Puttin It Off

This month I wanted to share another persons blog, Noah Elias. He is an artist, entrepreneur, mentor, and coach. For the past 12 months I've been a 'student member' of his Noah University which is a place of coaching for creatives like me who want to have input into their career, craft and calling. It has expanded and challenged my thinking and actions in what I wanted to do with my paintings. One of the challenges is writing my own blog. Not a strength of mine but a great place to help me be a better communicator, especially through my artwork. Noah has been a help for me and I hope you like what he has to say today:

Procrastination: The killer of Creativity and the “Good Stuff”

It is a huge passion of mine to help other creatives with learning’s I have had over the last 25 years of being an artist, entrepreneur, father and husband. It is a passion of mine to help point others to answers and keys to unlocking their creativity and allowing the good stuff to flourish.

I cannot tell you how many times I have run into artists, authors, and creatives that have amazing Ideas but little action. Have you ever found yourself building lists but spending more time on lists than on producing the product or goods? For every 1,000 dreamers and “thinkers” there are about 10 actual “do-ers”.

Procrastination or the art of putting off until a later time is usually fueled by fear. Fear of failure, fear of looking stupid, fear of criticism, fear that it will take too long, fear that it is a waste of time.

Nike coined the phrase “just do it” and it fits appropriately. Overcoming your fear and doing it requires risk and willingness to fail.

When I started my company I remember the feelings of fear as I attempted new techniques, new sizes of canvas, new audiences, new clients and new ideas. The driver was I had to eat. To eat meant that I needed to sell. In order to sell it needed to be fresh and new and different. New and fresh and different means: Risk and nothing that looks the same as the rest of the field.

For every time that I have succeeded, I have failed at least five or more times. Willingness to fail is the key to overcoming procrastination and embracing results, newness, and success in your craft. You have to get to the point of realizing that it might not be perfect and it might not be what others want or might fail. However, the key is that you “DID” it. I have learned more about myself by pushing and doing what I don’t feel like doing that it has become a part of me. Let me explain: 80% of my life is what I don’t “feel” like doing: Working out, saying no to certain foods, taxes, taking the trash out etc. The other 20% is what comes naturally and is second nature because I have created a discipline and now I like it.

It’s all in my perspective: Regardless of the fact that I don’t “feel” like doing it, I’m going to because I no longer want to be a person controlled by feelings of doubt, fear, self-sabotage etc. We have been given the most powerful gift: the gift of choice. I am “choosing” to start working out. I don’t “have to” I “get to” and I get to “choose”. Choose to write that chapter of that book even though you don’t “feel” like it. You keep talking about what you’re going to create but you are standing on the sidelines. Very few get in the game. They just want bragging rights that they went to the event. However, you only get a medal if you actually “run” the race....

Noah

If you are interested in Noah and what he is up to, go to http://noahelias.net/