How to jumpstart your energy and creativity in the middle of the winter grays.
By Coach Joelle Prochera, professional life coach and fellow launcher! To hear more from Coach Joelle subscribe to the Livloud! Newsletter or read the coach joelle blog.
Hello ladies!
The shorter days, encroaching darkness, and cold invite us to rest, to wrap ourselves in blankets and read books with cats in our lap, to watch tv and to hibernate. In many ways this can be a welcome reprieve and as with everything, life comes in cycles as much as the seasons, so there is nothing wrong with this quiet time.
With that being said, for us launchers, being quiet is only fun for so long before we are just itching to see some movement. A new contract, a new insight, some small success…. Anything! Sometimes quiet can be too quiet, and life can feel a little stagnant, especially for those of us up here in the north. This is why I wanted to write to you today about how to get an energy and creativity boost when things just don’t seem to be moving the way you are used to.
1) Get out of the house!
Ladies, one of the beautiful things about creating a life and business that you love is that for many of you, you get to choose your environment. I know for me one of my favorite things about being self employed is that the typical day’s attire is a jogging suite and fuzzy slippers. The challenge is that when we can run our businesses over the phone and the internet there can sometimes be a distancing from the world.
Do some work at the local coffee shop or coordinate with a friend to share office space a couple of times a week. For those of you in cold climates, visit the tropical house at the zoo or a hotel with an indoor garden. Just getting out and getting a change of scenery and being out in the world can spur renewed motivation and a fresh point of view.
2) Learn something… anything!
I have noticed that when you are feeling stuck, lost or uninspired one of the best things you can do is to expose yourself to something new. Is there a tele-seminar you can listen to on your lunch…a guest speaker coming to town …a special interest class you could take….or maybe a book that you have been meaning to read?
The beautiful thing about our well designed minds is that they will take any new information and put it to work in your life. I find it amazing how attending a riding lesson suddenly spurs an article I need to write or how listening to a speaker about architecture can create new inspiration about the way I want to structure my business. Don’t think too much about it, just open your email or the local paper and ask yourself, “where can I learn something new today?” and run with it. You may be surprised by what comes up.
3) Get with your girls!
We have all heard of the emotional and even physical benefits of being with our girlfriends. I have found that few things get me more inspired than a little wine, some chocolate and good friends. Invite a girlfriend out to lunch. Start a mastermind group. Attend your local Ladies Who Launch monthly meetings. Creating this space to talk and share company is one of the greatest joys there is and it is always sure to lead you to some new action or inspiration.
4) Take action!
Whether you have the winter blues or a creativity block, inspiration and energy are just moments away. Action, any action will move you forward. Get a change of scenery, expose yourself to something new, or share the comfort of friends, it is inevitable that something new will present itself, something new that will lead you to a next step and then another and next thing you know you are well on your way to furthering your dreams and living and working inside a life that you love.
Carpe Diem ladies!
Coach Joelle
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Make your life a work of art, a joyful dance, a grand adventure!
Thank you for this post. It has given me some great ideas. I have been struggling with the fact that I feel like any spare moment I have to jump on my computer and work. Maybe if I set certain days and times to go and work at a coffee shop or something, I won't be so tempted to work any spare moment I have since my computer is right here.
Posted by: Dana Suazo | March 18, 2008 at 05:53 PM
Brilliant Dana!
Creating space for rest is key, especially when your office is in your home as so many of us entrepreneurs experience.
Give yourself permission to stop, you will notice that it is in the silence when you are totally not thinking about work that some of your greatest breakthroughs surface.
Enjoy the Journey!
Coach Joelle
Posted by: Coach Joelle | March 19, 2008 at 01:11 PM