The Only Way to Know is to Try
Creating is hard.
It’s not hard because of the work. It’s hard because of showing up to do the work. Over... and over... and over again.
As I mentioned last week, I’m in the middle of a kind of creative experiment. It’s part consistent sprint, part New Year’s Resolution, part habit change.
Building a Daily Writing Habit
Each day—for the past (at the time of this dispatch) 16 days straight—I’ve posted a daily blog to my new virtual Sketchbook. I’ve also been supplementing the effort by posting links to my Instagram stories every day and sharing the progress I’m making. Here are a few lessons I’ve learned so far:
Creating quickly means there’s not enough time for perfectionism.
I’m not the best at posting to social media, but I’m getting better.
Showing up consistently isn’t as difficult as we think it is once momentum takes hold.
By creating every day, I’ve seen where I can create templates to reduce the friction between creating and as Seth Godin says, “shipping the work.”
Daily creation and sharing is possible, but it’s not effective unless it allows me to balance work on larger projects and thoughts on unrelated topics.
Sharing every day forces positive creative momentum forward and unlocks ideas I wouldn’t have had otherwise.
Other positive habits are being formed as a result of creating and sharing every day related to my sleep schedule and general fitness choices.
The Process is Difficult. Do it Anyway.
The process isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s hard work. But it’s like going to the gym or working out — the hardest part is showing up every day. Once we start the workout, we rarely (if ever) regret it after. We feel accomplished and satisfied.
It’s the overthinking and moment of hesitation before that can derail us.
I wouldn’t have known the satisfaction of working through a daily creative system in this way until I tried it.
Committing to the practice of daily creative sharing has been a catalyst for exciting changes in my life.
Until next week, here are links to what I’ve been working on and treasures I’ve found out in the creative wilderness.
Enjoy!
Recent Finds
The Tim Ferriss Podcast — The Art of Daily Architecture and How to Craft the Perfect Day (Video) | A fascinating clip from a larger interview between Tim Ferriss and Rich Roll. The two briefly discuss consistency and how to deal with distractions. I also highly recommend the longer-form discussion. It’s basically self-development magic.
Daily Stoic w/ Ryan Holiday — 8 Lessons from Epictetus (Video) | Ryan Holiday’s work is resonating with me a lot lately. His passion for Stoicism is infectious. This video in particular summarizes some amazing lessons from the Epictetus. I love these posts because they’re easily digestible and full of universal truths.
Quote of the Week
“The antidote to overthinking isn’t more thinking—the antidote is action.”
Jon Acuff Soundtracks: The Surprising Solution to Overthinking
That's all for now.
Stay creative, my friends—and have a great week!
