If you’re like me, your description of what you do can be a run-on sentence. “I’m a coach and an author and a speaker and a traveler and a yogini, and…”
Or, you have an idea for a project. It’s a brilliant core idea, and it’s got a lot of branches. “It’s a workshop and an e-book and an app and…”
Or, your description of what you’re currently up to resembles a train with a million cars attached. “I’m working on my novel and an e-book and a series for this workshop I want to lead and…”
Do you see the problem with ‘and’? I’m exhausted just writing about it. You’re probably overwhelmed thinking about all you’re trying to do. And the person you’re telling this to? Completely incapable of grasping or caring about anything past the first ‘and’.
It’s okay to be juggling multiple projects. We all do it. Whether we’re doing it successfully is another topic.
Stop the ‘and’
If your descriptions of what you do are peppered with ‘ands’, I invite you to embrace the full stop period instead of ‘and’. Try sharing just one thing.
“What are you up to?”
“I’m working on publishing my novel.”
From there, the conversation can deepen into this one topic. Perhaps it will spread to other subjects as well, where you can share the other things you’re up to. Leaving out the ‘and’ allows for a little more breathing space and perhaps a bit more focus, for the duration of the conversation at least.
Works for writing, too
The ‘and’ can detract from your writing as well. This is one of my personal writing weaknesses. I want to pack so much into a sentence that all my sentences are compound. This kind of writing can be confusing and distracting. Run-on thoughts leave the reader tired and overwhelmed. (See?)
Is this true for you? Put your antennae up for ‘and’ this week both in your speech and writing. See what it’s like to use a full stop. Enjoy the simplicity of focusing only on one thing at a time. Notice what’s different for you, and let us know in a comment below.
I’m an ‘and’ junkie as well! Like you said, it feels like cheating when I don’t address every parallel thought trying to pushing its way to the forefront. I want to give each time in the spotlight but in the end I feel like a rambling idiot. I’ve read this several times, now I think I can ditch ‘and’.
Focus and depth–Amen, sister! Each thing gets fuller attention when I get to it in turn instead of all at the same time.
Nicely spoken. I completely over-and, and you know it! This week I’m meeting a friend, so it will be a fun assignment. My life seems to be like a river, carrying me rather swiftly. Simplifiying will be good.