I read a lot, however, I noticed that since starting writing here daily I have been reading differently. I am noticing the various writing styles and the expressions used so much more. I re-read sentences just to take in how clearly and concisely they were written. It is as if I am acquiring a new superpower, a new set of eyes. What a treat.
creativity
Morning Flow
I spent 90 minutes this morning preparing, almost studying, the notes for my new podcast episode about Atomic habits (the part about the 3rd law of habit formation). While doing that, I opened the webcam of my laptop and recorded a video of myself. In the video, I said: “Remember Bardees, how perfect you feel right now.”
I made this video as a documentation of the flow state I was in while researching and studying to share knowledge and my own experience in the podcast, which I spent 60 minutes recording afterwards (including few interruptions here and there).
It’s good to rediscover what we’re good at and enjoy doing for hours at a time. It’s so rewarding to do deep work and get to experience flow.
When was the last time you experienced flow?
Lies and Excuses
I have this lie in my head that I need to read something new before I am able write. The lie says I don’t have anything to say today. I did not listen to a new podcast or audiobook or read in my books or any new article. It was a family day, what is there to write about?
The lie is so persistent. I feel edgy. I feel the need to go read one or 2 chapters to get inspired then come back to writing.
I know all what they say about writing, you just need to show up, set a timer and type until that timer goes off and get done with it. Just type.
Ok here I am typing. But I don’t have anything to say today and people are writing way better than I write. Why am I doing this?
I am sharing those lies with you that Jon Acuff calls Soundtracks, maybe you can recognize one of your own?
Wonder with me. How better I would feel in a few minutes when I hit “publish”, and how much worse if I wake up tomorrow knowing I missed my daily post on purpose.
That’s why I need to stop writing at night. The resistance is at its highest with too many excuses to count. In the morning this rarely happens. I need to respect my creative routines and make this process easier not harder.
I shared with you the excuses and lies my mind are telling me to sabotage my new writing habit.
I did not listen. Not only that, but I’ve been also showing up here for three consecutive month.
I’m proud and grateful.
Pro Feelings
I’m starting to feel like a real writer taking some time away from my family while on mini-vacation to use my mini-laptop to write today’s post.
I already spent some time in the morning before leaving to our vacation destination getting my weekly newsletter ready, to have it ship tomorrow right on schedule.
Writing in a hotel room and scheduling newsletters are stuff I never did before. I feel so professional committing to my practice. I am becoming who I want to be. It feels different because I made these promises myself. There is no “have to” taste in this at all.
One last note-to-self: write more posts and have them on queue for longer vacations in the near future, hopefully.
Fear encore
Last week I watched Seth Godin in a LIVE Q&A session where someone asked him what to do about fear of failing in their new small business. Seth answered beautifully (and I am paraphrasing) to write down the worst case scenario if they go for it and how they can be prepared if it does, and to also write the best case scenario. Then, Seth said that both scenarios probably wouldn’t happen, but now we are better prepared if they do. Back to work.
This is the same advice that Tim Ferriss gave in his TED talk encouraging us to set fears instead of goals.
You can do Tim Ferris’s fear-setting exercise here and read more about it in this amazing article he wrote
One last thing, I would like you to notice with me how yesterday’s post and today’s are basically telling us the same thing: WRITE down your fears. Unless you face them and see what they are trying to say; you would remain paralyzed.
Fear
I was attending one of Jon Acuff’s events that he was doing for the launch of his great new book Soundtracks that I am currently enjoying in his voice. One of the attendees asked him how to overcome fear of doing something new. He answered so eloquently that the question itself is defective. We never actually overcome fear, fear will always be there, but the real question is: how do we do move forward through fear? How do we do something while still being scared?
One prominent answer that comes to mind is Elizabeth Gilbert’s advice to talk to your fear and tell it that it may come for the ride, but it may never drive.
Read on.
In a podcast interview she said:
“You, fear, are part of this family and you have a place here and you’re just as much a part of the family as creativity is. You’re just as much part of the family as longing and all the other human emotions. I will never tell you to leave. You get to be in the minivan with the rest of the family. I just can’t let you drive because you’re seven years old. You’re too little. You’re not allowed to drive. You can be with us, but you’re going to have to sit in the back with the other kids: anxiety, panic, terror, all of them.”
-Elizabeth Gilbert
In her book Big Magic she said:
“It isn’t always comfortable or easy—carrying your fear around with you on your great and ambitious road trip—but it’s always worth it, because if you can’t learn to travel comfortably alongside your fear, then you’ll never be able to go anywhere interesting or do anything interesting. And that would be a pity, because your life is short and rare and amazing and miraculous, and you want to do really interesting things and make really interesting things while you’re still here.”
-Elizabeth Gilbert
Liz also recommends writing a letter to fear :
When I’m feeling particularly shaky and unsure of myself. I give my fear a chance to express itself, formally, in writing. I ask my fear, “What are you actually terrified about, in this situation?”
And I make an effort of listening, with respect.
(It’s amazing how seldom we do this — listen to our fear, with respect. We’re always trying to punch it in the face, or kick its ass, or run away from it. But we seldom let it speak.)
I’m always amazed by what comes up. Often, I think I know what I’m afraid of, but when my fear is given a chance to actually speak, I’m surprised at what the real issue is.
The other thing I keep learning, when I let my fear have a chance to make its case, is that my fear is not (contrary to how it often feels) BOTTOMLESS.
Fear and anxiety can feel like they have infinite depths, like they are afraid of EVERYTHING, but usually they are just afraid of 2 or 3 very specific things, once you look closely.
And sometimes those 2 or 3 three things are pretty reasonable. Usually, the letter that my fear writes to me is quite short, and very precise.
And once I see what those 2 or 3 issues are, what I’m actually afraid of…well, now we can talk about it. Like adults. Like friends.
And that’s when I can write a letter back to fear, thanking it for its thoughts and contributions, but gently explaining what we are going to do now that all the information has been reported.
…
Your fear should always be allowed to have a voice, and a seat in the vehicle of your life. But whatever you do — don’t let your fear DRIVE.
Isn’t she brilliant!?
More about fear in the next post.
Don’t Think it, Write it
When I am at my home office early in the morning, I tend to stare outside the window a lot and replay a recent event in my head or daydream. Then I notice the timer on my desk which means I need to focus to make the best of my morning routine before heading to work or kids wake up, so I tell myself “don’t think it, write it” to remember to use my journal to capture my daydreams and replays on paper. Locking my thoughts in paper helps me think more clearly and get some insights.
Continue reading “Don’t Think it, Write it”Minimum Creative Dose
When I love a book so much and want to talk about it on my podcast or videos, I like to immerse myself in the ideas of the book by listening to them explained in the author’s own words in his/her podcast interviews about the book or through book summaries on Blinkist app. This is what the author David Kadavy called “A Minimum Creative Dose” in his book “Mind management not time management”.
Continue reading “Minimum Creative Dose”