Once a day allow yourself the freedom to dream
Wait... whaaaaaaaaat?
No, I haven’t gone all holistic on you. I mean I’ve loved the last few months of down time and am starting to learn the difference between my downward dogs and my, um, insert other yoga pose name here, but, for me...NAmaste sitting on this side of the fence before getting too hippy trippy on you.
Dad jokes aside, just read the first phrase again; Once a day allow yourself the freedom to dream.
On my wrist are two bands. One, which is in memory of all friends I’ve lost who battled with cystic fibrosis. The other, has this inscription on it in a Canva style templates design, but originally a quote attributed to Albert Einstein. A little cheesy... but it resonated with me at the time and has stayed on there for nearly 2 years now.
I received it from a long time industry friend Dahlia , whilst at IBTM in Barcelona shooting the breeze at some bar, ahem, on the show floor of the event. I thought it was strange at the time, but I liked it and the saying grew on me. Maybe it has more relevance today than it did back then, but I think giving ourselves the time to think, can only help us out of this situation.
Working, redundant, job searching... whatever you’re doing right now, whatever state you’re in there is a perpetual need to be switched on. To go go go. And then go go go again.
If you’re still employed, it’s likely you’re picking up colleagues on furlough / redundant colleagues work adding to what’s already a pretty stressful time and increased workload. Redundant, looking for what’s next? It’s pretty stressful right? You’re looking at every job ad, applying for anything remotely relevant to your skill set and dealing with uncertainty ahead. You watch the news, read blogs, tweets, insta’s all telling you to get on with it, get it done. We are constantly switched on; watches, phones, news, social, email, calls.... does your head also feel hyped by reading that para?
But, just as hectic as that paragraph was to write, the importance of slowing down is crucial not only to your own health and well being, but also to the creative part of your brain. The part that will help you see more clearly, write a better resume or come up with that new product that our industry so sorely needs.
You can call it what you want, I like the idea of it being a dream, a chance to let your thoughts wander.
And when do your thoughts fly the most? Is it when you’re at your computer applying for a new job? Is it when you’re preparing for your next big presentation? Is it when you’re on your 437,685th Zoom call since lockdown? I doubt it.Highly highly unlikely.
When do your ideas come to you? Me? You can pretty much guarantee that it will be when I’m swimming, running, biking, paddling, surfing... ok so I love being outdoors, but, it’s when my mind is free from what’s directly in front of me. I ensure I’ve always got my phone to record a voice memo / type a note or a pencil and notepad nearby (ok, less so on the water...) so that I can jot that idea / thought / musing down before I lose it for good.
Where am I going with this one?
I’ve spoken to lots of people recently who have been affected by the pandemic and I can hear it over and over again with each conversation - people chasing what’s next. Running at full speed and sometimes not stopping to take stock of their situation. We can’t change what’s happened to so many of our industry pals, but, we can change what’s next. We can slow down a little bit and take the chance to breath. We can enjoy the benefit of time to re-evaluate what’s next for you.
You see, no matter if it’s polishing your CV, planning a new business or thinking about starting out on your own, whatever it is you do, setting your mind free to think new ways around a problem could be all the inspiration you need to succeed.
For me, I can see more clearly when my mind is allowed the freedom to dream.