How to Be More Creative
Doing work that’s “not so bad” is never good enough.
It was early in the morning and the field still had a misty layer of dew clinging to the grass.
We could hear the bells as the cows made their way over to the split rail fence we were walking along on our way to the animal petting area.
My family was camping near a family farm and my daughter and I were up early, hot cocoa in hand, to see the baby lambs.
There were these two Rhode Island Red roosters scratching around in the pen and my daughter asked if it was okay to pet one. Not being a country girl, I had no idea, so she decided to give it a try.
There were painful consequences but apparently, you can indeed pet a chicken.
But you can’t milk one. (Not that we tried, that would be weird.)
Chickens aren’t mammals so they don’t produce any milk whatsoever. But think about it, how many people do you know who live their life like they’re trying to milk a chicken?
As if trying harder to love the wrong work will somehow make them happy.
Like trying to get milk from a chicken, no matter how hard you try, work that doesn’t inspire you won’t produce the fulfillment you need.
Doing work you’ve settled for is a trap.
It’s not “bad enough” to make a drastic change, but it leaves you feeling bland and unfulfilled like you’re a placeholder for the real you.
Especially if things are “good enough” and other people think you’re ungrateful or selfish and don’t understand why you’re not happy.
So you end up sleepwalking through your days, hoping it will all just get better on its own.
It’s a lot like walking around every day with a tiny pebble in your shoe. You’re aware of how uncomfortable it is, but it doesn’t hurt enough to change it. One day takes over the next day, and 12 months later, another year has passed and you’re no closer to your dream than you were a year ago.
And the thing you fear most, the thing that wakes you up in the middle of the night feeling suffocated and overwhelmed, is that you’re running out of time.
What’s the solution?
Maybe making a drastic change and heading off on a grand adventure all at once isn’t really an option for you right now.
Selling all your stuff, leaving your family to sail around the world, or joining the Peace Corps seems unlikely and probably ill-advised.
But you’ve got to do something or you’ll end up binge-watching old episodes of Grey’s Anatomy on the sofa at 2 a.m. every night.
Here’s how you stop trying to milk a chicken:
(1) Pick one goal that interests only you and honors your strengths.
Not something you think you should do, like run a marathon or sew quilts for blind people, but something you would like to accomplish just for yourself.
It might be an adventure (hiking the Pacific Coast Trail) or a lifestyle choice (going fishing every Wednesday afternoon).
Make it very specific and choose a deadline for when you’d like to have achieved it. For it to be a goal, you must be able to measure it. What we measure, we can track and improve.
(2) Put it on your calendar. It’s important to know the long game so enter it onto a specific date on your calendar even if doing so makes you nervous.
(3) Lastly, take one uncomfortable, imperfect step in that direction this week. It will feel awkward but not to worry, feeling vulnerable in a new situation is very, very normal.
Now, a point of clarification…
These are not goals: (not measurable and no deadline)
“I’m going to read more.”
“I’m going to get in shape”
“I plan to start my own business someday.”
These are goals:
“I will run and finish the Valentines Day 5K on February 14th.”
“I will complete this report by noon PST on Friday of this week.”
“I will launch a podcast by April 15th.”
Having a specific and measurable goal helps you outwit procrastination and lets your mind settle by focusing on something productive and creative. It moves the nonsense and frustration over to the side and gives your mindset some traction and movement.
By building a little momentum for a new adventure, you will expand the margins in your day. And that’s a great way to ensure you don’t run out of time to accomplish that crazy, wacky, wonderful thing you just can’t seem to stop thinking about!
Originally published at The Startup
Learn 3 ways to Discover Your Passion and uncover the creator in you at https://www.annvertel.com/discover-your-passion