When You Overpromise and Underdeliver

Last updated on April 3rd, 2021 at 11:28 pm

What happens when you mix a long-term writing project with poor time management and a looming deadline upon which you place far too much importance?

The 31 Things I Know Now That I’m 31 becomes the 32 Things I Know Now That I’m 32.

The plan had started so simply—find a month with 31 days and write a post a day on the lessons I’d learned in my years so far. With my July birthday, it should’ve been easy enough to write it up for August. Or October. December. All the months I mucked about in 2015… but another birthday came and went before I could get on top of things.

It was—sadly—another example of moments in my life where I overpromise and underdeliver.

Had I Not Been So Busy Trying to Do EVERYTHING, I Might’ve Accomplished SOMETHING.

“The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.”
–Robert Burns (adapted)

It’s one thing to have a mind full of ideas and another entirely to actually act on them. Though the concept came with ease, it would’ve perhaps proven wise to make sure I had 31 things to write about. Were I smarter, I’d have considered a list à la BuzzFeed or Thought Catalog, but always victim to my creative process, there was no way to create at the excruciating standard I’m used to while managing time for the rest of my life.

Biting off more than I can chew is a bit of a speciality of mine, stemming back to my teenage years where I wanted to do everything for everyone all the time. Back then, I was so worried about people not liking me that I’d agree to help with most anything they’d need, regardless of how it’d impact my life.

I learned something as the pressure mounted over the years, eventually leading to my breakdown—stepping away from life as the world’s “yes” man to become someone who focused a little more on his own interests and chased after the things he wanted didn’t make me a bad person… it just meant I was growing up and realizing the things that’re important in this world.

But even if our motivations change, some habits are hard to break—though that teenager’s become a grown man with a kid of his own, he’s got no less on his plate to contend with… it’s just different food.

32 years deep, I’ve learned not to underestimate how busy life can get anymore. The reward for hard work is more work, and after decades spent working my rear end off, the hustle’s constantly hitting me from all directions.

But you don’t let that stop you from doing what you need to do, and in this case, it’s making sure this doesn’t become the 33 Things I Know Now That I’m 33.

If anything, the lesson here is this—know your limits. Know how much you can handle in life, and try your best to keep within those bounds. Me… I’ve dug myself a hole I’m finding it difficult to climb out of, but I grind every night to take the things holding me down and make something meaningful from them. I can’t promise I’ll blog more often anytime soon. I can’t work on firm timelines or say I’ll be the next this or the first that.

What I can promise is that I won’t stop hustling. I won’t stop sharing my thoughts—I’ve given up blogging in the past, back when it was a hobby; but now it’s part of my life.

And there’s no sense in giving up on that.

Thanks for sticking around!

Until the next,