forego in the past because of my teaching commitments.
HOWEVER.
I am considering taking the chance of going all in on content creation. This is why I changed the next Phase of PolyInnovator to be about Swimming. Although I have so many things I can/want to offer the world I think the most potent right now is my deep knowledge of Swimming.
From courses on specialproject.io streaming service, to long form articles and mini course articles on this very blog, and even a book I have been working on for a couple years. I have tons to offer digitally to my students new and old.
I have been cooking up a lot.
My issues have come from a lack of relaxation, and balance to my Four Pillars. It makes me not as productive as I would like. Which I am sure my guests on the PolyCast have been feeling the impact of by waiting so long. I've really been trying.
By revamping the PolyInnovator style, starting a new season of the Polymath PolyCast, and even a new phase altogether it has rejuvenated me in a way.
In a bigger view #MACRO, What's Coming up
I'm still really struggling with productivity. Even this simple post I procrastinated by a day, and last month by a week. It is weird how I really want to these things, yet I am having a hard time getting myself to do any of them.
As I mentioned before I believe that since most of my work is drying up in the pool world, no pun intended. 😉 That perhaps I can have an opportunity to solely focus on content creation. I've always had some sort of job. However if I could find a way to provide enough value to enough people, then I could sustain a mild income to pay the bills. I.e. Book, courses, and paid posts. Providing information to way more loads of people than I ever could before, not to mention not have to individualize nearly as much. Although I could even do that as well to make it even more special.
Either I will work in a company to generate enough income to save up/pay debt, and/or focus more/completely on content creation.
Perhaps it is finally time to timeblock every hour of my day, so that I can get to everything. OmniContent, Video game streaming, writing swimming book, creating videos/blogs/polycasts for swimming, and even more interviews down the line. All because I treat my schedule way more intensely.
