"I tried to schedule time to be creative, but my creativity missed the appointment"....
It was said jokingly by one of my clients, but as I laughed, I also felt a pang of truth - I had been doing the same. I realized I've been so caught up on scheduling my life to make it all fit, that I hadn't fit in the most important parts - ME.
It reminded me of the time management parable - I haven't put the big rocks in first. Problem is, I didn't realize how big the rocks are until I am trying to cram them into the container.
And so, determined to fit creativity into my day, I sit with a blank screen of endless possibilities in front of me, and I get twitchy. I should be studying. I should be preparing my presentation for tomorrow. I should be getting on that new marketing material. I should be preparing for the kick-off teleclass for my Mastermind Groups I am having in March. I should be doing my taxes...
A sip of coffee and a deep breath later, the blank screen before me takes on new meaning. I have a million things to do today, but very little to say. How can that even be?
Perhaps it isn't the size of my to-do list I need to manage - but the weight.
Reviewing my mile-long to-do list, I wondered - what meaning does my busy-ness have? What significance? Most of my list is tedium - taxes, paperwork, cleaning. Why do I feel compelled do these tedious things? I decided for kicks to write down the value I have that is tied to each task. Well, because I value honesty and integrity - I will do my taxes. I value taking pride in what you have, therefore I will clean my house.
I notice that with each value I think of, I could write an essay on each. "Taking pride in what I have" reminds me of my Dad carefully greasing his tractor after each use - cleaning it until you could see your reflection in the John Deere green paint. You would think he was entering his tractor in a parade the way he polished it each day. His tractors are his pride and joy - they are a direct reflection of how the world sees him. People don't even have to speak a word with my father to know what his values are - they just have to visit his farm.
I wonder -are my values showing through my work?
When I complete this list, will people see what I feel?
Certainly, this exercise is making me feel very differently about my to-do list... .no longer is it a list of tedious chores, but a direct statement of my values. I may not have a John Deere Tractor to spit shine, but the end result is still the same - the finished product is an outward reflection of me.
As I scan down my to-do list, I see "Write New Blog Entry" - I mark it off, and realize it's not about marking things off my to-do list - it's about making a mark.
Paradise is Here, Paradise is Now .... Paradise is making a mark....
It was said jokingly by one of my clients, but as I laughed, I also felt a pang of truth - I had been doing the same. I realized I've been so caught up on scheduling my life to make it all fit, that I hadn't fit in the most important parts - ME.
It reminded me of the time management parable - I haven't put the big rocks in first. Problem is, I didn't realize how big the rocks are until I am trying to cram them into the container.
And so, determined to fit creativity into my day, I sit with a blank screen of endless possibilities in front of me, and I get twitchy. I should be studying. I should be preparing my presentation for tomorrow. I should be getting on that new marketing material. I should be preparing for the kick-off teleclass for my Mastermind Groups I am having in March. I should be doing my taxes...
A sip of coffee and a deep breath later, the blank screen before me takes on new meaning. I have a million things to do today, but very little to say. How can that even be?
| What are your important rocks? |
Reviewing my mile-long to-do list, I wondered - what meaning does my busy-ness have? What significance? Most of my list is tedium - taxes, paperwork, cleaning. Why do I feel compelled do these tedious things? I decided for kicks to write down the value I have that is tied to each task. Well, because I value honesty and integrity - I will do my taxes. I value taking pride in what you have, therefore I will clean my house.
I notice that with each value I think of, I could write an essay on each. "Taking pride in what I have" reminds me of my Dad carefully greasing his tractor after each use - cleaning it until you could see your reflection in the John Deere green paint. You would think he was entering his tractor in a parade the way he polished it each day. His tractors are his pride and joy - they are a direct reflection of how the world sees him. People don't even have to speak a word with my father to know what his values are - they just have to visit his farm.
| Paradise is making a mark |
When I complete this list, will people see what I feel?
Certainly, this exercise is making me feel very differently about my to-do list... .no longer is it a list of tedious chores, but a direct statement of my values. I may not have a John Deere Tractor to spit shine, but the end result is still the same - the finished product is an outward reflection of me.
As I scan down my to-do list, I see "Write New Blog Entry" - I mark it off, and realize it's not about marking things off my to-do list - it's about making a mark.
Paradise is Here, Paradise is Now .... Paradise is making a mark....
