It could be fun

Last year I wrote a few haikus. I didn’t do anything with them so I have no collection of opinions of how dreadful or amazingly amazing they are.

But I found 5, 7, 5 (the pattern of a haiku) to be a fun and interesting way to express a thought or feeling in a new way.

I’ve written poems before but writing a haiku forces me to think differently which I like.

It’s useful sometimes to try something new or to find a new way of doing something you’re familiar with. You might learn something from it and it could be fun.

Call yourself out

Maybe you’ve been slacking with your time and attention lately. Cancelling plans, showing up late, knowingly giving the minimum effort required. But it’s in such a way, almost a subtle way that it’s not enough for anyone to call you out.

So, instead of waiting for someone else to do it, call yourself out.

Maybe write down what’s been going on in your life, talk to a friend, family member colleague or a professional. Answer things like what’s been going well, what hasn’t been going well, what have you been giving most of your time/energy to.

Lastly what are some things you can do to get out of the slump you’re in? These aren’t going to be one off quick fixes but instead things to do regularly over at least a couple of weeks before you’ll start to see results.

Some examples could be:

Meditate 
A perfect tool for anyone who needs to settle their mind.

Go to bed earlier
Yes, sleep is important and if your having trouble sleeping try winding down before bed with a book, meditation or essential oils.

Have a morning routine
It leaves less room for decision making and it means you start each day with direction.

Go for a walk every day
Something so simple that often works wonders.

Cut out/reduce watching Youtube or TV shows
Try doing something creative instead of just watching what others have created.

Drink more water
Because it’s good for you and most of us don’t get enough.

Journal
Letting out your inner thoughts is a great release.

Take a day off
Maybe you’re burnt out and what you need is to relax.

The great thing about calling yourself out is you give yourself the opportunity to take responsibility and change things, how great is that!

Accidental networking

When you think of networking what comes to mind?

For me it used to be fancy people in fancy clothing making conversation with the right people.

Everyone would act important even if they didn’t believe it and being the person that everyone wanted to talk to was a signal to the rest of the room that yes you were really a somebody, not just a pretender.

But one morning whilst making my lunch for work, I started thinking about all the people I’ve met over the last 12 months and my growing collection of business cards.

I realised that over the past year or so I’d been networking accidentally. I’ve met people starting businesses,  brand owners, fellow bloggers, photographers, Web designers and other creatives.

When you have an idea in your head of how something should look or how it’s supposed to be, chances are you might miss it when it happens.

Feel the fear…

…and do it anyway.

The feeling of fear often comes up in a situation that is new or when there is a level of uncertainty.

We forget that it’s human nature to have that feeling of anticipation and I think what we end up doing is confusing it for ‘danger’.

The kind of danger where fight or flight is necessary is much rarer than our minds will have us believe.

In your day to day life when was the last time you encountered something dangerous?

From the outside

Appearances are everything or at least that’s how it often appears.

The woman with a good education, working a great job at a high profile company.

The guy that everyone goes to for advice because he’s warm, kind and always says what you need to hear (not just what you want to hear).

From the outside they seem to have it together. She lives a stable life and is on the road to a successful career with lots of opportunities. She’s earning enough money to buy a property and take regular holidays. She works hard in a field that is highly regarded.

He always makes time for people and he never really seems to go through anything major. He’s an important part of so many peoples. He’s loved, trustworthy and generous.

But she’s unfulfilled, her life looks great from the outside but isn’t happy with how her life has turned out.

But he’s overwhelmed being who he is to so many people and now he’s scared to make time for himself because he doesn’t want to let anyone down.

From the outside they appear to be living great lives but from the inside they both have their own struggles.

Just a reminder that looks can be deceiving and that you never really know what someone else is going through, no matter how great their life appears to be.

 

Here’s the process

I feel like knowing I have to contribute something everyday makes me a little more alert, curious and introspective but in the best possible way.

I’m not just ruminating and pondering over things for my own sake but to catch the spark of what is worth sharing.

I have specific times of my day where writing has been ingrained into my physiology where I am able to write hundreds of words with ease.

It doesn’t feel like effort, it could be compared to pouring water from a teapot into a cup, or perhaps water down a hill.

And so I’m learning to make the most of my peak writing times so when I go to actually schedule my posts all I have to do is edit for spelling, grammar and clarity and pick what to post when.

My aim is to batch schedule posts at the weekend which means I still have time to live my life without worrying what to post each day so that I’m open to seeing and allowing my curiosity to be piqued.