I created this blog years ago, but I didn’t really know where to take it... Or why anyone would want to read it. I thought the title was clever. Misadventures of the Little Bird...I am (obviously) the Little Bird. As the youngest of the Bird family, that made sense on it’s own, but, ironically, my first name means Little Birdie. My life with my family was marked with unusual twists and unexpected situations...we seemed to attract WTF situations where ever we went.
I had thought that perhaps I would use this blog as a means of chronicling those WTF moments. But as you can see from my previous entries, I had no idea what to actually write about. “Falling on my face” is not entertaining; lamenting about loneliness isn’t very cool either. As an adult I still find myself in crazy situations, but without my family I’m less often stranded in questionable places or wondering how I’m gonna “get out of this one.” When I originated this blog I hadn’t yet realized that my choices were leading me to a relatively safer life. But a safer life meant less material to write about. I was stuck.
Despite my lack of dangerous situations and writers block, my life continues to play out like a daytime drama. “What’s new today??” How many times have I been told that I “certainly live an interesting life”? Far too many. My friends often joke that they don’t need TV, they just need an update on my life.
You see, I’m the kind of person who jumps in head first. I wanna learn everything about ...well.. Everything. I’m interested in just about everything and have chased many contrasting monetary ventures. In my youth, I was single minded. I was going to be a professional singer. Period. End of story. I did some writing and modeling, and kept a boring day job to pay the bills, but I knew my goal, and kept my eye on the prize. I was doing very well.
And then ….My brother’s very public and disgraceful arrest and conviction for heinous crimes stopped me in my tracks and sent me into a full out mental and emotional break down. By the time I emerged from that, I had laid my music industry dreams to rest. I didn’t want to be famous anymore, I just wanted to have an income, homeschool my kids, and keep us all safe.
That’s when my life really took on the attributes of a pinball game. I cocktailed until I realized it it made me type A dominant and a little bit ruthless. I didn’t like that. I worked on marketing for a golf professional, but it conflicted with homeschooling. I considered starting a bed and breakfast, but lacked the capital. I babysat, but when I had to downsize into a 28’ travel trailer that became unsustainable. We moved onto a farm and I learned everything I could about chickens, permaculture and mushrooms to list a few. That venture played out much differently than I’d hoped. I thought I’d tap into my modeling background and start a business that connected local models to local boutiques. I got distracted…. Writer. Virtual Assistant. Freelance Office Assistant. Amazon seller without a niche. Residential Cleaner. Handyman. I could build furniture! Maybe I should try beekeeping???
I gravitate to fields that provide me with variation, change and hands on work. I don’t really want to bounce around from job to job, but I also want to find something that really works. Currently I work as a Handyman and am collecting investments. I can feel myself starting to get bored with construction, so I need to double down on investing. Because, what I’ve realized of late is that this habit of pinballing from field to field is characteristic of adult ADDers. Not all adult ADDers do this, but I’ve learned that it’s common. We need stimulation. We seek out adventure. We get bored easily. In other words, I’m always going to to want to try something new.
I take heart though, for Scott Adams says that he’s a firm believer that people should try everything that interests them. “If your current get-rich project fails, take what you learned and try something else. Keep repeating until something lucky happens. The universe has plenty of luck to go around; you just need to keep your hand raised until it's your turn. It helps to see failure as a road and not a wall,” he says. “Every skill you acquire doubles your odds of success.” And he notes of his own success: “One strategy for getting ahead is being incredibly good at a particular skill; you need to be world-class to stand out for that skill. In my case, I layered fairly average skills together until the combination became special.” If you are like me and constantly searching for a fulfilling and successful venture, I recommend Adams’ book “How to Fail at Everything and Still Win Big”. It will keep you laughing while providing a wealth of information.
They say it requires a minimum of 10,000 hours to become an expert at something. It sounds kind of dismal when I think about it. I’ve spent 10,000 hours being an ADD human pinball… does that count?
Gary Vaynerchuk, an intense businessman and public speaker, is all about branding. “You have to understand your own personal DNA. Don’t do things because I do them or Steve Jobs or Mark Cuban tried it. You need to know your personal brand and stay true to it.” My own personal DNA?? My ADD DNA? “There no longer has to be a difference between who you are and what you do.” “No matter what you do, your job is to tell your story.” And if anyone knows how to make a successful life out of nothing, it’s him. In his book “Crushing It” (another book I suggest you read), Gary also recommends chronicling the learning process, as it helps your customers/followers get to know you and your personal brand all the better.
So that’s what I’ve decided to do. I’m gonna share my ADD life with you. Here on Misadventures of the Little Bird we’ll follow my pinball life. I’m adding the tag “Blame it on The ADD” to the title as of this post. I hope that you enjoy the show!
