A TO Z CHALLENGE - Q FOR QUALITY NOT QUANTITY

#AtoZChallenge - 2018 and Q for Quality Not Quantity

MY A-Z CHALLENGE - Q FOR QUALITY NOT QUANTITY

The next letter of my A to Zen of Life (via the Dalai Lama) is Q for Quality Not Quantity. This is another piece of advice that can apply to many different areas of life. As we become more concerned with the legacy we're leaving behind, we realize that we need to invest in less and at the same time, put more effort into the areas we consider to be important.

You can't give 110% to everything, every minute of every day. You need to discern what is of value and focus your time and energy into those areas. If you spread yourself too thin, you end up doing a lot but are you doing it well? Are you giving your best and are you proud of what you've produced?


QUALITY IN ALL THAT YOU DO

When you reach Midlife you start to think about the bigger picture and what is really important. You've passed the halfway mark of life and you don't want to waste any more time twiddling your thumbs or investing in stuff that has no value. You start de-cluttering your life - less stuff, less drama, less mess, less frivolous rubbish - just LESS.

You begin to zero in on what your priorities are - for me it's family, friends, my marriage, my leisure time, my legacy. I don't feel the need for a career that eats up every waking moment, I don't want to spend my time working to the point where I have no time for the things I value. I want to start investing in what's important to me - what my values centre around - and it's not big bucks or fame and fortune - it's the smaller things, love, laughter, compassion, caring....

The more that you incorporate things that you truly value into your life

BLOGGING

The quality over quantity theory works for blogging too. If you're like me, you've figured out over the years that it is nigh on impossible to produce content of any ongoing quality if you're blogging every minute of the day. I find the 26 posts of the AtoZ Challenge take up a LOT of my headspace while I'm putting them together and I start preparing weeks in advance to save my brain from imploding.

To output this quantity of posts year in and year out would burn me out in no time. I wrote three posts a week for the last couple of years, but I've reduced that to two posts a week this year because I needed to focus on quality over quantity. Nobody wants to read a thrown together post that is put up just for the sake of meeting a quota.

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

Are you discovering what to put quality time into and what can be discarded? Are you narrowing down your focus to what's really important and not spreading your net so wide? Are you on the edge of burning out from trying to keep too much going or are you learning to step back a little?

#AtoZChallenge - 2018 and Q for Quality Not Quantity


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#AtoZChallenge - 2018 and I'm tackling the A to Zen of Life (via the Dalai Lama)

17 comments

  1. I think mid-life is definitely a time where we start making this transition. Quality above quantity makes a great deal of sense to me. I find that before doing something I'll often stop and evaluate "is this worth my time". Weekends In Maine

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  2. Hari Om
    In following my spiritual call to gurukula (seminary), the narrowing of focus from quantitity to quality took a natural course... in many respects it was happening throughout my life; have constantly decluttered, simplified...

    My daily spiritual committment includes writing the teaching blog; seven days a week, quality. It is not draining because of what it is - and it is all passing on what has been passed to me. The daily photo blog is only a challenge when the weather has limited my photographic opportunities and then need to 'archive dive'. The 'magazine' blog is an anything goes routine and meant to reflect where I am 'at' on any given day - so it doesn't quite know what its doing being so consistent and serious with the A-Z!!!

    I do have what some would see as luxury, though it is anything but, of being retired from medical practice and having the time and environment conducive to contemplation, meditation, research and writing. This Quality of life, no income, minimal living, has come almost unexpectedly to me - but I surely do appreciate its being here. YAM xx

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  3. I do think that we appreciate quality more and more as we get older. At least I am. In almost everything. In fact, we were just discussing this with food. It's almost bad to have a wonderful "flan", because then every other flan pales in comparison...right? Or is that only us??
    XOXO
    Jodie
    www.jtouchofstyle.com

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  4. Leanne I love your line about less. And totally agree with it. I'm started to learn to step back a bit. Less is more as they say

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  5. Spreading myself too thin is a weakness of mine. I strive to get *everything* done perfectly and make everybody happy - only to find myself depleted.
    Oh, and YES, 26 posts in one month - preparation or not - is a lot to process, and it's not only the writing, it's putting together the pictures and videos, and once you're done, visiting the other blogs. I am going to need a vacation in May!

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  6. Spot on post. The A to Z is fun,inspiring, but consumes a lot of time & energy!
    I still haven't gotten a pattern down for my posting the rest of the year. Once a week might be a great place to star. thanks for sharing your thoughts.

    Pulp Paper & Pigment-My Fiber Art Blog

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  7. One thing that clarified for me this past year was to focus more on my internal health and not worry so much about the outside. Instead of stressing over getting in a workout, I make sure to take time for me, focus on prayer and meditation, and keeping myself calm and centered. I'm in decent health, with pretty good habits, so I can afford to take the time on my heart and mind.

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  8. Leanne,

    Quality over quantity definitely. I like the idea of blogging every day but it's really difficult to keep up on a regular basis. I just wish I could find a nice balance to get everything done in a day that I want while blogging each day, too. That's just not going to happen beyond the A2Z Challenge, though. Simply put, blogging life eats up a good deal of my time and I have other things that need my attention in each day. One thing I sorta let slide is my exercise routine. Nope, no more I'm getting off my lazy back side to push myself back into shape. Life is too short and it needs to be enjoyed. Thanks for the reminder and happy A2Zing!

    Curious as a Cathy
    A2Z iPad Art Sketch Quaint Living room

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  9. I agree with you Leanne. Blogging is time consuming at the best of times, so I applaud your efforts for A-Z every day!

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  10. I grew up in an era of quantity over quality, and I always wanted quality--I always had a sense that quantity was unhealthy for our world. It's interesting to think about in terms of blogging...definitely this 26 posts a month thing is unsustainable! I shouldn't feel badly about that. I should figure out what works for me!
    Melanie's Stories

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  11. I'm with you, Leanne. When I started blogging a year and a half ago, I published every Thursday but three or four posts at a time. Since all of my posts at that time were heavily researched (and most still are), I was working constantly to keep the quality up alongside the quantity. After just a few months of that I decided to put up one, very occasionally two, posts a week and I'm much happier.
    I did a lot of writing ahead for the A-Z challenge which I'm thankful for because so much time is devoted to responding to comments and to reading and commenting on others' blogs. I just have three posts left to write - X, Y, and Z - and I'm having trouble settling down to write them. I can certainly understand your comment about how much headspace is taken up by this challenge. Worthwhile for sure, but I'm glad it's just a month, not several!

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  12. Leanne, I went from posting every week to every other week and so glad I did. We all have our rhythms and sometimes they change. I admire people like yourself who post beautiful, quality writing several times a week. Wish I could do it, but can't. I now spend my "off" weeks working on other writing projects and its easier.

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  13. I started this a to z challenge a few days in advance so nothing prepared - I started my blog in 2012 with one story a week but failed to maintain this momentum as life sucked me away and under and have only returned to writing in the last few months and hadn't even got back to regular posts - so this week I am struggling and I know when I dont achieve the quality I am aiming for. quality to me means we have the time to appreciate whatever it is - time to smell the roses as they say.I have found this month a huge challenge - a lot of headspace indeed - it has been great to get our and meet others -

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  14. I decided to catch up on commenting on other blogs because I am having a quandary over what to post on my Q entry... I find that when I don't want to post what I have already written, there is usually a very good reason for it. I love Quan Yin the female buddha of compassion, but I just wasn't feeling it. And because I still have tons of time, literally hours, why not start over? LOL. So I am stealing, with credit of course, your Quality concept. It hit me like a megaton of bricks. The women I am inspired by always do quality over quantity. Women know that quality is meaningful which quantity is not. And I love your take on it. I simplified my life, but not my writing, thanks to be a very lucky person. Living with depression (I'm well treated and doing well) I learned a few years ago that I just could not maintain my mental health and work full time in the American work system. Always on, high stress, low pay, little vacation, and no consideration for family demands put me over the edge for regular depressive episodes. So here I am with little extra money. My husband's salary covers our basic well. But I have my quality, my sanity, and try to share a bit of happiness, humor, or knowledge as I have the time to do so... other than in the month of April.

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  15. We are both on the same wavelength Leanne and I think we will both be ready for A blogcation after AtoZ. It has really stretched me that is for sure. Writing for 26 posts whilst not sacrificing on the quality. That's he challenge though isn't it

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  16. Absolutely agree with this one Leanne. In so many areas I've simplified and reduced over the years, as well as firming up my boundaries so that I have more time for the things that are truly important. For me that's my relationship with God, my marriage, my children and extended family, friends and church family, my health, leisure pursuits, etc. I don't live for my job (probably never did) and very happy about that. I agree this month's blogging challenge has been quite the experience!! I'm looking forward to a quieter May too xx

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  17. Hi, Leanne - "Discern what is of value and focus your time and energy into those areas" is wonderful advice. The A - Z Challenge is also an excellent reminder of this. We will all be ready for a HUGE blogging break shortly!

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Thanks so much for your comment - it's where the connection begins.