From Passion to Progress
Routine. I hate that one. It sounds so grown up. “Oh I have a schedule,” “I have responsibilities,” “I am not fun.” Bleh . . . it’s a terrible word. Can’t my creativity be like running through a field with the wind in my hair?
I suppose it could, but it’s hard to ignore that my passions actually turned into progress once I introduced a routine.
I spent a great deal of my life believing that my relationship to creativity was organic. I thought if I put a boundary around it, that it would somehow snuff out whatever flame had started. My ideas felt so hard to grasp as it was, I couldn’t afford the risk of a routine!
Even worse, (and harder for me to admit) was my fear that a routine would create a goal I would fail to meet. If I said I’d write every day and I didn’t, did that mean I was less of a writer?
But the truth was that routine or not, those fears I was trying to avoid happened anyway.
When I started to write Chasing Dust, I was so genuinely excited that I couldn’t be stopped. I thought that passion would continue. But as the work shifted from the whimsy right-brain creation to the more analytical left-brain side of things, it got harder. I waded deeper into the uncharted territory of creation and that bred loads of uncertainty.
Who am I to think I can do this?
That question became my barrier. So I was too busy. I would get to it later. I had time. And time kept passing. A lot of time. Years of time where I barely chiseled away at my work, all the while disconnected and disappointed.
It wasn’t until about a year ago that I decided something needed to change. If finishing my book was really important to me, I needed to show up. And SPOILER, because once I actually started to build a routine . . . the book got done.
Heres the thing . . .
Our creative muscles have to be trained just like anything else. They don’t magically flex. And a routine is the easiest way to train them. A routine teaches your brain that there is a time to tap into creativity. So much so that you can be half awake, in the dark, and it will be second nature to drop into that headspace.
Start small by picking the time of day that works best. For me, it was the morning, before anyone else woke up. I set my alarm for 30 minutes earlier and got up. Then as the weeks passed, I kept inching the alarm back, 10 minutes at a time. And not because of some external goal but because I saw results with the time I had. I wanted more.
Now I write every day for an hour and a half. As far as I’m concerned my routine is non-negotiable. We all live lives with 1,000 things circling us like vultures in the desert. If I’m not creatively connecting every day, those ideas become mirages on the horizon that I can’t quite grasp.
Over this last year of building a routine I have learned some secrets that have helped me. I share them with you in hopes it takes some of the mystery out of it.
1. Don’t say you don’t have enough time.
We all have the same amount of time in a day. It’s up to you how you want to use it. If you want to create, create. Even 20 minutes a day gives you almost 2 1/2 hours a week. That’s over 10 hours a month! You are accountable to your job and your family and your pets, so honor yourself the same way. Make the choice.
2. Give yourself grace.
Having a creative routine isn’t about being perfect, it’s about making time. Listen to your body. Sometimes you are sick and need to rest. Sometimes life gets in the way. That’s fine. More importantly, it’s not a sign of failure. The key is keeping the momentum leaning toward creativity. Take breaks when you need them, no judgment, and then keep going.
3. It’s YOUR routine.
Do your best not to compare your time to others. Prolific creators who have 5 hours a day to focus on their passion didn’t get there overnight. It evolved. So stay focused. Everyone’s situation is different. Build a routine that works for you and your life now and know you can always change it later.
4. Yes, it feels weird.
Starting a routine will be uncomfortable. There will be days when you don’t feel productive/creative/dedicated/driven enough. And your brain will try to save you from that discomfort by telling you to quit. But push through. We have to change the story we tell ourselves. It takes time to find your flow and feel confident in it.
Channeling your passion into real progress is a long road and one worth taking. Tell me about your creative routine. When do you make time for it? What creative goals would you like to make more time for?
Keep on creating!
