13 Jun We make plans – then life happens
The other day was my birthday.
We had made plans.
To ride through Brisbane on our bikes, enjoy the sunshine and warmth Queensland is famous for.
Well, it rained…
Another example:
You might have wondered where my emails were for the last few weeks. It’s been silent at my end.
So much so, that when I was talking on the phone with a reader recently, she was wondering whether she’d dropped off the list in some way.
Maybe something was wrong with her email address.
Maybe my mails got caught up in a spam filter somewhere.
Maybe you were wondering too.
So. No, nothing is wrong with your email address.
The fact is, I haven’t written anything.
That’s why you haven’t received any any emails from me.
What happened?
About a month ago it dawned on us that we had to leave Alice Springs – Malcolm’s business required him to be in Brisbane for a while.
It was suddenly urgent.
A drive of 2999 km with a dead-line.
Find a suitable place to live.
Many excuses not to write.
Yet, I could have…
I feel at home in our car, Malcolm was driving most of the time, and the roads are pretty long and straight out there.
Light comes early at the East Coast and I wake up with it anyway.
But – it did not happen.
I can tell you, the longer you wait to do something, the harder it is to get back into it.
The cure?
My mentor and Nick Cave are right – you need to do a thing like writing every day, without fail.
Whether you feel like it or not.
So how can you get back on track when something like this happens?
For a start, be gentle with yourself. We are our own worst critic (but that’s for another day).
Look at it realistically and accept the fact that you haven’t done it, without judgment.
Then put yourself into the right mindset. Meaning – make the decision to do it.
Visualise yourself doing it.
Then just do it – even if it’s only for 10 minutes.
In the beginning it needs a bit of discipline – unfortunately there is no way around that.
Then keep going – maybe at first you only sit down and hold your pen for a while. Maybe you even scribble a bit.
Of course these steps can be transferred onto anything you would like to master and do regularly, such as physical fitness or playing an instrument.
With help from someone else it can be easier. You make yourself accountable, for a start.
And when you’re really stuck, I have more tricks in my bag to help you get back on track – Systemic Constellations being one of them.
So take your first step and get in touch with me.