Creating with intention
Twenty minutes to pause.
Twenty minutes to breathe.
To be grateful.
To write.
To read.
To consume.
To move.
To reflect.
To listen.
To work.
To grieve.
To focus.
To savor.
To feel.
To love.
To connect.
To watch.
To rest.
Twenty minutes can make the unmanageable manageable, the forgotten remembered, and the overwhelming more digestible.
You can do anything for twenty minutes. Use it as your weapon.
Perspective keeps coming up in Positive Talk sessions. From media articles to family conversations, the meanings we assign to situations, reactions, and words can weigh significantly on our perception and interpretation of the world around us.
This is important for three reasons.
One, we get to choose how we want to interpret a given situation.
Two, we get to decide how important any situation will become.
Three, our choices dramatically impact the way we feel.
Now, more than ever, the definitions we use to understand ourselves, our communities, our cultures, and our world are open to interpretation. Though many of us are “stuck” physically, our minds are free to roam.
Perspective can be the flashlight needed to navigate uncertain, challenging circumstances.
It’s worth taking time to review your own assigned meanings. (And yes, it is possible to edit the meanings we have assigned to ourselves, to others, and to the ways in which we perceive what is happening around — and to — us.)
Each day, we make a series of decisions.
Decisions of worry or freedom. Creation or inaction. Calm or frenzy. Patience or frustration.
Take time to reconsider the meanings you assign.
Every day for the next two weeks I am committing to one thirty-minute conversation focused only on Good Things.
Good Things include: Goals, ideas, projects, dreams, successes, accomplishments, moments that bring satisfaction and contentment, creation, acts of kindness.
Call it pro-bono coaching, but this is as much for me as it might be for you.
Interested? Sign up here.
Seth Godin dubbed the phrase “Connection Economy” to encourage meaningful relationships that inspire art, community efforts, and the pursuit of worthwhile work.
Right now it’s easy to feel stuck. It’s more important than ever before to be kind and present and approach others with consideration and respect.
We live in a moment in which the internet spreads information quickly (for better and for worse). We can use this to our advantage to help each other.
You want people who can call you out, people who can serve as your cohort and personal sounding board as you make moves (or sit on the coach and try to find a new Netflix series). We all have unique talents and traits to share; a group offers support, accountability, and the ability to help you level up. These people can let you know when you’re on track and nudge you gently should you veer off course.
Whether one other person or four, enlist a few friends. Ask, “Will you try something with me?”
Set a day and time and commit. Make the details known.
Everyone is struggling with responsibilities, house work, inner battles. Make each other a priority and respect everyone’s time. You can choose to meet once a week or on Mondays and Fridays, for example.
You can find many books online. I’ve listed a few here as suggestions. If you have a book that has been important to you, use that one instead.
Sample list:
Linchpin
Poke the Box workbook
Superconnect
Business Model Generation
E Myth Revisited
4 Hour Work Week
Creatively Independent
Make Your Idea Matter
Host an unforgettable dinner party
The activities are designed to get you out of your comfort zone and reinforce what you’re reading. If you feel inspired to add your own twist, please do. The most important action is to set aside time for writing.
The writing prompts provide creative direction. Use what is helpful and change what isn’t. Not everything works for everyone.
Reading: Bernadette Jiwa’s Make Your Idea Matter
Project: Tear out photos, images, and words from newspapers and magazines. Look for anything that inspires you. Rearrange the clippings onto a new piece of paper.
Writing exercise: Set your alarm for ten minutes and choose one prompt:
Group discussion: What is the difference between storytelling and dreaming? Do you set aside time to dream? What are some of the stories you tell yourself about yourself?
Reading: Tim Ferriss’ 4 Hour Work Week
Project: Do something new. Cook a different recipe. Sign up for an online class. Find a new place to explore using Google Maps.
Writing exercise: If you could do anything, anywhere, what would it be?
Group discussion: How do you define work/life balance? Is a distinction necessary? What helps you set better boundaries between work and home?
Reading: Seth Godin’s Poke the Box workbook
Project: Print out the workbook and try to complete it in thirty minutes.
Writing exercise: Notice areas of hesitation while you complete the workbook. Is a particular topic more challenging than others?
Group discussion: What stops you from shipping? How do you get in your own way?
Reading: Project Exponential’s Host an unforgettable dinner party
Project: Plan an online dinner party. Get creative.
Writing exercise: Set your alarm for ten minutes. Choose one:
Group discussion: What kind of people belong on your Dream Team? Who inspires you? Discuss how teams are formed and which environments contribute to their development.
Reading: Jess Pillmores’s Creatively Independent
Project: Challenge yourself to write the first draft of your very own ebook.
Writing exercise: Consider the uniqueness that you bring to your work, your relationships, and your family. What are the traits that single you out?
Group discussion: How do you stay inspired? What techniques have you found to be helpful during the goal setting process?
Reading: E Myth Revisited and/or Business Model Generation
Project: Brainstorm how you might turn $10 into $100.
Writing exercise: Write out a sample business plan. What would you do if you had no excuses, no responsibilities? Think back to the days of mowing lawns, selling lemonade, or babysitting.
Group discussion: How would things be different if you set aside time to write, dream, explore, or learn?
Modified from A Free Program posted February 26, 2013.
There’s a lot of bad in the world right now. Maybe you feel hopeless, confined, or stuck.
Even for today, challenge yourself to look for hope. Reverse the stories you’re telling yourself and find places of light.
Turn “I’m so bored” into “What can I do next?” and get active.
Convert “I’m stuck at home” into “Now I can finish that book.”
Divert your attention from negative news and search for stories of kindness. Yes, there is hate and fear and anger and disappointment, but there is a lot of good, too. Each day we have the opportunity to focus on that.
Flip the script and challenge yourself to find the good today. And then the day after that.
Even when everything seems upside down, trust it will turn right side up again.
Some folks are pretty bummed at the prospect of cancelled events, social quarantine, and days spent at home. Others are thrilled: Time to catch up on Netflix, read those books on the shelf, spend time with family, or just chill on the couch.
Life doesn’t have to become boring because social calendars are reduced. In fact, there are plenty of things you can do to shake things up, test limits, have some fun, and inspire others to do the same — right from the comfort of your own home.
We all have different thresholds for excitement and adventure, so pick what feels brave and fun to you.
Let me know how it goes.
Modified from A Manual for Daily Adventure.