So I started working on everything.
A few years ago I had a full-time job, consulting on the side, a couple of half-born projects, people to answer, ideas to test, and this constant feeling that “real life” was somewhere just outside employment.
It sounded exciting.
In practice, it felt nervous.
Every morning I opened the laptop and immediately had five tabs open in my head:
- the job I was still paid to do
- the client I didn’t want to lose
- the project that “might become something”
- the message I hadn’t answered
- the guilt that I was behind everywhere
The annoying part is that all of it really was interesting.
That’s what made it hard to stop.
It wasn’t laziness. It was ambition wearing too many coats.
At some point I wasn’t building freedom. I was building a mess with better branding.
No clear boss. No clear schedule. No clear priority.
Just a lot of open loops and a very tired brain.
The lesson was simple, and I still don’t fully like it:
“Interesting” is not a strategy.
Now when I want to say yes to five exciting things, I try to ask:
which one am I willing to disappoint the others for?
Because if I can’t choose, I’m probably just working on everything again.
Want a stronger data analyst role or a raise? Grab the FREE Product Analyst Playbook and get the exact roadmap to your next offer.
