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Myths to Know About Finding Your Flow: Part II – Motivation
Read Part I: CLICK HERE
Last month, I shared the first myth that came up while I was discovering my passion and setting out to create something that I love. It was about the struggle that I personally encountered while I was getting started.
I didn?t know what my passion was.
To recap, my first point was mainly about diving in, even when you aren?t really sure what you are going to be doing. And, keeping your best ideas and flow energy all to yourself until it?s time to share it with the world.
That?s one very important thing I?ve learned as a writer. If I tell people I have a blog about outdoor and adventure travel, they want a link to it and they want to see articles. They don?t just want me to tell that that I?m working on it and will soon have a blog post up.
The next myth is kind of what?s on the flip side of that coin.
When people see all that hustling you?re doing and start seeing all the fruits of your labors they start to assume…
Myth 2: You always want to do whatever your passion is
I’ve been a storyteller and writer my whole life. If you ask me how my month has been, you better buckle up and get ready for a full narrative, complete with character building and multiple asides. I have literally never been asked the question, “What’s new?” and responded with, “Oh, you know, the same.” My best friends, hairdressers, and poor, unsuspecting strangers at the coffee shop have experienced this first hand.
I also don’t leave home without a notebook that?s full of bullet points from things that have happened throughout my day.
As such, people assume I just love writing all the time. They are shocked if I ever say I had a really bad day at work or didn’t feel like writing a blog post that week.
But that happens. Often. Daily even.
Writing is exhausting. There often isn’t any immediate result – other than completing a blog post and knowing that I now need to promote it, create photos, guest post about it, and then get started writing my next post ASAP.
There’s seemingly no end.
The truth is, anytime you set out on your own to pursue a passion, you are playing the long game. You are setting the foundation for what you want in the future, and you may not get to reap the rewards for a while. That can be tough to deal with when you have limited time and need to figure out where to put your priorities.
Do I want to stay in on a Friday night and write a blog post about my favorite things to do in Puerto Rico instead of going to that party all my friends are at? Sometimes, yes. But usually? No, homie, I want to be right there singing “Thank You, Next” at the top of my lungs and doing tequila shots.
I’m young, I should be living my best life!
Or, at least that’s what those who have subscribed to a more traditional path might say.
In the grand scheme of things, breaking down the barrier to entry for adventure sports and outdoor exploration is absolutely what I want to do. Above all else.
But being mindful with your actions and commitment to your goals is about more than just saying that’s what you want to do and then assuming it will happen. I?ve lost days and even months to distractions because I just didn?t feel like writing that day and told myself I?d do it tomorrow. I?ve lost opportunities to grow my blog and work on projects with brands. All because I let one ?do it later? mood slip into a season.
To help me stay focused, I have to look at my original goal. I think about those daily actions that I need to do to get me there. Sometimes, I argue back and forth with myself about the pros and cons of doing what I want in that moment vs. working toward what I want from a big-picture point of view.
And I remember a quote I read a while back that was along the lines of ?Just sit down and get started. Then, you?ll feel like doing it.?
So there it is.
I hate to simplify the process of following your passion – even when you feel like doing other things at the moment – into one simple quote that is essentially just telling you to get started. But that really is the first step.
When I?m having a particularly difficult day, I open my computer and set a timer for 10 minutes. I treat myself like a child. I let myself go ?play? after those 10 minutes if I?m still not feeling it. But usually, my timer beeps and I?m so deep in my flow state that I don?t even remember hitting the ?stop? button until I?m done with the task I started.
So, tell me: Do you struggle with either of these first two myths – not knowing where to start or not having the motivation?
Feel free to reach out to me or leave a comment sharing your experience. Otherwise, I?ll see you next month!
Read Part III: CLICK HERE
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