Just Hanging Out

I’m at Acadia Cafe, the kind of raw-brick-and-maroon-walled coffee shop that makes you realize why Starbucks sucks so much. If you haven’t seen it, you should check it out next time you’re near Minneapolis.

Theoretically, I’m supposed to be working on stuff for A Place (the coworking site I’m starting in Saint Paul), or on some advertising-speak for my Smokejumper Consulting corporate website. Strangely, though, I’m having a lot of trouble focusing on either of those. Maybe it’s the people-watching, or maybe it’s the hot and humid weather, or maybe it’s the soft lighting and soft rock, but I just can’t get into the frame of mind necessary to crank out something like that. So I’m going to post some random thoughts to my blog instead.

Right on cue, I’m starting to burn out. I’ve really gotten myself in over my head with Agile2007, the coworking center, my own consulting work, and the ramp-up to seminary. I’ve already fallen away from Freemasonry: I still haven’t checked out Saint Paul Three, the local Traditional Observance Freemasonry lodge. And I haven’t been to the Scottish Rite since completing my degree work. It’s a shame, too, because both of those organizations deserve better from me than what I’ve given them. I’d also like my wife and I to get involved with the Jaycees together, but that’s not been moving forward. And, of course, let’s not even talk about ΘΧ, the half-accomplished JConch open source project, or my patient but much-neglected friends.

This happens about once every six months, and I think it’s actually good for me: I get involved with things, try new things on for size, and then get to a point where there’s just too much, and I need to reconsider my approach. It’s time that I again take careful stock of what I really want to accomplish, and decide to focus on that.