Building a Creative Career Without Burnout
- Lay Jordan
- May 12
- 7 min read
What do you find most challenging in your personal development journey? Personal development, building your dream life, and self-improvement have always been my favorite topics because I find a thrill in figuring out what works for each individual.
Many people see this cycle as exhausting or view it as unfortunate additional work. It can sometimes put you in a spiral because it might feel like you're never good enough, always trying to fix something in your life. This is precisely why mindset is so crucial. Embracing this process as a long game of collecting clues that lead you to what's right for you takes the pressure off of trying to be perfect.
Share Your Experience:
You can answer in the comments if you feel called to share (and maybe someone will have a similar answer). My biggest challenge is organization and time management. As someone who is multi-passionate, I have numerous interests, goals, and responsibilities. I want to learn, create, and develop independence and personal agency as a young adult. Learning to organize my life isn't just about accomplishments—it's about creating space for experiences and maintaining personal fulfillment.
💫 Mindset Shift of the Week:
Laying the foundation is meant to be experimental. We all have tools that we are born with (Talent) and tools that we've gained over time. However, those are just one aspect of foundation. Sourcing new material is part of the evolution.
Highlights & Updates of the Week:
Mother's Day was May 11th. Appreciation doesn’t end after one day. This post is dedicated to Mothers.
A Little Atypical is back. The new episode, "50. It's Time To Take An Active Role In Your Life," is now available through the following links:
All Shownotes (besides the one posted today) are up! See the most recent listings below.
New Posting Schedule (Split style: Mondays on all podcast platforms, and Thursdays for YouTube); Regular YouTube videos won't be returning yet
Scorpio Full Moon on May 12th- Make time to do a Journal about the ways you want to transform and the fears that block them
Last Week's Wins
Wrap up week for Show Notes (A End To A Year-Long Project)
I started this last year on May 13th when I decided to take the podcast more seriously. Since I was already creating content, I felt it made sense to document and share even if I couldn't cover all the ideas in the podcast. Despite having months to catch up, I wasn't in the right headspace, so this project took longer than expected to get into alignment. Now that it's complete, there's a sense of relief, and I feel like the pressure is off, allowing me to return to a less intense posting schedule.
Increased my walking again (Last week average: 6,877; This week: 7,178)
Walking and staying active have been an essential part of my wellness journey. Starting in January and February, I maintained a strong step count. My daily average for January was 12,626 steps, and for February it was 10,684 steps. However, March and April saw a significant drop in my average (Respectfully, March averaged at 5,761, and April averaged at 6,851). Now in May, I'm working on gradually increasing my daily steps again. My new approach involves ensuring I match my previous week's daily average on rest days.
One important lesson learned: proper hydration is crucial. Initially, I wasn't drinking enough water, which led to severe muscle soreness the following day. This created a start-stop cycle that hindered my overall health goals. This experience taught me the importance of researching supporting habits when participating in wellness trends - it's not just about the main activity but also about maintaining your body properly to sustain the habit.
Got out of my comfort zone
Last week, a viral social media discussion caught my attention, centered around public interactions and social expectations. Two contrasting videos emerged: one featuring someone expressing frustration about being ignored during walks, and another advocating for removing headphones to encourage more social interaction. This sparked a broader debate about cultural norms, individualism, and social entitlement.
As an introverted wellness enthusiast, I found myself with mixed feelings about this discourse. While I value meaningful human connections, I also understand the importance of respecting personal boundaries and energy management. This led me to experiment with my social habits during commutes.
During one such experiment, I chose to stay phone-free at a bus stop, which led to a pleasant conversation with an elderly lady who needed help checking the bus schedule. Our interaction evolved into a rich conversation about her life, including discussions about her surgeries, family, and future plans. This experience highlighted something interesting about my social preferences - I felt notably more comfortable engaging with an elderly person compared to people my age.
This realization prompted me to reflect on the nature of intergenerational interactions. Perhaps it's because conversations with elderly individuals often feel more straightforward, purposeful, and less laden with social pressure. There's also often a natural mentorship dynamic that makes these interactions feel more structured and meaningful.
This experience taught me that while pushing beyond comfort zones is valuable, it's equally important to understand and respect our natural social inclinations and boundaries. Sometimes, meaningful connections happen organically when we remain open while still honoring our personal comfort levels.
What we are working on
Getting back into a more normal creation schedule
Last week was a learning experience in content management. While I had planned to create and release 5 separate posts, I ended up publishing 4 posts spread across Monday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday. The post on Saturday was part 1 and part 2 episodes combined, which worked out well given the content's natural flow.
The biggest takeaway from this experience is understanding the need for flexibility in content creation. With the podcast returning and my goal to maintain a specific monthly post count, I know there will be an adjustment period. However, I'm actually excited about this new phase because previously, content creation was consuming so much of my schedule that other aspects of my life were being neglected.
Finding the right rhythm will be a learning curve, but it's a necessary adjustment to create a more balanced lifestyle where content creation enhances rather than dominates my daily routine.
Focusing more on making the day-to-day activities less overwhelming
I've noticed that when my physical space is organized, it's easier to maintain other daily habits. Deep cleaning isn't just about tidying up; it's about creating an environment that supports better routines and reduces daily stress. By starting with this manageable goal, I can build momentum for implementing other daily systems.
My approach this week will be:
Tackle one room or area per day
Sort items into keep, donate, and discard piles
Create designated spaces for frequently used items
Set up simple systems to maintain cleanliness
Getting back into a healthy rhythm with coursework
Thought Tank
Creating content as a multi-passionate person is a constant journey of finding balance. I've been reflecting deeply on how to merge my various interests and experiences into content that remains authentic while still providing value to others. The challenge lies in finding ways to share personal growth and daily experiences without falling into the common pitfalls of content creation pressure.
Here are some thoughts I've been processing:
The balance between structured content (like show notes) and more free-flowing experiential blogs feels like walking a tightrope
Creating categories and systems helps reduce decision fatigue, but sometimes it can feel too rigid for authentic expression
There's a vulnerability in sharing personal experiences and learning curves publicly
A key realization I've had is that failure isn't just okay - it's an essential part of the growth process. While I'm still learning not to take setbacks personally, I'm trying to view them as data points rather than defining moments.
Question for fellow multi-passionate creators: How do you balance structure with spontaneity in your content creation? What helps you stay authentic while still maintaining consistency?
Post-Graduation Transitions and Personal Growth: Into the 2nd year
As I reflect on this transitional period, I'm reminded of Zora Neale Hurston's profound words from "Their Eyes Were Watching God": "Some years are for questions and other years are for answers." This quote resonates deeply as I reach the two-year mark since college graduation. There's a certain weight to acknowledging that I can no longer claim the "recent graduate" label, and with that comes fears and uncertainties. Sometimes I catch myself wondering if I'm trying hard enough, if others perceive my efforts as sufficient, and whether these doubts hold any truth.
Yet when I return to Hurston's words, I'm reminded that life isn't meant to follow a predetermined sequence. While books and TV shows often present life as a linear journey with clear milestones, the reality is far more nuanced. Building a life of quality isn't about following a universal template - it's about defining what quality means to you personally and actively participating in shaping that vision. This period of questioning and exploration isn't a detour from the path - it is the path itself.
The most valuable lesson I'm learning is that uncertainty itself can be a powerful teacher. Those moments of doubt and questioning often lead to the most meaningful insights. When we stop trying to rush through the questions to get to the answers, we create space for deeper understanding and more authentic choices. The discomfort of not knowing becomes less threatening when we accept it as a natural part of growth.
I hope you enjoyed this post and found it interesting. Also, if you like my content,t it would mean the world to me if you would also subscribe to my YouTube channel, my Pinterest, and my TikTok account. On YouTube, I have the most inspirational content from Lifestyle Design posts to Digital "open when..." letters to boost your mood. I also keep a copy of my podcast episodes (which are also available on Spotify). I decided that I am honoring what feels right to me and continuously working on building the life of my dreams and helping others do the same. Don’t forget to share this if you feel inspired, and I will have more content for you soon.
Until next time, butterflies 🦋 Sincerely yours
Xoxo,
Lay 💋
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