The New Year often brings with it a feeling of elation and even promise for our highest aspirations. It is the time of year many of us start new projects, businesses, and guilt-driven post-holiday health routines. Charged with the excitement of starting anew can be thrilling. But it can also set us up for an emotional downhill ride when we don’t meet the expectations we consciously or even unconsciously set for ourselves. I don’t think I’d be too far off if I said that those who work for a living, even if we’re doing what we love, can hit bottom soon after the initial rush of passion wears off and the “devil 0f the details” catches up with us.
Unsolicited help often exacerbates my frustration but I value revelations and appreciate the unexpected packages they come from. Mr. X was one of those packages. At first, he seemed like a very ordinary guy. I never dreamed I was in the presence of a genius. It was hard to see through the mess on the bedroom floor, the dirty dishes in the sink, and the laundry that had piled up because the housekeeper had taken the week off. It was also hard to imagine that anyone who spent their weekends in bed until 2:00 p.m. and many evenings channel surfing the boob tube would have anything really valuable to teach me. But oh, I was so wrong.
This sloppy TV-watching mastermind is currently well on his way to creating his third, multi-million dollar company. Now, I wouldn’t want to do what he does to earn his fortune, but I did get a bird’s eye view of his process and walked away with a few pearls of wisdom. To save you the trouble of living with a workaholic, even a genius workaholic, I’ll let you in on a few of his secrets.
1. Envision beyond what you think is possible
2. Know that your emotional rollercoaster is simply part of the process
3. See what seems impossible, accomplished
4. Never give up
5. and, Do what you do best and get help with the rest
This fifth tip was one of the most valuable lessons I learned. In a personal growth training, I took back in the late 1970s, to demonstrate the number I was running in life (doing everything by myself) I wore a work belt around my waist weighed down by every hand tool imaginable. That’s what it took back then. The now infamous “He” never spent the countless hours I did, trying to figure out how to do everything. He focused his energies on what he had a passion for and what he did best and found other highly qualified people to consult with and to do the rest. He used the best resources at hand.
If we were living in the Midwest or Alaska when things got tough, we could pretend to hibernate for the winter and pick ourselves back up in the spring. But when one lives in Paradise, that’s not a realistic option. Even if it was, somewhere, deep inside, we are drawn and inspired to engage in our creative and professional desires.
So if you’re singing the post-new year blues, the first thing not to do is get down on yourself. It only makes it that much harder to find the original spark that infused you with enthusiasm. Picture trying to water your garden and pick weeds with a heavy tarp covering the soil. Without a cloak of self-abuse, it’s easier, easier to take a deep breath, part the curtain of negative thinking, and once again step into the light of inspiration.
The key is to face your present set of circumstances head-on and dig deeper into your reservoir of creative juice. Here are a few tips to get you started.
• Become conscious of your thinking. Are you supporting or negating your process?
• Revisit the vision you set forth when you planted the seeds of your inspiration — stimulate your creative energy.
• Believe in yourself and get support — falling down is part of the process —allowing a helping hand to pick you up is too.
Do what you do best and get help with the rest. Magic happens when we set our attention and intention in the direction of our inspirations and passion.