How about, just give it a go?
The way I enter into anything I have to do, be it an invoice, emails or making art, has a huge ripple effect on the task itself and the way I feel about it. If I arrive at the task thinking, “Must get this done, wish I didn’t have to, it feels like so much is going on right now…” – well, I end up feeling pretty frazzled during it and if I ‘complete’ the task I don’t feel much better because I’ve been telling myself how much more there is to do.
Lately, I’ve been thinking about simply engaging with whatever it is that I approach. I’ve never been sure about the “Just Do It” slogan, there’s something slightly pushy or inconsiderate about it. But there is really something to it. I spend too much energy thinking about what to do about a task or project, writing it down on a list, procrastinating and generally draining my vitality without taking any action.
So! Instead of “Just Do It”, I’m offering: “Just Give It A Go”.
An example from this week: I had been putting off singing vocals on a track for a plethora of reasons until you could say, I took myself in hand (or by the hand) and just gave it a go. Twenty minutes later, I had three takes ready to send off. I had engaged with the material and I was ready to let it go. I felt an incredible amount of relief, now I could move on without the background hum of chitter chatter about what to do about it -- I had ‘just given it a go’.
It made me realise that I was making a big deal out of sitting down to write, sing, record, forgetting that it was always supposed to be a playful process, not a dreaded chore or opportunity to fail. Speaking of chores, even those can become enjoyable if I enter into them with an attitude of engaging with the task, only doing that one activity for the time being.
In summary, I am feeling better about regularly giving creativity a go, rather than having the vision and timeline all set out or having to write a novel or an album in one sitting (!).
Reflective questions:
- What one thing have you been putting off that you could attend to this week and haven’t done?
- Just give it a go – what playful process could you make a little start or a little progress with?
Written by @skylumusic - founder of @jamsandwichlive
