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Author: Michelle

Let life unfold

What if the answers are in the letting go? How would it feel to stop trying?

Release the grip.

Showing up for yourself

For over two decades, I’ve been helping people set goals. Whether I was working with clients on probation or coaching entrepreneurs building communities, there has always been a common hurdle. This might sting a bit.

When it comes to setting goals and achieving them, we are great at coming up with excuses. I don’t have the money. I don’t have the time. I’m not gifted enough. I don’t have many followers. I didn’t get the degree. It’s already been done.

As difficult as it might be to hear, it isn’t usually that thing, and the excuse you’re making is just that — an excuse. Plenty of artists and business owners learn to create in spite of tremendous hurdles and obstacles. If you need proof, check out A Beautiful Constraint. It’s recommended reading for altMBA participants for good reason.

It’s us. We get in our own way. If we ask enough questions and peel back the layers, eventually the excuses can’t stand. You owe it to yourself to show up for yourself and your dreams. Ten minutes a day can build momentum that spills over into other areas of your life. A daily journaling practice can help you find the courage and confidence to work on a business plan. A daily doodle can lead to a finished painting. Weekly blog posts can become a book.

Make a promise to yourself to show up, even if it is for five minutes. If you need help getting started, Amie McNee has generously put together a list of 31 prompts to inspire you to put pen to paper. 

Let me know how it goes.

Following count for creatives

You don’t need a large following to be a successful creative.

You don’t even need public social media accounts to be successful.

As tempting as it is to focus on metrics and numbers, this can be a distraction from the real work.

Foster the relationships you have and connect with the people who need you. Focus on your true fans, the ones who love you and all that you stand for. Your fans want to support and recognize the contributions you’re putting out into the world, and your art will speak for itself.

Your energy is a precious resource, especially when it comes to creating. Pay attention to where you’re focusing this energy.

We need you and your art, not your attempts to please an ever-changing algorithm.

Personal ROI

I’m nearing my 10-year anniversary of first arriving in Nepal and thinking of who I am now vs. the young woman who left New York City in 2013 has me in the feels. Sure, coming to Nepal alone is gutsy. Staying to start A Dream Project from scratch and working day in and day out to build a sustainable, stable learning environment in a place that can be anything but that has led to more sacrifice and hardship than I could have ever imagined. 

I suppose when you start evaluating your life’s work, you must weigh benefits next to spent resources. That’s ROI, for my business peeps. When I consider:

  • The students who have been inspired because of Learning House
  • Landscapes and cultures that I might have only read about but got to experience
  • The friends who encouraged me and believed in me

Worth a decade of my life? Possibly. From installing a solar grid to helping students experience new ideas and places, getting my research published, organizing hundreds of workshops and events, growing an education center that has reached thousands of students, mentoring leaders in the community… 

I am proud.

While I’m not exactly the same woman I was 10 years ago, I am thankful that I held onto the bravery and courage needed to listen to my heart’s call, even when the path ahead was clouded in fog. A friend recently reminded me that the greatest stones are often buried in the thickest of earth. I pray my efforts to spread kindness and creativity in a small corner of the world yield gems yet to be discovered.

On goals

I’ve been thinking a lot about goals. It’s not necessarily the goal itself that brings the most reward, but the journey to move towards whatever destination you’ve set. Though the initial plan can indeed be beautiful, other riches are often discovered along the way.

It’s kind of like throwing the perfect party: You can book the venue, set a theme, plan activities, choose decorations, and serve delicious drinks, but at a certain point, you have to let serendipity take hold. For both lofty goals and good parties, trust is required — that after all the hours of planning and hard work and sacrifice, magic will happen as soon as you let go.

Ins and Outs for a New Year

As one year ends and another begins, take inventory of what needs to stay in 2022 and what you’d like to carry with you into the new year. From creative pursuits to relationship goals, make a list of the “ins” that can serve as guideposts as you take on new projects and decide how to spend your time. For creatives, the ability to commit to making art, regardless of the end result, is particularly important. Make art, make bad art, and block anyone who stops you from sharing it. Seek pleasure and imperfection and look for ways to welcome more wonder and magic into your days.

Scarcity mindsets can be left behind, as well as people-pleasing and comparisons. Throw away pressure to publish “content” into the bin, along with tendencies to edit and overedit your work. Writer’s block is a definite out, and the compulsion to shrink and second-guess intuitive decisions can, too, be shoved into a bag and taken outside.

You deserve all that supports you in creating and growing and thriving. Any other rubbish belongs in its rightful place: in the trash.

Happy New Year, my friends.