The magic behind the idea.
We
are all guilty sometimes of saying 'I wish I could...' or 'If I had
time/the opportunity/the motivation, I would...' - putting off ideas for projects we've had in our mind for ages. Anything can be a project: writing a novel, in my case, but it could also be start a YouTube
channel, a new hobby, a big project like learning a new language or
an instrument, singing up to a dance class... And having a lot of
ideas is great, but we often get lost in the 'how to get there',
sometimes giving up on the project because it seems like we simply
can't accomplish it. And I want you to never think that again -
here's how you can make
things happen.
First
thing's first: stop putting it off. If you keep doing that, the
tomorrow you're envisioning may never come at all. You have to work
now for that tomorrow, and you will never get there before you start.
Does all that rambling make sense? In short: do it now, you'll thank
yourself later. Let's take my example. I keep seeing myself with my
novel in my hand, finished, edited and printed. I imagine the
satisfaction I will feel, the pride in showing people that project
that has matured over time and that has come from a beginning to an
end. This, however, will never happen if I don't finish the novel. I
will never experience that happiness and sense of achievement if I
don't work here and now to make it a reality. If I pushed it to
tomorrow, then tomorrow might be next year, the year after - fast
forward and it's 2050, and the novel still hasn't been
written. Oh well. Time flies and we are so busy nowadays that we
always postpone things, but if you get those creative juices flowing,
don't leave them for later - use them now.
TAKE IT IN STRIDE
The
other trap we may fall into, is to want everything finished there and
then. As if we had a magic wand that would turn an idea into *tadaaa*
a beautiful, finished, successful project. Unfortunately, there is no
magic spell for that (and I would know, I'm a Harry Potter fan.) The
magic is what you make of it, what your brain, your spirit, and your
body works hard to achieve. For bigger projects, like learning a
language, you won't get there in a day. And I think it is a pity when
people give up on something they love, and have spent a lot of time
on, because of the frustration of not getting there,
where their mind wants them to be. This is especially true for
perfectionists - you try, and try again, and are never satisfied, so
you eventually give up or lose your interest in what you were doing.
This
is why taking things in stride is important. You go step by step in
your project, tick off these steps in your list, and your project
will grow little by little. That's how the saying goes: patience is a
virtue. Enjoy the process to reach your end goal, because when you
think about it, you will have spent a lot more time on that process. When the project is done, it's finished. You have to
find content in the little steps, in the progression you see every
time you work on your idea - every time you write a new chapter of
your book, or every time you master a new dance move, or every time
you understand a little more of the language you're learning. If you
have a positive mindset about the steps that you are undertaking in
your journey, your motivation will keep steady - and even grow as you
get closer and closer to your goal!
REMEMBER WHY YOU ARE DOING IT IN THE FIRST PLACE
When
you lose motivation, or you've spent too long on one thing, and it
has become a little mechanical in your routine, you may lose focus.
You may forget why you are actually doing it. Why am I learning this
language again? I may never use it anyway. Why do I keep writing the
bloody novel? It's not like it's gonna get published. It is normal to
ask yourself these questions sometimes - unless you are truly
passionate about something and you think about it night and day, you
will feel like what you are doing doesn't serve you anymore. In these
cases, always remember why you started. Was it to challenge yourself?
To stay healthy? To relax after your work day? To tell a story to the
world? Remind yourself of the positive thoughts that fueled your
creativity when you started. You will realise that what you do has a
meaning - it always does. What is meaningful to you will carry you
through and give you the motivation you feel like you have somehow
lost in the process. This actually also applies to jobs too, I think. We
rarely do things out of the blue, and nurturing, healthy projects are
those that you find meaning in, that fit in your life for a reason.
How do you make your projects happen? What tip would you give to someone to start off their journey?
Lots of love,
Julia x
Lots of love,
Julia x
