Choosing to divide and conquer for ourselves can be empowering.
Let me clarify this right at the start.
When it comes to the Big Picture matters of the world – like politics – divide and conquer is a weaponized notion. Most major political parties love to create “us” versus “them” so that they can sow divisions to empower themselves and their donors.
On a more personal level, when it comes to how we interact with others, divide and conquer creates unnecessary lack, scarcity, and competition. That serves nobody, just like the above-mentioned Big Picture notion does more harm than good.
However – when this is about you and me, and the things we are doing for our lives – to divide and conquer can give us focus, direction, and spur action.
Why? Because most of us are drawn in a lot of different directions at once. For example, while I am striving to write/edit my books and blogs, I also need to do my share of the housework. Additionally, I need to bring in income for the household. And the cats, though mostly self-sufficient, still need me and my wife to feed and water them.
You might have kids to attend to, aging loved ones to care for, workplace duties, hobby duties, and so on. Hence, your focus and attention get stretched. Nothing so odd about that.
But how do you get your focus on? This might be where you need to divide and conquer.
Adjusting/prioritizing to-do lists
Many people I know have or make a to-do list. And it can get overwhelming all too easily.
Here is where I have an idea to help divide and conquer a complex to-do list.
First, prioritize. What needs to be done right now, what can be done later, and what can wait a day or two? You’d be amazed how this can turn a raging inferno into just a small, controlled fire.
Second, create one list for each of these. To-do now, to-do later, hold for tomorrow or later. This is how you divide.
Third, conquer. Now that you see what needs to be done, right now – do it. Your single-minded focus on that immediate to-do list is empowering.
When you’ve finished the immediate items – move on to the to-do later list. Have at it.
If you get both done – get a jump on the to-do tomorrow or later list.
The best thing about this is that you can, when new things crop up – and they will – shunt them to the necessary list. That helps lots of people I know to stay out of overwhelm.
Now, here’s a moment’s honesty – I’m not a list maker. Just creating a spreadsheet of daily activities and keeping to it has been an interesting challenge. I guess that’s my to-do list.
If like me, you’re not a list maker – it’s not a bad idea to pause from time to time and consider the things you must do. Are you overwhelmed? Do you prioritize – or lump everything together as immediately necessary?
Then, the question is – would you benefit from making a list? Maybe not maintaining a daily to-do list – but sometimes listing what you are working on and how to prioritize it is wise.
The idea of divide and conquer can take other forms, too.
Divide and conquer different art forms
I am three different writers in one. For a long time, these were all blended into a single personification to get me out there, recognized, and selling my work.
First – I am a sci-fi and fantasy author. I’ve got an ongoing fantasy series and two different sci-fi series in the works, plus some Steampunk. This is my first love – and the focus of my primary creative endeavors at present.
Second – I am a blogger. Six days a week I write and post blogs between my author website, personal blog, and Medium.com. These are mixed between positivity, mindfulness, conscious reality creation, ideas for the ongoing process for writers and artists, and sharing my life philosophies to help other people.
From this, I have written and published several books, both fiction and non-fiction.
Third – I do business content creation and editing, blogging, website content, and similar writing work freelance from time to time.
The first two, more than the third, I tried to maintain as a singular persona. But this proved problematic for a lot of different reasons. As my marketing consultant pointed out – when someone got to my Amazon author page there was some confusion about who I am and what I am producing.
I tried, for quite a while, to maintain the singular persona. But then, in the interest of better marketing, I have divided into two.
In one incarnation I’m the mindfulness, self-encouragement blogger/author. And in the other, I am a sci-fi/fantasy author. Splitting myself into these two different personas allows me to divide and conquer – literally.
Divide and conquer for focus
My primary focus is my sci-fi/fantasy writing. Yet I blog daily about all the topics I do for several reasons.
- Blogging gets me writing regularly
- The blogs hone my writing chops
- My blogs tend to be therapy for me and my process
- I can help others in similar straits through their process
- My ideas to improve the world are out there
The blogs get the creative juices constantly flowing, which opens me up to work on fantastic worlds of my imagination.
Thus, I can focus on the writing, editing, and marketing of my sci-fi works. Thus far, I’ve put out 3 new books in 2021. Three more will be out before the end of the year.
Dividing and conquering in this way has given me focus. It allows me to compartmentalize the work I do and prioritize as necessary.
I use this for my creative work, which is my current work. But this notion of divide and conquer for focus can be applied to both creative and mundane matters.
Even the most successful artists have bills to pay, obligations to keep, and people that depend on them in some form or other. With few exceptions, nobody can do just one single thing at all times. Thus, on a personal level, being able to divide and conquer allows an increase in productivity, satisfaction, and positivity while lessening stress, overwhelm, and negativity.
Choosing to divide and conquer for ourselves can be empowering. What can you do with this idea?
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