Don’t do anything “constructive” today.
Leave the dishes, the homework, the work work, the whatever you’re “supposed” to do stuff, until tomorrow.
It’s okay. Unless someone else’s life literally depends on it, be irresponsible. Just for today.
Don’t even create. (Unless you really want to.)
Whatever you do, don’t be productive! Eschew efficiency. Ostracize organization. Mock multitasking.
Just play! Let inspiration alight in the midst of your joy.
I remember vividly the day I learned to ride a bike. Of course, I didn’t learn just that day. It involved riding with training wheels for a while, before I was ready to ride without them.
But one summer morning, my dad removed the training wheels from my bike, and held onto me as I slowly pedaled around the cul-de-sac where we lived.
I knew my dad was going to let go at some point, and that he wouldn’t tell me beforehand. It was an effective method for me, because although my sensitivity can make me cautious, I also have a strong, independent spirit, and plenty of imagination.
The independent part of me longed to ride on my own, to balance freely, to feel the wind on my face. My desire to master riding the bike gave me the courage to let go of my fear of falling off. It inspired me to try.
Just before I rode on my own for the first time, I heard a subtle change in my dad’s voice. He told me he was going to push the bike to give it a start, but I knew instead of holding on and jogging beside me, he was going to let go.
It was okay; I was ready to try, and it helped me to imagine my dad was still holding on.
When he let go, the bike felt less stable, yet the forward momentum almost gave it wings. I felt the sense of moving through space, unsupported by anything except the bike itself and my own sense of balance. It was perfect.
I rode in a big circle around the court, and back to my dad. He was thrilled and excited, telling me I’d done it on my own. I think I smiled and hid some of my deep feeling, sharing some, but keeping some of it for myself.
It was wonderful and exciting! And reflecting on that experience reminded me of four important aspects of moving toward our dreams.
Who we are being helps or hinders us. Open or closed, optimistic or pessimistic.
In my case, I was open to listening to my knowing self. It was the spiritual act of trusting that I would be okay, even if I fell off. I didn’t let my mind “psych me out.” I used my excitement to bypass my fear, and give me the courage to let go and glide.
Check in with yourself. If you’re expecting that you can’t do something, it is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Listen to that still, knowing voice that you can do it, because you can.
Imagination is a wonderful gift. I let myself imagine my dad was still holding me up for the first few pedals after he let go, and it gave me the confidence to do it on my own.
Imagination is powerful. Imagine yourself doing what you love, and let it pull you toward your dream.
To balance on the bike, I had to keep the momentum going. I had to keep pedaling!
You won’t get there without taking action. Take small steps until you are ready to glide!
We all need support now and then. I had someone who believed in me so much, he pushed me to take each scary step, but he didn’t let go before I was ready. (Thanks, Dad!)
Get the support you need. Ask a friend to be your accountability buddy. Join a group of people who do a similar type of creative work, such as a writer’s group, or a potter’s guild. Hire a coach to help you break through inertia, and set up good habits that keep you moving.
As a coach, I help people face their insecurities and fears with courage and faith, so they can focus on taking concrete steps.
This is what I love about being a coach; I’m kind of like the training wheels on my clients’ dreams, helping them move forward. And when they’re ready, when they don’t need my support anymore, I get to see them pedal off in the direction of their true lives.
It’s a beautiful sight.
Let your inspiration pull you toward your dreams. Because the world needs your gifts.
If you’ve been putting off your creative dream until—
the stars align…
you retire…
your family approves…
your ship comes in…
or your children are grown…
This post is for you.
Because, really, what are you waiting for?
Go after your dreams. Start NOW. Don’t wait!
I know many things compete for your time and attention. I understand how your best intentions can fade away.
But I also know you can commit to spending 30 minutes, or an hour—every day, or once a week—to do what you love. You’ll be surprised how much you can accomplish when you stick with it.
When you honor your commitment to yourself, after the first month, you’ll experience progress, even with setbacks. After the second month, the time you spend creating will be a regular part of your day or week. You’ll have a solid habit.
Where do you want to be two months from now?
Go ahead. Take imperfect action.
Print this page, cut out the sign, and post it somewhere you’ll see it every day, to remind you.
Because the world needs your gifts.
Last week, I didn’t post a blog article because my mother passed away.
This week, my mind is not focused on creativity, but on my loss. I try to hold the sense of my mother like a perfect sphere in my hands, but she is not simple or static enough.
She is deep, complex, and fluid. She slips through my fingers while I grasp at memories, trying to make them linger long enough to bring her back to me.
She is not reducible to a sentimental archetype, or an ideal of motherhood. She was a real person, who I love and miss deeply. Her gifts of intellect and sensitivity made her a rare instrument of perception. She was so much more than a simple sum of qualities.
So if I can leave the person reading this with a thought, it would be to share your real self with others. There is no ideal that moves us the way particular beauty pierces our everyday armor, and makes us see that we all matter, so much.
With the light fading away earlier in the evenings, leaves beginning to change color, and the cooler nights, summer is ending and autumn is just beginning.
Before summer ends, it’s easy to feel a sense of urgency to complete the things you wanted to do, but didn’t.
In fact, that’s exactly how I felt earlier today. My inner critics were starting to stir things up and I was well on my way to letting them make me miserable.
But then I looked at this photograph. Its stillness, its peaceful beauty, had a message for me.
This is the time to reflect. To slow down and appreciate all I’ve accomplished.
Looking back over a busy summer, my memories waver in and out of focus, like images reflecting off a lake:
It’s a lot, actually!
Focusing on what you’ve accomplished silences your inner critics by putting things into perspective.
I still have my to-do list, but I’ve decided to try something different. Like most creative people, doing things the linear, “type A” way drains my energy and blocks my intuitive wisdom. When I operate too much out of my left brain, my stomach tightens, my back and neck stiffen, and—worst of all—it’s harder to see the magic in this world.
Sometimes I have to make things into a game to stay interested and motivated. So I took my to-do list and tore it into strips of paper, with one item written on each piece.
Then, I put the papers in a pretty red crocheted bowl, and stirred them with my fingers.
That felt good!
Now, instead of running around in my head, taunting me, my to-do items are written on paper.
They’re “under control” in one spot, but not in a list.
What I didn’t accomplish (yet) is fresh in my mind. Now it’s time to take a deep breath, wait, and see what rises into my awareness. That’s what I’ll do next.
By taking the “should” out of my linear list, and making it more of a game, tomorrow doesn’t feel like an endless list of tasks, it feels like a morning of discovery. What will I do? I’m excited to find out!
Being in a balanced perspective helps you think of new ways to solve a problem, or re-energize routines.
If you’re feeling stressed by all you have to do, take the time to appreciate what you’ve already accomplished, instead of rushing ahead to the next task. Then try making a game out of what you need to do, or changing your usual routine, to freshen up the experience.
Remember, you are in control of your own experience. Make it meaningful to you!