It’s all about time. Or, it’s all about your perception of time. Creating space and time for creativity is essential to feeling good. I have been working on creating space and time for myself to be creative, but it is often the first thing to go by the wayside (including exercise) when things get busy! Making this time sacred, in your calendar and non negotiable is the only way to ensure that you have the time and space to create and expend some of your creative juices!
Our Farm Store customers often ask me, “How do you have the time to do all of this?” My usual answer consists of a shrug and a giggle. But seriously, people are really trying to understand how I work as a healthcare executive, bake early on Saturday mornings and have time to make all of the products in our farm store. Many folks who overhear the conversation say, “I bet you don’t watch T.V”. While my family does relax with a little TV in the evening, watching movies and television is not really a part of our lives. Reading, writing, crafting, baking, researching, studying- those are the things we do in our spare time- what little spare time we actually have.
Our Farm Store customers stymie me with this question quite often. It usually comes up because of a new bake we are selling or a new product in the store. They look at me, tilt their heads to the side and then ask me again, “How do you have the time to do all of this?”. I started to wonder myself. I looked around at my life and I determined that I probably just do more each day than the normal person does. Right now, with an hour commute in the morning and evening, I have alone time to listen to books and podcasts, so much of my research and learning happens in the car. I usually get up very early in the morning to have my alone time to read and write. As for the weekly baking for the farm store- my husband and I practically have it down to a science. In 2 1/2 hours we can bake all the bakes- we are very efficient- years of practice, years of perfecting recipes, years of understanding the ovens- we have it down pat. I can’t say I would want to open a real bakery and do that everyday, but one day a week is doable from April through December. Have to admit I do enjoy the winters off!
How do I do the work of a healthcare executive while having this kind of life? I have boundaries, I have a really good team that works for me, and I have a very supportive family that helps me when I need it. I also have chosen to off load certain work to others that just takes up my free time and space and I am always looking for ways to free up more time using automation- think regular deliveries from your favorite online store so you don’t have to worry about things that you use up frequently.
Given all that I/we do on the farm, at work and in life, I have been researching and reading about time, time management and how to get everything accomplished- looking for pearls or ways to do what I am already doing better. I can’t explain exactly how I have time to do what I do, but what I can tell you is that parts of my life are very structured and intentionally predictable in order to accomplish everything.
I have been reading and listening to some of Steven Kotler works- one book in particular- The Art of Impossible. In his book, he outlines the best way to spend our time to accomplish the impossible- your “Big Goals”. He recommends many weekly and daily activities, here are the ones that were the most helpful to me:
2-6 hours (1-2 times per week) in your High Flow Activity- this is the activity where you find flow frequently and quickly, it brings you joy- could be writing, skiing, creating something.
60 minutes (3 times per week) in a Regular Exercise Routine- exercise stimulates your brain to be creative
20-40 minutes (3 times per week) in Active Recovery- think napping, saunas, massage, red light therapy, gentle yoga/stretching, etc.
30-60 minutes (once a week) in receiving or seeking out feedback. This may be difficult for some, but asking others what they think will help to increase your ability to perform.
120 minutes (once per week) in social support and connecting with others- that is exactly what this months blogs was supposed to be about! The power of social connections and friends does wonders to your body, mind and overall health and wellness.
90-120 minutes daily of uninterrupted concentration on your most important task- the tasks that are going to help you reach your big goal.
5 minutes on making a clear goals list at the end of the day for your next day- write down everything you need to do, not just your 9a-5p work, everything. Then, the next day, do everything, check everything off- never violate this rule.
5 minutes on daily gratitude- thanking others verbally, with a note or email. I have created a practice of gratitude on Fridays- at work, I make sure to thank, recognize and create gratefulness with my staff, family and friends every Friday by sending notes, thanks you's and emails.
20 minutes for Mindfulness- I try for two 10 minute meditation sessions per day. I am not always successful, but at least that is my aim.
7-8 hours of sleep- this was my favorite recommendation- I usually am able to get this many hours of sleep, but only because I go to bed at the same time as Ella!
I found these incredibly helpful to me. I noticed many of these recommendations are how I already organized my day, week, life- if I follow this type of regiment, I find that I am more productive, more creative and happier.
I am feeling that I need more to create even more time to relax, more time to be creative- allowing creativity to flow and to come to me- the universe keeps sharing my book with me- so, I am taking the time each morning to write a little bit, research, read- all in preparation for the book, but sometimes it doesn’t feel like it is enough. This winter, ski season, was very good to me. It allowed for some alone time, creative time. I created many new products for the Farm Store, worked on new recipes, created new ideas, went on long walks with my friend and even had time for long walks by myself- the perfect kind for relaxing the mind and being creative!
I was recently reading Anne Lamott’s book, Bird by Bird, the chapter where she writes about having her tonsils out as an adult. That was wild! I had my tonsils out as a young adult myself! The book is about the process of writing and the chapter was about perfectionism. There is something to how we hold ourselves on the inside- how we think about ourselves- that perhaps causes infection and disease and the need to remove a part of ourselves. Perhaps our anxiety and thoughts of perfectionism were stuck inside and once removed we could be free of that anxiety? Perhaps that is why getting started on something new feels so difficult? We want it to be perfect, we are striving for it to be perfect and sometimes we can barely get started because we are so worried about it not being our best work.
Hence my blog this morning. Sometimes it is about finding the time, making the space for the “thing” you want to do. Sometimes it is about convincing yourself that you are special enough, the “thing” you are doing is awesome and you just need to continue doing and practicing it!
This month I was trying to continue the theme of community and anticipation. But, when I woke up this morning, I was drawn to a part of my journal that discussed creativity and the block I sometimes have just in getting started. A part of me is worried no one will like it and no one will read it. The interesting thing here, with writing a blog, is that I can pretty much write whatever I want and to whatever audience I want. I do receive some feedback (thank you friends!) but for the most part, I post this out to the world wide web and while it feels very personal to me, it probably doesn’t mean anything in the scheme of things. (See here we go again! My mind goes to that negative place a lot!)
So, bit by bit (“Bird by Bird” according to Anne) I am getting started, I am being creative, I am writing and people are reading it. All of my research, reading, thinking and writing is towards my goal. I have already started and this blog is exactly what I needed to keep me going! I hope it helps you too.
Be well,
Teresa
Additional Reading:
Bird by Bird, Anne Lamott
The Art of Impossible, Steven Kotler
Free Time: Lose the Busywork, Love Your Business, Jenny Blake
I Know How She Does It: How Successful Women Make the Most of Their Time, Laura Vancerkam
The Art of Asking: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help, Amanda Palmer