Sitting down to a blank piece of paper (or in this case, staring at a blank word doc on my screen) and expecting great things to tumble out week after week isn’t, in some ways, very easy. It’s especially challenging if I feel tired or out-of-sorts, or if I’m having one of those “I would rather be at the beach” kind of days.
But I do it.
Each Wednesday morning, my calendar reads: “Creative Time.”This is the time during which I pen these letters (aka blog posts) to you, and the time during which I write other blog posts for other sites for which I contribute articles (Plaid For Women & CleverH – the Magare two). And yes, I realize that it doesn’t seem very “creative” to schedule creative time, but here’s why I do it, and why it works…
- I’ve determined that scheduling my writing time means that any and all ideas that pop up in my mind during the other 6 days of the week don’t sit in my brain and take up space trying to get my attention. When a thought comes to me about an article I could write, it’s as if that thought knows it will get due consideration at 9:15 Wednesday morning, so it doesn’t need to go around and around in my head and nag at me like a two year old that wants candy. The thought, the inspiration, is aware that its time will come, so it sits patiently “there” and waits for the appointed hour, which means two key things: I don’t waste time pondering it during the hours that I cannot write, and I always have thoughts to draw on when the time is right, and don’t waste time trying to come up with ideas.
- Writing every Wednesday morning is something that I do consistently, and by performing this task (and so many others) on a consistent basis, I am sending a very loud message to the Universe. I am saying, “I am a consistent kind of gal. I work consistently. I put consistent effort in to my business. Consistency is important to me.” And here’s what the Universe provides to me in response: Consistency. Yep. What I put out, comes back. So that means I attract clients who value consistency, who want to work with me consistently, who pay consistently, who show up on time consistently, who then, in turn, attract their own set of consistent clients! The ripple effect is enormous and, honestly, quite glorious to behold.
- Scheduling time to be creative in the middle of my week gives my brain a chance to regroup and reset. Mondays are busy task-oriented days for me during which I meet with my team and do my paperwork and other tasks that need to be tended. Tuesdays, Wednesday afternoons, and Thursdays are full-on client days during which I must be “on” and “firing on all pistons” in every moment if I am going to serve well. SoWednesday mornings are like a reprieve for my mind, a time to switch gears, tap into my creativity, and my heart, in different ways. I’ve come to value this time just as much as I value myFriday afternoon beach dates (and that’s saying a lot!)
So, you see, there are good reasons to schedule your creative time, even though it may seem strange to schedule something that, by definition, sounds as if it needs to be done more “on the fly” or “in the moment.” If you’ve not tried it, I suggest you give it a go! Try scheduling your creative time for the next three months and see how it plays out and be sure to let me know!
XO,
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Rebecca Liston helps her clients predict, pivot, and compete in an increasingly complex global marketplace. Her clients quickly uncover the root of their challenges and know the actions to take to overcome them. A six-time nominee for the RBC Canadian Woman Entrepreneur Award, Rebecca combines business strategy with intuition, giving her clients the edge on forward-thinking, elegant answers to their most complicated problems. Her clients are entrepreneurs with CEO-mindsets and executives with entrepreneurial instincts. She is based in London, Ontario. What if you could get the answer to your biggest business challenge, in one sitting? Visit rebeccaliston.com to find out more.
