Making Room for Creative Passion

The Time Gremlin visited yesterday, whispering,"You'll never get it all done."

I'll bet she's visited your house, too.

At some point I realised that, like my home, my life has "shelves" to store things on. The problem is, those shelves get so cluttered sometimes they're in danger in collapsing. It's obvious that I need to pare the stuff down, re-evaulate the space I'm using because there's not a lot of room for the things I love, like writing and painting.

Same for you?

If you answered yes then imagine with me, that your available time is made up of real, physical shelves. Let's sort through all the things we've got squirreled away on those shelves, making three piles marked "Keepers", "Discards" and "Think It Over."

Look at your Discards pile first. All those things you need or want to be rid of. Like the overcommitment of time on that volunteer board that your guilt said yes to before you thought it through. Or those "friends" who take but never give, sapping your energy. Or making sure your floors are constantly spotless.

Invoke that powerful little word "NO". Practice saying it often. This step alone will give you a sense of relief and create room on your "shelves". It will also help keep the clutter from coming back too quickly.

The Keepers are your non-negotiables like work, exercise and rest.They can get put neatly into place on your schedule. Be sure you include your creative time in this category. Too often we put it at the bottom of our priorities and then wonder why we never seem do what we long to do. It's time to move it to the front of your 'shelf', right at eye level so you can't miss it.

Finally, the "Think It Over" pile needs to be sorted through. Are some of these really Keepers? Things you'd miss to much to give up? Find their spot in your schedule.

Evaluate the rest with a critical eye. Enlist help if you need it. Be prepared to give up some of these 'Think it Over' items. At least for now. They might go into storage to come back out when there is more room. Or you might discard them altogether.

The point is to not cram it all back on your shelves. Guard the open spaces.Create room for the things that are really important to you. Recognize that you can't do it all and keep only those things that feed your spirit.

That way, the Time Gremlin won't get through the door the next time she drops by to visit.