The Creative Week

You may recall since my last updates that I've had quite a bit going on over the summer: two wedding ceremonies, my husband's move to America from the UK, and the boys going back to school (whew!).  Unbelievably, once the dust settled, I found a new focus on business.  I've been working on my new product which I'll be announcing soon!

I thought I'd share with you a mind map I did recently.  My husband went back to the UK for a week, and I decided that would be the ideal time for THE CREATIVE WEEK!  A week devoted to filling up inspirationally and writing and creating articles and this new product.

Here is a picture of the mind map I made to remind me of my focus for the week.  I thought I'd share what I put on the map and how it helped the creative process and focus.

I had several pieces I wanted to write and lest I forget what they were with all this open time - I put them on the map.

Then I listed baby steps underneath each mini-project.  For example, Write My Free Article was one piece I wanted to write.  To make it easier I listed the baby steps....Pull previous article as a guide, list my additional ideas, expand, edit.  Why did I do this?  I don't know about you but I tend to freeze when a project idea is too big. I need the little teenie, tiny baby steps so I can get myself into action. The baby steps typically aren't hard, and it's the best way for me to get the flow going.

I gave my Creative Week a theme:  Momentum Marathon!  Easy, Natural & Fun!   (This makes me smile, which makes me relax, which allows for more flow of ideas!)

I also added what I wanted to be feeling on Friday afternoon:  I wanted a Big Smile!  I wanted a feeling of accomplishment - I wanted to be surprised - I wanted my Marathon to bring more ideas! - I wanted to KNOW that this project IS happening!

Next, I added lots of color. Color always engages me.  I added smiling faces of women to remind me of the impact on those joyful business owners who are going to love what I'm up to!  And I added $$ signs to remind me that this wasn't just a creative week...this also had potential to add dollars into my pocket. Both of these icons reminded me (depending on my mood) why I was doing this to begin with.

Lastly, I added some resources: Who I can call for help if (when) I get stuck or talk myself out of my "great idea". I set up my week for success.  I let those people know that I was having a Momentum Marathon and asked for their support.  It was wonderful because I could pick up the phone if I got stuck and receive some great championing.  I also received several emails throughout the week checking in with me and cheering me on!

I found that posting my map right up on the wall in front of me had me smiling all week, and reminded me of where I wanted to keep my focus.

How could you use something like this for a project you are working on?

I would love to see your ideas for your focus mind maps or other tools you use!

In the creative flow,

Laura

#1 Stress Reliever

I was having a conversation with my dad, and he noticed I was reading a book about energy and he equated it with stress. He said, "You know the best way to relieve stress?  Turn off the TV."

Well, you heard it here. Wisdom straight from Dad.

Finally we agree on something! :)

Back in 2001, pre 9/11, I had just had my second child, and was working part time on a project for my corporate employer. I had been really stressed out and burned out after multiple years of mergers and acquistions and job changes. I can see now that I was weaning myself off of the adrenaline addiction of the corporate merry-go-round by whittling my time and commitments down from a traveling, busy Vice President, to doing a project.

As I looked at what else was impacting my stress I realized the TV was having a huge impact in keeping me stressed out. So I took a TV sabbatical.  I admit it was hard at first. Then I was amazed at the results. 

What I realized was that having the TV on constantly was baraging me and my psyche with all these negative, hurry, hurry, messages.  Those media creative types are experts at presenting a program, commercial or news bulletin that plugs right into your greatest fears and worries..... I'm not good enough, clean enough for my kids health, safe enough from pollution, war, crime, gangs, and - throughout all this - my hair isn't shiny enough and my skin isn't young looking anymore!

I was just becoming a coach to support others and myself from beating ourselves up on the inside, and I realized that I was fighting the messages from the commercials and television shows on the outside. 

Making that decision to remove myself from TV was one of the single biggest factors in reducing my stress. Without the constant proliferation of negative/"less than messages" it was easier to shift my own "I am not doing good enough" thoughts to something more productive and self-supportive. 

Of course, then there was 9/11. I remember having the TV on all day and then my coach reminded me that I have a choice.  I can leave the TV on all day 24/7 or I can choose to flip it on and check in. I remember knowing that I was in charge of the clicker was a positive thing and yet I felt guilty or somehow not patriotic enough if I wasn't subjecting myself to the constant stream of images and emotions.  I had enough emotions to deal with myself. I realized that I couldn't go through my grieving cycle glued to the TV. I decided to exercise choice over my clicker!

Another big shift came about a month later.  You may recall, Daniel Pearlman, who was a reporter in capitivity and was possibly going to be beheaded. One morning as I turned on my computer, I sat there waiting for it to boot up and realized how tense my body was.  I realized that my home page was set for CNN.com and that I knew the face (yes, his head, uh) was going to be on my screen again.  I was tense, anxious and even had difficulty breathing.  This was not good for my body, my psyche, my confidence, or my hopes that I was nurturing for the world.

So, I changed my home page to something neutral like Google. Taking control of my home page was taking control of what I feed my body, mind and spirit!

I will admit for a while I was the last person in Atlanta to know which tropical storms were coming through the area - when I noticed everyone suddenly stocking up on bottled water and batteries and I left wondering what was happening!   So I started watching the local weather station in the morning.

When I eventually felt weaned off the adrenaline of feeding my anxiety every moment (and this took about 4 years believe it or not!!) I started to watch the news periodically. A talk show here and there.  I'll check in with CNN.com to make sure the world is still going on around me.  The difference is I get to choose. I get to say when, I get to say where, and I get to say "how much". (Thank you Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman for those words!)

I am reminded that I am the CEO of my life. And, I have a clicker and I'm not afraid to use it!

How is your anxiety level these days?

What is one step you can take to lessen your anxiety?

Some ideas:

Go for a short walk.

Turn off the TV for 1 night.

Take a week sabbatical from the news and see if you miss anything.

Change your home page.

Choose to sit in a different spot in a restaurant where your kids can't see CNN on the big screen TV and watch tanks going by during dinner. (This may be more challenging than you think!)

It's your choice.

Heart-fully and Hope-fully,

Laura

Maybe Miss America was right all along!

You have often heard me say "Our thoughts create our reality" or "You get what you focus on."

You've seen it play out in your life...  You are playing tennis and a woman on the other team has an amazingly hard serve. You start thinking to yourself, "oh no, I can't hit this!" and sure enough you miss. And the more you think "I can't return her serve, it's too hard" .... the more you miss and the more nervous you get and - well, your game really starts to fall apart.

We often see this with our sons and daughters.  Have you had the experience of helping them study for a class and they say, "This is too hard"?  They get frustrated (and you probably do too) and they actually create the circumstances where it really is too hard for them to absorb right now.

Notice the places in your life where you are telling yourself that "This is too hard.  It will never happen".

Recently I thought about this as I spent a weekend at the Southeast Peace Conference here in Atlanta. The focus of the conference was connecting us with what peace means to us (peace in the world, in our schools, our neighborhoods, our homes, and in our own minds) and generating ideas for how we can support an idea that is starting to flourish on Capitol Hill here in the states. 

The idea is for a program to support starting a Department of Peace.  The goals are to provide research, studies, and peace alternatives to the President, and to provide funding for conflict resolution in areas of domestic violence, gang activity and bullying in schools, as well as alternatives in international conflicts.

As I came back to the 'real world" (so to speak) and started talking to people around me about this conference, I noticed their eyes glazed over and they gave me excuses why this won't work.  What I realized is that most of us don't have a vision for what peace really would be like.

Which brings me back to Miss America. We have a culturally accepted sterotype of Miss America.  We often jokingly say ...."She is beautiful for sure, but she isn't too bright."  She will say her greatest dream is world peace. (Now pay attention here...) When we hear "world peace", we all laugh!  And say, "See, I told you she wasn't very intelligent, what a silly dream. How naive!" 

Well, No wonder we don't have world peace. We don't believe it can actually happen.

I felt frustrated at first.  And, then I realized the cool part.  These new visions for what is possible in our businesses, our lives and even in the world, start with a seed. 

So, I think of it as planting a little seed of a new way of being.  A seed was planted at this conference, I planted seeds in my recent conversations, and I'm planting a seed now.  Sometimes we can get frustrated when someone else doesn't see the whole vision right away.  Know that you are creating change by planting the seed of possibility.

Notice your thoughts about what YOU believe is impossible. Maybe it's a dream you have for yourself, for others or for a change in the world.

Start giving attention to what IS possible.

Just start conversations and plant a seed.

Start a conversation with yourself. Some questions to contemplate or journal with:

"What if......?"

"What would be different if I.....?"

"Here's some evidence that the change is wanting to happen...."

Start today by planting a seed and creating a shift. 

As in the story in the book, Synchronicity, The Inner Path of Leadership, you never know when the 3,741,953rd snowflake will drop...and break the branch.

(To see what the Department of Peace and the initiatives are all about....go to....www.thepeacealliance.org)

To joyful seedlings and pagent queens who've had it right along!,

Laura