The first month of 2019 is slowly coming to its end. The start of the year is a good time for reflection and making plans. Making resolutions often doesn’t work as we tend to say what we don’t want to do, what we want to stop or do less of. How about changing the perspective and starting with a different intention and thinking instead about what we want to do?
We are all creative beings and sometimes it’s worth taking some time out and exploring what we can create. When I was at primary school I was told by a teacher that I can’t sing and for me that ‘locked’ the possibility of singing for years. It was only about three years ago that I met Director of the London City Voices choir Richard Swan whose approach is ‘everybody can sing’. He has put together an amazing community of about 400 people who sing and ever since I became part of the choir it brought an enormous joy to my days. Interestingly, it brought a lot of inspiration to my own business and I think that’s what we sometimes forget – that all is connected, and we can learn a useful lesson in one area of our life and apply it to a different one.
When we create we build something that hasn’t existed before in that exact form or shape – be it physical or abstract. We start with a blank page full of opportunities which is exciting but can often be scary as there can be too much to choose from. When we think of something it plants a seed and we then allow it to grow. As Robin Sharma’s quote goes ‘Everything is created twice, first in the mind and then in reality’.
So instead of asking what would you like to achieve I am asking what would you like to create? Make a decision what it is you want to explore and then act upon it. Once you decide to go for something opportunities open up that will give you ideas and options to pursue things further. As Martin Luther King Jr. said: ‘Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.’ We are often waiting until we see the whole path to make the first step and so years pass by before we decide to give it a go. Make the first step and trust yourself. The beauty of this is that you can always change.
When we create something, we become artists in our own way and our own space. We put our skills and abilities to practice, we allow ourselves to explore. In the end, creating something is an adventure. It could be that you want to create a business, more clients, set something up, establish a reading club, start something from scratch, deliver a workshop, write a book or poem, take up photography, start drawing or painting, create a new career, learn indoor climbing, join a band. With all these activities, we need to start with an intention to do them and then follow up with creating space for them. This means making time. Whenever we say that we don’t have time to do something we won’t do it; but when we shift perspective and decide to make time things happen!
Creativity itself means that you are up for an adventure – an exploration. When you create something, you are led by curiosity, you are coming up with solutions, you are tweaking existing things, you design your own steps and make them your own. Inspiration is everywhere.
Are you ready to create something new? If yes and you need some support with getting started I invite you to get in touch with me and I will offer you a complimentary coaching session to get you started with designing your steps and creating a map for you!