Nothing thwarts our creative efforts better than a bad habit. Some habits are inherited. We come by them innocently and then they stick. Is worry one of yours?
I come from a long line of worriers. I’ve learned from some of the best. Yes, it may give a busy mind something to do, but worry doesn’t help. Let me say that again. Worry doesn’t help, especially when it gets lodged into your success formula.
So, what is worry? When the mind latches onto a thought or circumstance, maybe even a fact, adds a fear story and then runs that tale over and over like a spinning top. To perpetuate the feeling of anxiety, worry hijacks the present moment where creativity and peace dwell.
Admittedly, I have an active mind, and as a creative entrepreneur I wager that your mind is very active, too. The question is, how do we keep our thoughts rolling down a creative path, rather than swirling in a worrisome loop?
How do we break the worry habit and extract it from our business success formula?
Several years ago, my coach pointed out how my worrying ways were tangled up with success. I used to think things turned out well because I worried. I got A’s on tests because I worried. My dad returned home from business trips safely because I worried. And as a classroom teacher, one reason my lessons went well was because I worried. Worry had become an unconscious habit and hindrance.
We all know that changing habits can be challenging, but consciousness + creativity really help.
As with many changes we choose to make, the first step is to raise your awareness. Do you tend to worry? If not, bravo! If so, is worry hindering your creative work?
What are you worrying about? I encourage you to write it down, make a worry poem, tell a friend or dance it into the room and you’ll have taken a habit-breaking step you won’t regret.
The second step is to do something different.
For instance, when worry creeps in, notice how it feels physically and tune in to what your body would rather do instead. You might get up, move, run, hold someone’s hand, wiggle, wail or breathe, for example.
Another tactic is to tune into your heart. Feel the fear, notice any unease and then see what other emotions or intuitions are there.
If fear is simply anticipated grief, then what are you afraid of losing? Appreciate the love you have for what you value in your heart and check in. Is it really time to mourn that loss? Sure, losing something is often a real possibility, but is it actually happening in this moment, or is worry just keeping your creativity from getting into the act?
By deliberately choosing to stop the whirl of worry, you can get preventative, prayerful or proactive on behalf of the result you truly desire and envision.
And worry won’t stand a chance!
(This article was written for a guest post on TheRightBrianBusinessPlan.com)
Making way for creative action, Amy Egenberger, MEd., CPCC, is proud to be a Licensed Facilitator of the Right Brain Business Plan®. She is a seasoned educator, life coach, artist and founder of Spirit Out! Coaching. Amy helps people find the courage and clarity to get moving on their creative path. A book, a business, a project, a change… your creative spirit gets out! Amy is one of our licensed Right-Brain Business Plan® Facilitators.
Join Amy on May 10-11, 2013 for fun & focus to make your biz plan real. Right-Brain Business Plan® Workshop
Minneapolis, Minnesota https://spiritout.com/classes/rbbp
