Post by Jason D Barr.

“It wasn’t that I was able to persevere. I was unable to stop! I just couldn’t give it up. It was just too important. It never entered the realm of possibility. But, I never was sure, really sure, that it was going to work and I would ever really be an astronomer.” – Vera Rubin, Astronomer (emphasis mine)

Is that an awesome quote, or what? Talk about putting yourself out there. Vera Rubin wanted to be an astronomer during a time when it just wasn’t acceptable for women to have those kinds of ambitions. She tried to enroll in Princeton’s graduate astronomy program, but wasn’t allowed. She found another school that would take her (Cornell) and studied under some of the greatest minds in physics. She’s currently 81 years of age and still teaching, having authored 114 peer-reviewed research papers (and counting).

Why is it that some people, like Dr. Rubin, are willing to do just about anything to accomplish their goals, and others are willing to let adversity (or worse, apathy) push them off their course?

“What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?” is a question that counselors and motivational speaker-types often ask. I like what my Twitter friend, life coach Tim Brownson, asks his clients, though: “What would you do, if you knew you would definitely succeed?”. Turns things on it’s head, doesn’t it? It assumes certain success, rather than just avoiding failure (because, as we all know, you can avoid failing without really succeeding).

So, what’s preventing you from doing what you want to do? Is it fear? Uncertainty of how to begin? Plain old laziness? I’ve experienced all of these, and trust me, they’re no excuse for a truly motivated individual. When you get to the point where, as Dr. Rubin said, “[giving up] never entered the realm of possibility”, you’ve moved past any chance of failing. It’s only a matter of time.

1. “I’m scared.”

This is nothing to be sneezed at, folks. For all the admonitions floating around about affirmation statements, there is evidence that for those who are the most in need of it, positive self-talk can be hurtful. While this is just one study, and doesn’t conclusively prove anything, it demonstrates that the situation isn’t black and white. The fear of “what will other people think when I fall on my face?” is very real and paralyzing. That fear can’t always be overcome with a couple “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggonit, people like me!” statements in the mirror.

So, how do you get over your fear? By moving through it. “Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.” is what Ambrose Redmoon said. There’s no magic statement or shortcut to get past the fear. It’s going to be with you forever. All these silly platitudes like “the first step is the hardest” may be overused, but they’re actually true. And, while you may not believe it, you can do whatever it is you want to do. It might not happen fast, it most certainly won’t be easy, and you might reinforce your fears more than you struggle past them, especially at first. You just have to be willing to find that courage somewhere inside of you.

2. “I don’t know where to start!”

This is another tough one. Until you’ve done something, you’ve never done it (obvious, right?). So, while people spout off platitudes about “Just Do It!” and “Begin With The End In Mind”, those of us who can tend toward the overly-analytical end of the spectrum think, “Yeah, but how?”

So what can be done? How do you overcome it? My guess (and this comes from a lot of personal experience, a little talking to other people, and no actual scientific research) is that many people aren’t willing to get started because their goal is just too big. A massive goal like building a business (for instance) involves so many interconnected but different steps that many people just throw up their hands in frustration and go back to the couch. This is not the way to overcome the problem!

Don’t think of it as one huge goal; think of the incremental steps. Rather than saying to yourself, “Today is the day I begin building my business!”, say “Today is the day that I’m going to sit down for an hour and mind map my interests and skills. I’m going to find out what I’m really good at and interested in!”. So much less intimidating, yet still a crucial step.

I think of it like following a path through a lava field. Most people, I think, wouldn’t stare at the end of the field as they’re walking; they’d stare at their feet and make sure the next step is placed somewhere they won’t get burned. Look at the next step, not the finish line, and the task won’t seem so daunting.

3. “Eh, whatever. It’s not so bad right now.”

I don’t really know what to tell you about this one. Sure, I could contradict what I just wrote and say “Just Do It!”, but that seems a little trite and disingenuous, doesn’t it?

I’m sure we’ve all heard the statement, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink”, right? It’s the same with laziness. It all boils down to comfort zones. A person will refuse to get moving until their fear of failing where they’re at becomes so acute that they’re no longer scared to move on to something else.

The thing is, you’re in charge of how you respond to your emotions. You can’t help feeling lazy (at least, I’ve never figured out how to), but you can help acting lazy. I still feel lazy all the time when I’m supposed to write, or mow the lawn, or do something “grown up”. I’d rather go watch TV with my wife or play video games. The only difference between now and a year ago is that now I don’t let my feelings tell me what to do.

So, that’s it. The three best statements you can make to ensure your failure. Recognize any of them? I don’t know about you, but I recognize all three of them in my life multiple times per day. What they all have in common is that they’re products of circumstance. If you allow your circumstances to control your responses, then you’ll never overcome. However, if you refuse to be a victim of circumstance, and get to the point where failure is no longer an option, then circumstances will just be a passing issue. So, give your circumstances a beat-down. Master your emotions, don’t let them master you.

Jason D Barr writes Start Being Your Best. You can follow him on Twitter.

Ever have one of those days where everything you touch seems to break? I had one of those last week. In a period of 24 hours, my

• dishwasher broke
• car battery died (we only have one car)
• air conditioner broke (it’s currently 94F, but feels like 102F with Kansas humidity)
• dryer stopped drying clothes

And the icing on the cake: the local Internet was spotty (at best).

What this meant was on top of a borked dryer and dishwasher, I wasn’t able to leave (broke car) my sweltering house (broke AC) to get some work done. It wasn’t pretty. Apparently I had gotten on Murphy’s bad side.

It’s these unexpected hang-ups that can really push us over the edge. It took everything in me to not curl up in a fetal position and start sucking my thumb. Yet, there is a silver lining to every cloud. Through this awesome awful experience I learned some techniques for when disaster strikes.

1. Calmly assess the situation

So often we get that paralyzing feeling that the world is going to end when something unexpected happens. If you’re going to make it through to see tomorrow, you’ve got to force down that lump in your throat, take command of your nerves and calmly figure out a plan to finish the day. Our panic often leads us to believe that the situation is far worse than it really is. In reality, we’re usually not as bad off as we think we are.

If we’re not careful, our panic can keep us from what we’re doing even more than any unexpected event can.

2. Focus on what you DO have

Remember: It could always be worse. Instead of dwelling on what you don’t have or can’t do, look around and assess what you do have.

For me, I was able to feel some relief when I took stock of what I had going for me. I still had my health, a roof over my head, a job, a supportive family and awesome friends. A dose of perspective adds relief to any tense situation.

Photo by timmycorkery

3. Figure out what’s most important

Now that we’re thinking a little clearer, take a moment to figure out what absolutely has to be done. We’re talking the bare essentials for today. These are the things that if not done will:

• get you fired or
• make you lose a lot of money or
• put your health at risk or
• put your family’s health at risk or
• keep you from having a roof over your head.

These are the bare essentials. Some days you just have to accept that because of an unexpected event, you’re only going to get a few things done. Sure, there will be plenty of things that will make you “behind” on your work. But those aren’t essentials. Take care of the essentials first, and whatever you’re able to do on top of that is a bonus on a busted day.

This seems like common sense, but in reality it’s a concept that many people struggle with (myself included). It’s easy to let panic warp our perspective, making things more important than they really are. This is why it’s so important to take a deep breath and analytically assess what has to be done for you and your family to survive.

Tomorrow’s another day.

4. Don’t be afraid to say “sorry”

When you’re only able to accomplish a fraction of what you were planning on doing throughout the day, it means that things are going to be pushed back. That means you might fall a day behind on client work. Or you might have to cancel plans with friends. You can’t feel bad about it though. If they’re really your friend, they’ll understand. If they’re a decent client, then they’ll understand as well. Just be open and honest about it, and more than likely they’ll be sympathetic.

5. Never underestimate the kindness of friends

When the air conditioner broke and the car wouldn’t start, I realized I wouldn’t be very productive (or dry) unless I left the house to work. So, I called my friend Travis and he managed to snag me a ride from another friend Laura to a cooler working environment. What amazed me is how both friends were willing to drop what they were doing and sacrifice their time to help me. No questions asked.

There’s no greater feeling when friends go out of their way to lend a hand when you’re down on your luck. But I know part of it is good karma. I’ve helped many a friend change a tire, given rides here and there, helped people move, and other miscellaneous stuff.

It’s not a matter of keeping tabs, its a matter of being a good person. If you’re helpful and gracious with your time with your friends and family, they’ll go out of their way to help when bad things happen to you.

6. When all else fails, take the day off

Photo by hans.gerwitz

Sometimes the best thing to do when calamity strikes is to take the day off. This might be a last resort, but don’t underestimate the power of relaxation. Sure, you might get really behind losing the entire day, but if you can’t work effectively, you probably weren’t going to get much done anyway. Just toss in the towel and call it a day.

Some days, you just have to give up control and accept that it’s a worthless day.

A busted day doesn’t have to be a total waste. Why not try to squeeze some relaxation out of it? Spend it by the pool, watch a movie, or do “that thing” you’ve been putting off for ages. Instead of sitting around stewing over what you can’t do, kick back and enjoy the rest of the day.

It’s all about perspective

The thing to remember through this whole process is that our anxiety warps our perspective. If we can keep our perspective in check, we keep our sanity in check. There are always going to be terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days.

Ah yes. It’s almost officially Summer, and hopefully things are starting to slow down for you. Summer is the time for barbecues, baseball games, vacations, going to the lake or pool, and in general having more fun.

Or at least that’s what it used to be.

Thanks to the ever increasing connectivity that technology provides, it’s becoming harder and harder to really break free. In fact, for many we’ve forgotten altogether what it means to really kick back without the outside world clawing at our conscious. It’s not pretty, folks.

I’ve written many times on how to effectively take breaks (and their benefits) scattered here and there throughout the site. I’ve bundled them together into an easy-to-bookmark post. Hopefully you’ll find this useful and a timely refresher as we enter the season of Summer fun.

• Let Your Mind Unwind
  A great beginner piece on how breaks are absolutely essential to a great work day.
• Avoid Entrepreneur Burnout: Work Out of Rest
  Entrepreneurs are typically awful about taking care of themselves, especially with regards to sleep. (Not pointing the finger here; I’m guilty too)
• How to Work 8 Hours a Day Without Hating Yourself
  By using strategically placed breaks at intervals throughout the day, you can work longer and more efficiently.
• The 5 Day PM Computer Fast: Why I Got More Done In Less Time
  Don’t be mislead by the gangly title. (Come on, people. It was one of my first few months blogging!) This was a eureka moment, an early vision of what disconnecting from the Internet could be like. For five days I shut off the compy at promptly 5pm, just to a) see if I could and b) what it would do to my productivity. The results: awesome.
• How to Make Every Workday Feel Like Saturday
  Ever wondered why you can plow through work on Saturdays? I love working on Saturday mornings more than any other day of the week, and I’m pretty sure I’m not alone. This post shows how we can make everyday at the office feel like a lazy Saturday in our PJ’s, watching cartoons.
• Pacing Your Work Day: Are You Stopping to Smell the Roses?
  It turns out there is more to life than just work.
• Keeping Focus While Beating Back Distractions
  Focus is essential for killer productivity, but do you know the real secret to more focus? That’s right: Frequent breaks.
• The Morning Tea Break: Making Better People out of Nurses
  Studies have shown that nurses who take tea breaks are better nurses throughout the day.
• Prepare For Your Next Task Before You Take a Break
  If you’re wanting to maximize your work/break routines, this nifty little trick works wonders. It immediately sets you up to slam on the next task the second you get back, without distractions.

Post by Ibrahim Husain. Follow him on Twitter.

One thing that I push my readers to experience is living proactively instead of reactively. A prolific lifestyle is one where you create your own opportunity, you take responsibility for your life and you go into your world and shape it into what you want it to be. A reactive lifestyle is just the opposite; you go out into the world and wait for life to interact with you, then you just react to each stimulus as it comes. People who live prolifically are more satisfied with their life, and I’ll tell you why.

People who live a prolific lifestyle decide what they want and create ways get it, rather than deciding what they want and waiting for the opportunity to arise. The difference isn’t necessarily in the end product, because with a little bit of luck they may both end up in the same place. Rather, the prolific one creates his own journey and therefore finds more satisfaction in it. It isn’t about the final product, the satisfaction comes from every step it took to get there.

With that in mind I urge you to try this little experiment. I started in 2008 and last year I experienced more stories worth telling than the rest of my years combined.

Make the Bucket List

Photo by Christabelle????

A bucket list is a list of things you want to do before you “kick the bucket.” I imagine you all know what that means, but just in case, a bucket list is a list of things to do before you die. You might have seen the Jack Nicholson/Morgan Freeman flick of a couple years ago with the same title. In the movie the two men escape from a cancer ward and take a road trip to check off all the things they want to do before they die.

I decided to put a little twist on my own personal bucket list. I make a yearly bucket list. What my list consists of is things that I want to accomplish or experience by the end of each year. And I make my list LONG. Last year is was 75 lofty accomplishments and experiences I wanted to have. I didn’t finish the list, but I enjoyed crossing off each one that I did finish. And this year I reassessed the ones that i didn’t get to last year, and the things that I still wanted to experience made their way to this year’s list.

The reason behind my yearly bucket list is twofold; if we wait for death, it may sneak up on us, leaving us unable to complete our lists, and if we make a list each year we will have accomplished life goals every year of our lives. Life will be richer, we will be happier, and we will have never lived stagnantly, because we always had a great experience or accomplishment just ahead of us.

Try my yearly bucket list this year. Print it out and hang it somewhere where you can see it each day, with a highlighter to mark things off as you experience them. And for even more enjoyment, make one of your goals to write the story of everything on your list. It will be such a wonderful peice to look back on, and it will motivate you to continue when life tries to slow you down. When you reach the finish line, you’ll have so many experiences under your belt that you won’t regret not doing the little things. And If we meet at the end, I’ll be looking forward to hearing your stories.

To read more of Ibrahim’s writing, check out his excellent blog ZenCollegeLife or follow him on Twitter.

Working by a scenic stream in northern California, exactly one week ago.

Working at the rainy Denver airport tonight. See the difference?

Instead of sleeping soundly in my bed, I’ll be “bunking” inside the airport terminal in Denver. The stormy local weather has delayed our flight until the early morning. So, with LifeDev to run, an ebook to launch, freelance work to do and Zen Habits to moderate, it appears that ideal work environment or not, I’ll have to rise above the conditions and just do it.

So with all the sappy “I love what I do soooo much that I’ll do it on vacation” out of the way, it seems that I’ll have to put my money where my mouth is.

Am I really that portable? Can I work in awful conditions?

No Bed? No Sleep? No Problem!

Because we’re on the tail end of a vacation to California, I’ve had to really get creative in how I check email, tweets, and do some maintenance work. Sure, the first part of the week made it easy to work, as I was in an uber-scenic outdoorsy setting. But the second half of the trip has proven more challenging. Unexpectedly sleeping on floors at unplanned places (thanks Brett!), impromptu trips on trains and bad flight connections have made this week a living you-know-what in terms of productivity. But thanks to these experiences, I’ve learned a lot about working on the go. (Definitely not as much as other non-conformitive folk, but I’m getting there.)

So here are some ways to bring home the bacon, even when you’re not at home. Whether you’re on vacation, or just trying out working remotely, these are

1. Absolutely only worry about the essentials

If you’re anything like me, you severely overestimate how much you can get done in a given amount of time. When you’re away from the office, you have to only focus on the most crucial tasks that have to get done, and save the other stuff for when you get back. You can futz around on Twitter, IM and other time sinks that you usually can. You’ve only got time for the most important tasks. Who knows how long your Internet connection will last, or how long before your hosts want to hang around the house. Whatever the case may be, you’re limited in how much time you’ve got, and you have to embrace it.

2. Plan on work times, but don’t rely on them

You’ll want to block times that you can actually get stuff done. Duh. But here’s the secret: you can’t rely on always having these times. There are too many variables out of your control when you’re on vacation or out on the road. When the planned work times fall through, don’t sweat it (more helpful tips on this down the page).

Unfortunately, if you’re on vacation like me, that means planning times early in the morning or late at night, as they’re usually the only times you have the most control over.

3. Always take your tools

If you’re a blogger and comfortable with taking a laptop everywhere, do it. No matter what tool you use for the job you have, try to have it with you at all times. You never know when you’ll have a spare moment to tackle a task.

Book readers are notorious for this. They’ll keep their books handy at all times, so that during down times they’re catching a few pages here and there.

Note: It’s important to not focus on the fact that you’ve got “work tools” with you. If you have a tendency to fixate on this, then don’t bring the tools. The more you constantly worry about your work, the more you should probably take a break from it. You’re better off relaxing. Only bring the tools when it makes sense.

4. Get creative with spare moments

I know you all can do this. You have to seize down moments and take advantage of situations. Need to finish that email on the johnny? I won’t judge you. While I don’t subscribe to super-efficient time Nazi ideals, I do think tackling tiny tasks with downtime are important away from the office.

6. Plan for the worst

I don’t think I need to tell any of you about Murphy’s Law. Don’t worry, Murphy is a great traveler.

Today I was lucky that I had my laptop (and charging cable!) as a carry-on. Think about how much time I would have lost had I checked it with the other luggage! So I guess planning for the worst goes hand-in-hand with always having your tools handy.

7. Think about offline solutions

While it appears as though most of the world is becoming connected with wifi, many places still are not. Odds are they’re the places that you’ll need connectivity most. You might download online materials ahead of time, switch to a desktop email client, or figure out a wifi backup. You’ll be glad that you did this ahead of time.

8. Don’t push it

Too often we remote workers try to push the limit when it comes to how much we can work on while away from the office. Sometimes we just need a clean break.

If you’re on vacation, don’t push working. In fact, if you’re too stressed about getting work done while you’re on vacation, you probably shouldn’t leave in the first place. You won’t enjoy yourself because you’ll be a) working all the time or b) stressed because you’re not working. Yuck.

In all things, moderation.

I’m typing this post from the porch sunny Sacramento ranch. My fiancee is a bridesmaid in a wedding, and I was lucky enough to tag along for the ride. A peacock is nonchalantly grazing not three feet from me, and I’m sitting next to a babbling brook typing away, amazed at how different this surrounding is than most of my “normal” days.

Yet with these beautiful surroundings, I’m still able to write. In fact, I want to work. I’m called to it. Why is that? I have a few theories.

Is it REALLY work?

It’s hard to call what I do work. Sure, every job has aspects that aren’t as fun, but being a full-time freelancer means that I can run away whenever I feel like it, and tote my office with me.

When I leave town, I always try and do as much in advance, so I can unwind as much as usual. But I don’t crave a total disconnection from the outside world because I’m tired of it. I try to save the things I love for the trip (ie. writing for LifeDev), and leave the things that aren’t as fun for home.

Do as others do

It wasn’t too long ago that I came to the realization that I needed to set routines and schedules for my creative work. After reading everything I could get my hands on pertaining to working and creativity, I found an interesting trend. Nearly all successful and wildly creative people have routines. They stick to these routines religiously. Usually at a certain time every day, they attempt to create. And then the rest of the day they use to perfect their craft.

An example: A Stephen King writes 1,000 quality words a day, and spends another chunk of his day polishing his skill by reading. Has it worked for him?

The deeper the roots, the taller the tree, (and more importantly), the more those branches can sway.

Deep Roots are the Key to Working a Portable Lifestyle

These people have “rooted” themselves in routines that they follow every day, no matter what. I’m trying to do this too: I try to publish at least two articles a week on LifeDev. No matter what. Even if I’m at a beautiful ranch with a stream flowing through the backyard, with peacocks strutting around, covered bridges, horseshoe pits and gazebos scattered across the property.

Having cake and eating it too

So, you might be thinking by now that I’m a tad on the looney side for wanting to write, when I could be doing tons of other fun things.

Why don’t I want to completely disconnect? Am I so chained to this computer that I can’t get up and leave?

The fact is, writing this post is part of my vacation. It’s what I love to do. It’s allowing me to unwind; it’s a release.

So let me pose this question: Do you love what you do so much that you would want to take it with you on vacation? If not, than what is the one thing you find so much pleasure in that you could do it whenever and wherever, loving every minute of it?

Passion is everything. The business plan comes later.

The public library is a phenomena that to this day I still can’t get over. Free knowledge, for anyone. Literally, anyone. I can’t think of an equivalent other than going to a clothing store, “checking out” an outfit, wearing the outfit and returning it in four weeks, free of charge.

Except books are so much better than clothes.

Recently I’ve been on a huge reading kick, checking out anything I can get my hands on in the library. (I’m writing a guest post on ZenHabits to detail some of the best stuff I’ve found, so more on that later.)

I’ve found that no matter what I read, the act of reading every day has helped me in nearly every aspect of my life. Here are a few of my favorite ways that reading has improved my quality of life, and will definitely improve yours.

1. Enhanced Smarts

Wow, this may be the most obvious statement of the post, right? Well, it turns out that reading helps in almost every area of smarts. Those that read have higher GPA’s, higher intelligence, and general knowledge than those that don’t. In Anne E. Cunningham’s paper What Reading Does for the Mind (pdf version), she found that reading, in general, makes you smarter, and it keeps you sharp as you age.

No matter what you’re wanting to do or become, you can’t do it without more knowledge. Reading is an excellent way to get where you’re wanting to go.

2. Reading reduces stress

When I’m reading a book, my mind shifts gears. Where I might have a had a stressful day, a book can easily distract me. Fiction is fantastic for this. Reading an awesome fiction book is perfect right before bed time. Though sometimes it’s hard to put the book down if it’s really good. Still, you’ll be relaxed ;)

Photo by MorBCN

3. Greater tranquility

Reading can soothe like no other. Given that I’m a pretty high-energy person, reading forces me to sit and be still. This daily act of making myself be quiet and still has been nothing short of miraculous for my anxiety and my “fidgety factor”.

4. Improved analytical thinking

That’s right, ladies and germs. Cunningham’s studies have found that analytical thinking is boosted by reading. Readers improve their general knowledge, and more importantly are able to spot patterns quicker. If you can spot patterns quicker, your analytical skills receive a boost.

5. Increased vocabulary

Photo by thejbird

It’s no secret that reading increases your vocabulary and improves your spelling, but did you know that reading increases your vocabulary more than talking or direct teaching? Reading forces us to look at words that we might not have seen or heard recently at the pub. In fact, language in children’s books are likely to be more sophisticated than your average conversation.

Increased vocabulary is especially crucial for bloggers or writers. All successful writers will tell you that in order to write well, you need to read. Every day. You’ll be surprised at the words you start incorporating into your writing.

A beefier vocabulary isn’t just for writers though. Knowing what other people are saying and using the perfect words to convey your feelings is a critical part of being a better human. Better listeners are more successful in life.

(Side note: If you’re concerned with your well-being at previously mentioned pub, you might lay off the more obnoxious terms you’ve picked up.)

6. Improved memory

I have an awful memory. Just ask my fiancee. I usually can’t remember what I’ve eaten for breakfast, let alone things like names and addresss. Yet I’ve been finding that I can remember stuff much easier when I’ve been reading consistently. Do I have any scientific data to match this up? Not really. But I’d say it’s a pretty safe bet that reading has somehow given me memory mojo.

7. Improved writing skills

This isn’t much of a stretch, considering that reading improves vocabulary and critical thinking. I feel like a better writer, as I’m constantly surrounding myself with works from people who are better than me. That’s why English classes in High School make you read “the classics”. That’s why art students learn to copy masterpieces, so they know what creating something incredible should feel like.

The more you read, the better of a writer you’ll become.

Photo by prosperina*

8. Helps prioritize goals

Many times we’re certain we know what we “really want” in life. Yet I’ve found that activities like reading show me things I didn’t know about myself. My mind will drift to things that I’d really like to do, and it isn’t long that these little lapses in reading start to cycle. The same sort of goals keep popping into my head, allowing me to see what I really want to do.

For example, I’ve been playing music on a consistent basis, but I’ve always wanted to produce and distribute my own music. As I’ve been reading, I’ve found that song ideas and other general thoughts on music keep popping into my head. It’s my times reading that have really pushed me into giving music a serious go.

When you remove yourself from your work environment, you’ll start to see things that you might really want to do, that you’re not doing yet. Reading gives you a chance for your to wander.

No time? No money?

If you think that you don’t have enough time to start reading, you’re wrong. How do I know? Because we make time for the things that are important to us. How much TV do you watch? How much time do you spend trawling the web? You could easily replace reading with those activities.

If you’re worried about the cost of books, check ‘em out at the local library. Most libraries take advantage of the interlibrary loan system, so you can check out nearly any book on the planet. I also use Worldcat to find libraries in the area that might have my book.

There’s really no excuse to start reading on a regular basis. The benefits far outweigh the costs, and more knowledge never hurt anybody.

On most days there is blind woman that goes to the coffee shop I frequent. Karen’s one of the sweetest and most genuine people you’ll ever meet.

What’s most amazing about Karen is her complete trust in her guide dog, Comet. Comet leads her everywhere she needs to go, and allows Karen to do nearly everything that those of us blessed with two eyes can do. Comet leads Karen to the register, around tables, and waits patiently while Karen types away on her braille keyboard and sips coffee. Karen has given over control to something that she trusts completely. Comet senses this and never lets Karen down.

I’ve noticed that creative workers (ie. artists, writers, bloggers, musicians, etc.), sometimes fall prey to not letting their passion lead them. Instead of letting the fire in their gut create wonderful masterpieces, they let money or other forces control their output, and it changes things.

Sometimes you have to give up control of what you want, and let your passion lead you.

In 1995 bestselling author Steven Pressfield had the idea for The Legend of Bagger Vance, and almost didn’t work on it. Traditionally there isn’t much of a market for golf fiction, and he knew that if he wrote the novel it probably wouldn’t be read by many. Still, he had been given the idea, and he knew that he wouldn’t feel good about himself until he finished the work. The Legend of Bagger Vance is now an international bestseller, and touts a major motion picture based on the movie. Only because Pressfield followed his passion.

We humans are attracted to passion, and we can sense it immediately. It’s contagious. We thrive on it, and we thrive on others who have it. It’s a quality we all possess, but it’s not something we all use. In fact, many of us ignore what we’re really supposed to be doing, because it’s much “safer”. If we fail at what we really want to do, then it would devastate us, right?

Following our passion makes us vulnerable, as it exposes us for what we really are. It opens us up to critics, to people who wish they could find their own passion and ride it into the sunset. But they would rather scrutinize those who do what they love. We can’t be afraid of critics.

When it comes down to it, there really isn’t much of an option to being happy if we don’t follow our passion. Whether it’s writing, blogging, creating web sites, directing films, writing music… all of these things have to be directed by what’s in our gut and what’s in our heart. There can’t be any nagging thoughts about small market share, or competition, or public reaction. Those are just distractions to keep us from doing the real work that needs to be done, the work worth doing.

Nobody really follows an artist with a potentially great business plan. We follow passion. The business plan comes later.

Post by Albert van Zyl. Follow him on Twitter.

We often blame our jobs, families or the traffic for our stressful lives. To cope with it we visit doctors, buy self-help books and read blogs. But the truth is that a lot of us value our stress.

In Elle of June 2005 a reader comes to the amazing conclusion that “On some level, I equate stress with success, so, irrational as it may be, without it I feel aimless.” In a 2006 Financial Times one corporate animal confesses: “We are aiming always for the medal of achievement… Being stressed and overwhelmed by your workload is part of the validation of having an important job.”

The reason many people are attached to their stress and busy-ness is that our society sees it as an outward sign of ‘success’. A membership badge of the inner circle of people who are ‘in demand’. And by the same token doing nothing while others are working is generally taken as a sign of failure or having ‘dropped out’. Even Tim Ferris seems to be busy these days! Just look at the blogs, revisions of the 4HWW and public speaking engagements that his name is connected with.

This is why Tom Lutz saw that our society is not really about actually being busy, but being seen to be busy. Being busy is not enough – other people must see how busy you are, ask you about it and allow you to talk about it. That is where the satisfaction lies. Do the experiment of asking one of your friends how they are. It would be rare for them not to refer to how busy or stressed they are when they answer you.

So the striving to be busy and stressed has as much to do with how other people see us as; with what we ourselves are trying to achieve. The existentialist philosophers would have called it the ‘gaze of the other’.

A large part of managing stress is therefore to manage the way in which other people see you. The good news is that you can wear the badge of being busy without actually being busy. Our society does still allow some idleness, but then only if it is masked by something apparently useful like waiting for something to download or for a taxi to arrive.

The challenge is to not fill these moments of bliss up with multi-tasking madness. When we get to the point where we don’t have anything pressing to do or we are waiting for someone else, we make a phone call, send a text message, check email or generally fidget around with whatever we can lay our hands on. Sometimes the best thing that you can do is nothing at all. Just enjoy them. Gather your senses. Enjoy the present. If you must, an iPod or a paperback hidden in your coat are premitted props.

My strategy is to seek out, nay volunteer for, these ‘permitted idlenesses’. Here follows a list of my six favourites:

• Waiting for your PC to boot up. This can often give you a minute or two of staring out the window with your first cup of coffee warming the palms of your hand
• Waiting for your partner & children to get ready to leave the house. You don’t need to stress because you are going to be late. Let them do the running. Just take a book, sit on the couch and relax.
• Smoking a cigarette on the pavement of your smoke-free office-block. The little cloud of smokers is one of the few remaining social centers in our beehive offices. Their good company justifies the harm done to your lungs.
• Waiting for elevators to arrive. Rather than avoiding the gazes of the guy in the trench coat and wondering when the elevator will ever arrive, you can listen to some music or grab a page or two of that amazing book that you started reading last night. The same strategy can be followed when waiting in lines.
• Waiting for the kettle to boil. You don’t need to click the button and rush off to do something else. You may wait there with the kettle and enjoy a few minutes of quiet contemplation.Tom Hodgkinson recommends making your tea with leaves rather than bags. This not only makes better tasting tea, but allows you the pleasure of walking into the garden afterwards to tip out the used leaves.
• Dropping the kids off at school. With a little practice, dropping the kids at school can also become a wonderfully relaxing activity. Take time to chat with other parents, let your kids show you their classroom and see that drawing that they have been talking about all week. This surely beats dropping them off at the front gate so that you can get stuck in traffic a little earlier.

These are just a few examples of ways to gather your senses and enjoy the moment in small bits every day. With a some thought and imagination, it’s easy to find many more ways. Go ahead, give it a whirl.

Little bits of relaxation in your day add up exponentially.

Albert van Zyl blogs at The Next Small Step, a blog on taking incremental steps to awesomeness. You can also follow Albert on Twitter.

This post was written by Glen Allsop of PluginID.

Whether it was starting my first business or writing reports for clients, there have been a number of times when I need to get my creative juices flowing. Even today, in a situation where I work from home and get to work on my own projects, creativity is required in the majority of my projects.

Some of these tasks include:

• Designing new websites (requiring a unique, fresh look)
• Writing blog posts for myself and others
• Coming up with ways to streamline my daily tasks

…and many more. I’m sure that if you look into your own daily schedule you’ll find a lot of areas where creativity is a necessity, rather than simply ‘a nice addition’. With that in mind, I want to share the 6 things I do that help me to stay creative, and hopefully they can help you in your daily life.

1. Find Inner Peace Before Starting Tasks

While I do try to be at peace and free of negative thoughts most of the time, on occasion I can get run down with incessant mind activity. If you can relate to feeling angry, frustrated or stressed at times, then you need to realise that being in this mode is not the best place to come from when you want to work on creative projects.

Instead, I use a number of techniques that help me relax, whether it be meditation, taking in my surroundings or simply focusing on my breathing. Anything that helps me get into a calm mood. From here, with an empty mind, I find it much easier to produce some creative output.

2. Be Willing to Explore New Ideas

If you ever get too stuck in a mindset that your way is the only way and you know everything about a topic that you need to know, then you could be missing out on some purely genius information. Even though I might have a good idea of how I think websites should look or even blog posts should be formatted, I’m always willing to explore new ideas.

If you stay fixed and isolated in one area of your life it can easily cross over into your more creative pursuits. This doesn’t mean you have to accept or agree with everything you see / read, but at least give new perspectives a chance before dismissing them.

3. Always Take Notes

Since I started taking a lot of notes in my daily life around eight months ago, I honestly have no idea how I lived without them in the past. Whether you are an artist, a writer, an engineer or anything that allows you to use your imagination at times, be ready to take notes whenever necessary.

I tend to read informative books rather than ones based on fantasy or science fiction, and always keep a small notepad with me to write down some real gems I get from the content. Similarly, if I’m out and about and something comes to mind, I’ll keep notes in my phone and then upload them to Google Docs later in the day.

These simple but useful notes have helped me massively when it comes to the likes of article ideas, design inspiration and more.

4. Outline a Core Structure for All Projects

I’m sure this is a case by case example, but for the life of me I can rarely sit down and write well structured content that just…flows. Whether I’m designing a new logo, an entire website or even just organising my finances, I keep a structure of what I want to stick to and then flesh out ideas from there.

Even for this blog post, on a piece of paper I wrote down the title and my six main points first. Only then did I open up a text editor and start turning the points into paragraphs. Not only does this help you stick to your goals, but I find having a structure first of all can greatly increase efficiency for any project I undertake.

5. Follow Other Creative People

This is by no means in order to steal pieces of their inspiration, but you could see it as stealing some of their workflow. I love seeing how people in my industry plan their work days and I can see certain bloggers’ posts on the topic tend to be some of their most popular.

If there are people you look up to in your niche, see if you can find out how they structure their days, where they get their inspiration from and what makes them ‘tick’. If they’re well known it’s likely someone has done an interview with them and asked them questions like this.

Then again, I guess if you’re reading LifeDev you’re already putting this tip into action ;).

6. Tidy Loose Ends Later

This especially applies to writing, but this tip can be used in many other creative outlets as well. I find that I work the best if I stick to a core structure, but then just let my imagination flow, not worrying about spelling mistakes or slight imperfections in design.

I believe that if you spent all the time you are trying to be creative, also being logical and fixing up mistakes, it not only leads to less inspiring results but it is a much slower process. Let your mind wander, see what you come up with, and tidy the loose ends when you are finished.

Those are my 6 tips! I would love to hear some of yours in the comments…

Glen Allsopp writes for PluginID on the subject of Personal Development. The site was created when he started to wake up to his own potential and wanted to be able to help others do the same.