Creating with intention
It might never be.
You will always find another mistake. Another word to change. A function to edit, a feature to add. The work is knowing you’ve put in your best effort and have done your due diligence.
Ship courageously. Click publish. Release your art into the world.
That’s what this group did — A group of twenty young people, hand picked from many, many applications, were given the assignment to write an ebook together. Except they were only given one hour and twenty minutes to complete it and publish it online.
This wasn’t simply a writing exercise. This was a teaching moment, an experience in vulnerability, connection, community, and risk taking. A practice in connecting ideas and people in a meaningful way. These students learned to alternate between stepping back and seeing the whole picture, then leaning in and dissecting the work before stepping back and reviewing the vision all over again.
They learned that fear is a powerful roadblock, but one that can be picked up and moved. Anytime. Anywhere. They practiced listening. They saw first hand that when you ask the right questions and stop to listen, the world unfolds before you. And they learned to step into the unique role that only you can create for yourself.
You have far more control over your destiny than you could ever possibly imagine.
No runner wants to crawl across the finish line. Racers practice their pace and know how much energy they need to exert for each mile.
Entrepreneurs need this skill, too.
Go all out in the beginning and you risk having little steam in reserves. Aim for a steady stream of effort and intention, however, and you will have the endurance and patience to persevere through even the most challenging situations.
It matters less how strong you come out of the gate. What is more important is how much effort you can put forth down the line.
If you don’t have an answer, you don’t love it enough.
If you care, REALLY care about (fill in blank with your: project, partner, job, client), you will sacrifice something. Results don’t come without sacrifice.
You might sacrifice time or quality or money or reputation or fame.
But if you don’t know what you have sacrificed, either you don’t care enough or you aren’t fully aware. And the only way you know if your efforts are worth anything is if you can identify what you have given up and what you have received in return.
Bonus: Read how Nepal has taught me about the sacrifices involved with love.
The internet has made it easy to sit back and watch and endlessly consume other people’s opinions, actions, projects, and work. It is now so easy to be a passive observer, to be someone who sits on the sidelines while others play in the game.
It is difficult to create. It takes time and dedication and focus. It takes courage to put something out in the world, something that might be discarded or mocked or rejected or possibly even ignored. But your livelihood requires this of you. Your happiness and passion are fueled by creativity. Building, writing, drawing, pasting, singing, connecting — these actions will inspire you.
Read good writing. Look at art. Find pictures and places that inspire you. But don’t count on others to do all of the work. Set a goal, make a few mistakes, and love the process. Your heart needs this.
How you choose to spend your day reflects the priorities you’ve set. Where you direct your focus, who you spend your time with, what you do after work — these are decisions that show what is most important to you.
Parcel out the goals you’re hoping to accomplish and block work into manageable chunks. Sometimes you’ll need to turn off your wifi, or say no to lunch dates, or even place a project higher on your list of daily to-dos.
Your priorities may shift, but your core values direct your time.