🤹 Life Juggling 101

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Hey there! Welcome back to The Flow by Flocus. If you’re new around here, welcome! 👋  You can catch up on our previous editions right here.

This week: It’s all about the “circus act” of life: why we compare our responsibilities to juggling, the different types of items you’ll juggle in life, and what to do when you “drop” an item. Scroll on for the scoop!

🧐 Why Are We Talking About Juggling Again?

In productivity, we often compare life’s demands to juggling, spinning plates, and other hectic circus acts.

These are useful metaphors (and delightful visuals) for the reality of balancing a lot of priorities and responsibilities.

Maybe you’ve seen that analogy that some of the things we juggle are made of plastic, while others are glass.

If you drop a glass item — something really important — it’ll shatter and take a long time to repair.

Meanwhile, you can drop a plastic item and it’ll be perfectly fine, ready for you to pick up again later.

While this comparison is helpful for learning how to prioritize, it’s also not as complete as it could be. Let’s expand on this idea to include other types of “materials” you’ll juggle throughout life, plus strategies you can try when you need to pause and repair.

🤹 The Different Types of Things You’ll Juggle Throughout Life

In addition to glass and plastic, you’ll also juggle items made of:

➰ Elastic: This is the stuff “bouncy balls” are made of. Drop one of these, and it’ll find its way back to you no matter what. Throw it too hard, or too far away, and it just might bounce back and hit you. (Examples: caregiving tasks, housekeeping, hygiene)

🛞 Rubber: Just like the rubber dodgeballs from gym class, these are the things that come out of nowhere and knock your entire juggling act to the ground. (Examples: random emergencies, big losses, bad personal news)

🪩 Metal: This is the stuff that weighs you down and holds up progress on other things you’d rather be doing — your burdens, your biggest emotions and stresses. (Examples: trauma, grief, anxiety)

🍬 Candy glass: Named for the film prop, a candy glass ball looks like real glass. It feels important and urgent right now, but will have little to no impact on your life in the long run. (Examples: that mean social media comment, your grade on a routine quiz)

🫖 Porcelain: Even more delicate than glass, a porcelain ball will require serious time, effort, and skills to repair if it’s dropped. (Examples: top relationships, your physical health)

👩‍🔧 How to Repair Different Types of Damage

You will inevitably drop things throughout the juggling act of life. Luckily, there are things you can do to assess and fix the damage quickly and seamlessly.

➰ Elastic

Bouncy balls move fast, so don’t be too hard on yourself if you drop one — you’ll get another chance to catch it again very soon.

🛞 Rubber

If you’ve ever been hit by one of those red rubber dodgeballs, you know they hurt. Emergencies and bad news hurt, too. So give yourself time and space to recover not just from the pain, but also the shock — and be patient with yourself while the bruises heal.

🪩 Metal

The more metal items in your juggling act, the slower you’ll move, and the more things you’ll fumble and drop.

Identify which of these items you can set down for awhile, or if there’s some way you can transform the metal into a lighter material, even if only for a short time. For example, actively restful activities like yoga and sewing can distract you from heavy emotions like grief, taking some of the weight off your shoulders.

🍬 Candy glass

Take a closer look at that thing that feels so big, important, and upsetting right now. Ask yourself: How long will this truly affect my life in the long run? How long do I need to process this and move on?

The answers to these simple questions can help you figure out whether that ball is really glass or an imposter in disguise.

🫖 Porcelain

The most precious of all the materials in your juggling act, porcelain items will require significant time and expertise to repair if dropped.

While these can be some of the hardest experiences in our lives, they can also be some of the most educational and enlightening. Be open, honest, and sincere in your interactions with not just others, but also with yourself. This is the big, important stuff — stay on a true course that aligns with your values and goals.

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🪅 Flocus Picks

A curated list of things worth sharing.

• How to Juggle Priorities: Deciding What’s Glass and What’s Plastic (Article) — This article includes the source of the original juggling analogy, as well as more thoughts on deciding what’s truly important

• romanticizing autumn with solo hobbies (Video) — A cozy watch for your weekend reset!

• november lofi (Playlist) — Start the month right with these cozy tracks to go with the season!

✨ Flocus: Your Personal Productivity Dashboard

Balancing work, study, and rest gets easier when you’ve got a clear view of it all. Flocus helps you keep the important things visible, and the rest out of your way. Set your daily rhythm, track your energy, and stay grounded (even when life’s a circus!)

Go to Flocus

Sometimes, life really does feel like one big circus act. It can be loud and busy, sure, but it’s also colorful and whimsical.

What’d you think of our expansion on this concept? It came to us after a long day of juggling “metal” items. We’d love to hear your take!

Until next Sunday,

Flocus Team