On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.

A long-time fan of bestselling authors and coaches Marc and Angel Chernoff, I look forward to reading their emails and blog posts. Here’s an excerpt from a recent post:

The concept of taking it one day at a time, one step at a time, might seem ridiculously obvious, but at some point we all get caught up in the moment and find ourselves yearning for instant gratification. We want what we want, and we want it now! And this yearning often tricks us into taking on too much too soon. Marc and I have seen this transpire hundreds of times over the years: a coaching client or course student wants to achieve a big goal (or three) all at once, and can’t choose just one or two daily habits to focus on, so nothing worthwhile ever gets done, and gradually they lose more and more faith in themselves. Let this common mistake — this quick-fix mentality — be your wake-up call today.

You really can’t lift a thousand pounds all at once, yet you can easily lift one pound a thousand times. Small, repeated, incremental efforts will get you there. It doesn’t happen in an instant, but it does happen a lot faster than not getting there at all.

Do your best to consciously shift your daily focus away from the big goals you want to achieve in your life, and redirect your focus toward the little daily habits that actually support those goals. Consider the following:

If you’re a competitive athlete, your goal is to win sports competitions. Your habit is the time you dedicate each day to training your body (and mind).

If you’re a university student, your goal is to learn and earn a degree. Your habit is your daily study routine.

If you’re a parent or guardian, your goal is to be a great role model. Your habit is the time and energy you commit to setting a good example each day.

If you’re a human being, your goal is to live a meaningful life. Your habits are the small, positive steps forward you take every day.

Now consider what would happen if you stopped focusing on one of your big goals for a while and instead focused exclusively on your corresponding daily habit. Would you still make progress? For example, if you were trying to lose weight and you stopped thinking about your goal to lose twenty pounds, and instead placed all of your focus on eating healthy and exercising every day, would you still lose weight? Yes, without a doubt! Gradually you would get closer to your goal — your target weight — without even thinking about it again.

And if you mess up occasionally?

You own up to it, you forgive yourself, and you try again.

One day at a time, one step at a time.

Note: I highly recommend subscribing to Marc & Angel’s website.

On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.

In her recent release, Secrets of Adulthood, bestselling author Gretchen Rubin shares witty and thought-provoking reflections. Here’s one of my favorites:

By changing our words, we can change our perspective. Consider:

Do you play the piano or practice the piano?

Are you networking or engaging with co-workers?

Is that room in your house an office, a study, or a library?

Are you lowering your standards or lowering the bar?

Do you spend time or invest time?

Are you the one who has been singled out or the one who has been chosen?

Do you think about office politics or office diplomacy?

Are you getting your daily exercise, going for a run, or training for the marathon?

Are you taking a ditch day or personal day or mental-health day?

Do you have to do it or do you get to do it?

Source: Secrets of Adulthood, pp. 77-78

On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.

Something to keep in mind during challenging times…

On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.

Here’s a thought-provoking reflection from international speaker and bestselling author Joyce Meyer:

When we seize something, we take hold of it forcibly and suddenly; we take control of it or subdue it; we bring it under our control.

Each day that God gives us is a gift, and if we waste it, we can never get it back and make it useful. We all have the same number of hours in a day, but some people seem to do much more with their time than others, because some don’t seize the day and others do. Wise people do something fruitful with each day.

What do you want to do with your life? Mother Teresa said, “Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.” I encourage you not to procrastinate but to take advantage of the time you have now and begin working toward your goals.

Set long-term goals and short-term goals for yourself. When you have accomplished one goal, take time to celebrate the accomplishment, even if it means simply relaxing for thirty minutes with your favorite beverage. You are capable of great things, but you must begin!

I am not encouraging you to work all the time. A goal for today may be to work on a project you need to finish, but it might also be a full day of rest that you desperately need. Let God guide you, and be purposeful about how you spend your time.

Source: Strength for Each Day by Joyce Meyer

On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.

A long-time fan of bestselling authors and coaches Marc and Angel Chernoff, I look forward to reading their emails and blog posts. Here’s an excerpt from a recent post:

If you study the lives of enough successful creators, it becomes obvious that most world-class performers in all fields — musicians, entrepreneurs, artists, dancers, etc. — had incredible mentors, coaches or role models who made the activity of practice worthwhile and rewarding.

If you can speak with a mentor face to face, that’s incredible — do so! But keep in mind that just observing a mentor works wonders too. When we observe someone we want to learn from, and we have a crystal-clear idea of what we want to create for ourselves, it unlocks a tremendous amount of motivation. Human beings are socially inclined and, when we get the idea that we want to join some elite circle up above us, it really motivates us to achieve greatness. “Look, they did it. I can do it too!” It may sound overly simplistic, but spending time studying people who are great is an essential building block for mastering your craft and cultivating your creativity at the same time.

In his bestselling book Mastery, Robert Greene emphasizes the importance of studying the work of others using Mozart as an example. Here’s an excerpt:

“Throughout his career, Mozart never asserted any particular opinions about music. Instead, he absorbed the styles he heard around himself and incorporated them into his own musical voice. Late in his career he encountered for the first time the music of Johann Sebastian Bach — a kind of music very different from his own, and in some ways more complex. Most artists would grow defensive and dismissive of something that challenged their own principles. Instead, Mozart opened his mind up to new possibilities, studying Bach’s style for nearly a year and absorbing it into his own vocabulary. This gave Mozart’s newest music a fresh and surprising creative quality.”

The bottom line is that studying mentors and other experts can help you diversify your own creative output, cross-pollinate ideas and strategies, and introduce you to new approaches and ways of thinking. Not everything others do will be relevant to you of course, but it will help refine and develop your style and tailor it to your own unique creative goals.

Note: I highly recommend subscribing to Marc & Angel’s website.