Creating vs Consuming
It seems I’ve been having a torrid affair without realizing it.
Over the last several weeks I’ve been devouring online courses, podcasts and webinars for the sheer joy of it. But I’ve realized it’s been to the detriment of my livelihood.
I love to learn and always have. I believe learning is a key ingredient in the success formula of life.
However, my consumption of information and has been the “easy fling” I chose over doing the hard work that I know I need to do if I’m going to achieve the high-impact goals I’m truly after.
Like so many people I work with in my coaching practice, I have very high aspirations and staying focused is a key ingredient I reinforce again and again.
What’s interesting is that I realized learning is not my only obsession of late.
Since when did sweeping the floor four times a day and doing laundry daily (for a household of two) become so urgent?
I am a planner, but this mass of activities is nowhere to be found on my schedule and during my weekly review I kept asking myself why I wasn’t achieving my milestone and I kept telling myself it was because I was so busy. And then I realized it – I’ve been avoiding the hard work.
The good news is that once we recognize our patterns the flood lights come on and it becomes easier to see what we’re doing and set the strategies in place to break through the wall.
For years I’ve wanted to explore my creative side – to write about things I’m passionate about. To share what I do daily in one-on-one coaching sessions with a broader audience – to powerfully impact more people. To one day publish a book.
A couple of weeks ago, I made a verbal commitment and put myself “on the hook” to get into action and, as you can imagine, it’s a daunting task and I feel overwhelmed. My limiting beliefs kicked in and thought floated through my brain like, “writing is so hard”, “who cares what I have to say,” and “I’m not good enough”.
I knew that I had finally committed to something that was outside of my comfort zone and my friend “fear” had come to visit.
[The subconscious mind is 1000 times more powerful than your conscious mind ~ Tor Norretranders]
What I know from my days of writing hundreds of articles and fundraising appeals is that the creative process can be elusive.
If you believe creating is hard, it quickly makes you aware of your shortcomings and your lack of knowledge.
If you believe creating is fun and whatever I create is going to be amazing…you’ll just begin.
Whether you are a writer, a runner, a singer, or an entrepreneur…your beliefs will guide you.
When you wake up in the morning and lift your head from the pillow, let that first thought be, “I have all I need within me now!”
The world is so full of stuff that it’s easy to sit back and just consume it. So my challenge to you is to spend some time thinking about all the things that you consume and all the things that you love.
Does the act of consuming keep you from doing things that you love or from doing things that will take you to the next level? Are you tricking yourself by prioritizing less important things over the milestones necessary to achieve your greatest goals?
What are you passionate about? Is it culinary artistry, travel, fashion? Maybe you love writing. Or you love going out to shows or to admire the art and crafts of people in your community. Or perhaps you admire someone who knows how to make wine or tell jokes or skydive but you’ve never thought you’d be able to do something like that.
Instead of observing and consuming, I challenge you to pick something you are passionate about and become a creator yourself. Ask someone who already knows about it to show you the ropes. Start with something small and simple. Something that would take you outside of your comfort zone, but is also achievable so you create small steps that, through consistent practice, lead to success. Check out all of the cool video’s about your idea on YouTube or some other resource. Take a class or hire a coach or mentor.
This is exactly what I’ve done right here. I got vulnerable, faced my fears, conquered my distractions and created my first blog post. It’s been two weeks in my making with MANY revisions, but I did it! The first of many (challenge accepted!!). I’ve committed to sharing with you the insights I’ve gained as a business woman, entrepreneur, military member, non-profit executive director, and results coach. So find your passion and join me in 2020 as we create more than we consume!
Take the Challenge!
Valerie