A Magic Trick

when holidays just won't come soon enough

Are you ready to just put your feet up and call it a day? A season? A year?

Or are “holidays” and “vacation” and “time off” foreign concepts or too far around the corner still?

This week, my answer is “yes” to both these questions: I’m ready for time off but it’s not quite on the docket yet. I’m sure I’ve got company. We deserve a break! We’ve done a lot! The weather is (way too) hot, and “everyone else” is off-duty.

Alas, there’s a thing or two that really—truly—need to get done.

It’s a quandary! A problem. A situation. What to do?

There’s a trick I play, consciously or subconsciously.

I tell myself: time to put your feet up. It’s ok. It can wait (even if it can’t).

And I do that. Feet up, literally or metaphorically. Zone out. TV! Sit at a café doing nothing. Go for a walk. Take a nap. Let go of the thing-that-needs-doing.

This act of detaching is already a boost to the psyche. No mind or body can be working nonstop.

But then, a little magic almost always happens.

By “giving up” temporarily…some desire to do the work flows back in. Permission to not work makes that work feel so much more appealing. Sometimes almost instantly. Who knows why?

I suspect it has to do with desire. If creative work becomes a grind, or only a grind, it’s hard to face. Many parts of creating are indeed laborious, requiring hours of nit-picking, meticulous work and further reworking…a little desire goes a long way.

While desire doesn’t like to be forced, it can often be hoodwinked: allow yourself to put your feet up for a while, and see if a little creative magic doesn’t happen. Let me know in the comments!

(If you are on holiday—enjoy it and drop us all a note!)

Would you like to overflow with creativity? Find out about Muse * Spark coaching for creatives: