I've got too many irons in the fire...

It seems like one of the biggest problems of modern life is having too many irons in the fire. Everyone knows what someone means when they use that phrase, but I’m always curious as to how these phrases get started.

Turns out in the “old days” before blacksmiths had thermometers, the only way they had to gauge the workability of the metal was by its’ color. Iron goes through several color stages as it heats up before becoming the orange-yellow that is the proper temperature for working.

A blacksmith would put several rods of iron into the forge fire, and wait for them to heat to a pliable temperature. If he didn’t keep irons in the fire and tried to work the metal at a lower temperature, he’d end up having to pound twice as hard as he would have if he waited for it to reach the proper temperature, and that would be a waste of his valuable time. He needed to keep irons in the fire… BUT… if irons were left in the fire too long, the metal got too hot and simply melted away, and that was a waste of his valuable resources.

So if there were too many irons in the fire, it was impossible to keep track of which ones were ready to work. There was no way to work efficiently, and some valuable resources would likely be needlessly lost.

That’s my problem. I have too many irons in the fire to properly keep track of each one, and to give each “iron” the attention it deserves and needs so I don’t waste valuable resources such as my time and energy.

I work on one project for a while, then another claims my attention, and I’m constantly just trying to keep up. Yet, the problem with all the “irons” is knowing which ones to take out of the fire! Which irons do I continue working on, how much of my resources of time and energy do I give to them, and what should have priority?

I start weekdays fixing up a humor mailing and sending it out to a list of people. I could quit that, but then I also use it for my one remaining “giving back” project, doing something for others by sending snail mail to some active military penpals, a veteran and a Chemobuddy (someone currently undergoing chemotherapy for cancer).

I’m trying to clear out the house, getting rid of all the excess from combining households (3 +). That would also hopefully help clear out any possible allergens or potential chemical sensitivities, and maybe make some extra money by selling stuff on eBay. But it all takes a lot of time!

I have things I want to be doing with photography and writing. I’m trying to improve my health, working with the Fibromyalgia Clinic staff on a whole lot of changes, including diet. Once again, it all takes a lot of time and effort.

All these things and more I didn’t mention, plus the usual household and farm chores, are probably more than I could do if I were perfectly healthy. Yet each one interconnects to something else, and my irons are so tangled up together, I don’t know how to pull just one out of the fire.

I’ve got too many irons in the fire and can’t figure out what to do about it.