Monday, July 15, 2013

Doing Nothing: Day 25 - 30 Day Challenge


Getting ready for a critical presentation requires effort, intention and the ability to move through the challenge of an occasional impasse.  We’ve all been there. A deadline, which previously felt far away, is now moving toward you at warp speed and you’re in your personal version of feeling blocked. You’ve gone as far as you can go in the creative process and nothing is coming together in the way that you need it to. What do you do? Over time, what I have learned to do when in the space of feeling blocked is to take a break and do nothing. Yes, nothing. Although my version of doing nothing might look like doing something, nothing is formally happening in terms of working on the presentation. I might take a walk, meditate, flip through a magazine or just stare into space - basically nothing that is directly related to working on the presentation. This strategy can feel incredibly indulgent when every cell of my body is telling me to work harder and faster and I am increasingly aware of the reality of my urgent deadline. When I am able to ignore the pull to work harder and faster, something amazing tends to happen – the blocked feeling quickly dissipates, my creativity returns and I am able to make new and productive connections.
 
Sometimes doing nothing can be exactly what the moment calls for.

Janet

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