All articles, tagged with “success”

Yeah, I know, anything with “Ultimate” in it sounds like a huge promise. But we’ve come across a new way to help our students and anyone else who wants to achieve new levels of success. Those who are already using this plan are getting huge results!

Rather than trying to remember the details of the plan, print out this page so you can follow the steps.

We all know that consistency, focus and plans for action are keys to getting results from our creative practice, right? Our state of mind when we create plays an even larger role.

The “Ultimate Practice Guide” builds on these ideas with the following steps:

1. At the beginning of each week, write down a statement of intention on paper.

We recommend that you get a notebook that you’ll continue to use for tracking your practice process. Here’s an example of a statement of intention for practicing that’s short and simple:

“I intend to practice 6 days this week and my practice time for my first practice is 8:30 am.”

Setting a time is important because you’re less likely to put it off if you plan around your practice time. The time may change from day to day, but it’s still a good idea to write down the intended time. Note that everything is written in present tense, not future tense.

In addition, write out the specifics of your first day of practice. It’s preferable to do this the day before you practice. Why? Because you will process the plans in your subconscious mind while you sleep, making it much more likely that you’ll follow through the next day!

2. Begin every practice session with these short, but powerful steps:

a) Do a deep breathing exercise that allows you to clear your mind and body of any distracting thoughts and emotions before you engage in practice. After all, effective practice requires your undivided attention. (If you need ideas about breathing exercises, feel free to write to us at Greg@GCCreativeStudio.com)
b) turn off all electronic distractions in your practice space — TV, cell phone, computer, etc.
c) Look over your written practice plans for the day. Because you already wrote out the details of your practice, the plans are clear and you’re many times more likely to follow through with your intention.

3. Follow through with the plans you wrote down on paper. Experience supercharged creativity in your practice.

Here is the part of the plan in which you create or practice. Notice how it’s couched in the middle of all these supportive processes.

4. Put a check mark next to each item you complete from your written plans.

5. At the end of the day’s practice time, write out your plans for the next day.

If you want further fuel for this idea about writing out your plans the day before you actually practice, remember this quote from Jim Fannin, who is a coach of many world class athletes:

“Champions walk into the arena having already won. Others walk in and try to figure out how to win.”

Yes, we’re talking about a creative process, and the sports analogy is a good one. Why? Champions find time to practice in any field. Most people never get around to consistent practicing or creating. Life “gets in the way.” Also, many well-meaning people don’t actually conceive detailed plans about what they want to do or how they intend to do it. So, if you think this process seems too regimented for creative activity, give it a try first and see which creative pathways you open up for yourself.

Step 5 definitely helps you to “win” before you begin, but the final step takes the entire process to a higher level…

6. Visualize tomorrow’s practice session right before you go to sleep.

This is the crown jewel in the process, folks. Just before you go to sleep, your thoughts in that last hour of the day are processed in your subconscious many more times than everything that took place throughout the day. If you go to bed worrying, you will likely wake up not feeling very refreshed (and the worry from the night before will resume the next morning).

But imagine going to sleep visualizing your creative plans and your success with that process. You are then using your greatest ally, the subconscious mind, which will help you fulfill the success that you visualize with effortless ease. Creative visualization also makes you a more creative person.

Don’t just take our word for it. We’re not asking you to believe in this process without giving it a try. For maximum results, plan to use these ideas for three weeks. You will be amazed at what you can do in just 21 days!

Good luck and much success to you!

We are frequently asked how to make a practice routine more habitual.

What about you? Are you ever baffled about how to reach goals without getting thrown off course?

Do you sometimes wonder how you could make each day more meaningful?

Are you seeking ways to effectively install creative activities into daily life?

If these questions interest you, keep reading . . .

Three Powerful Steps to Effortless Achievement

1. Write it down
When you commit any of your intentions to paper, your chances of following through are far greater than if you just think about them and hope to remember them later. By putting plans in writing, you crystallize the details. You also use your creative imagination to further energize the idea.

Write down the things that are important to you and plan ways to include these items in your life. This concept can be a life-changing exercise because you learn how to install the things that matter to you into your daily routine.

2. Visualize your goal and plan backward
You read that correctly! See your goal already attained in your mind’s eye, then write it down on top of a piece of paper. Just below the goal, write down the last step that needs to happen just before you reach the goal. Below that step, write down the second to last thing that needs to happen en route to your goal.

Continue this backward planning process until you reach the step that you will complete just after the moment of planning. This magical exercise clearly illuminates the path to your goal because your creative imagination is fully engaged throughout the process.

Many of us have been taught to plan from where we are to where we want to be. Try this process backward and watch the results come to you with effortless ease!

3. Quiet your mind at least two times daily
We could be talking about meditation, visualization, focus on the breath or any technique that allows you to “press pause.”

If you’ve never taken time out of a busy day to experience stillness, you will be amazed at how taking just a few minutes twice daily can center you, calm you, release stress and create deep peace.

Try this exercise:

a) Close your eyes
b) Visualize yourself in a darkened movie theater
c) Look up at the imaginary blank movie screen and just watch
d) Whenever a distracting thought enters your mind, just gently put your attention back on the blank screen
e) After about two minutes (feel free to use a timer), open your eyes and smile
f) Begin your next activity with a new sense of peace, creativity and clarity

These three steps work for us every day. We hope you find these tips helpful!

At one time or another, all of us have heard that when we “feel the fear and do it anyway,” we make some pretty significant discoveries about ourselves. Well, here’s a story around that topic . . .

First, a little background.

1. When I was 18, mowing the lawn at my dad’s house on a nice late summer day, I ran over a nest of bees in the ground and got stung by 17 bees. It was a painful experience and it really freaked me out.

2. In college, I got stung on my arm by a yellowjacket outside a fraternity house and my forearm nearly doubled in size. I declared to myself at that point, “I’m allergic to bees.” No one ever told me that, by the way. I guess I just declared it for added drama.

3. Every time I mow the lawn (up until last weekend — I’ll explain in a minute), I stop the mower in its path if there’s a bee in front of me and wait for it to move (for both fear and insect welfare reasons).

4. Last Saturday, Candice and I were listening to an audiobook about business planning and the author shared a story about how he overcame his fear of sharks. He also asks the listeners to consider their greatest fears because overcoming them usually leads to success in many areas of life. You can probably guess what one of my biggest fears has been since 18 years of age.

5. One more tidbit. At dinner with my family on that same Saturday night, there was an extended conversation about bees, their disappearance in China, and beekeeping.

OK, you’re up to date now.

On Sunday, I went mountain biking — something I do almost every weekend when the weather permits. The trail, West Branch in Ravenna, has some pretty gnarly sections in which we ride over huge boulders and/or tree roots for extended periods of time.

It takes quite a bit of focus and strength, but it’s really fun. It’s actually spiritual for me and my riding partners because we need to be completely in the present moment (see last week’s blog about presence entitled “Feel Better Now”). It’s good to be present in order to stay on the bike and to improve one’s riding skills.

We rode all out for about two hours and we were coming to the end of the trail. The end of this trail has an 8-inch wide balance beam/bridge structure made out of trees which are cut in half. The narrow bridge is about 150 feet long, so we’re all pretty excited when we make it to the end!

Well, we made it across the beam and we were going home because the trail was nearly completed. But, when I went off the end of the tree bridge and landed on some logs that were on the ground, I was suddenly covered with bees that began stinging me. Naturally, I began swatting them and yelling for my riding partner, but the bees kept following me even though I started riding pretty quickly.

We rode to the end of the trail with great urgency and some of the bees followed me all the way to the parking lot. I think I was stung about nine times. What an experience!

Here’s the thing.

Obviously, it didn’t feel good, but the odd thing is that the pain was much less intense than I would have ever predicted. Suddenly, I felt a strange calm come over me because I realized at that moment that my fear of bees was irrational and that I had been building it up for 20 years.

No swelling, no allergic reaction, easy breathing. In fact, some fellow mountain bikers that were aware of what was taking place were freaking out a little bit, saying things like, “the first 20 minutes is when anaphylactic shock kicks in, the skin will be covered with red spots, etc.” Even as they presented me with this worriesome information, I felt cool and collected.

It wasn’t until I got into the car that I reviewed the events of the previous day (points 4 and 5 listed above). I was amazed. How many other things do I fear in that way that hold me back from living with total freedom? It was very liberating for me.

Now, the guy from the audiobook that I discussed chose to overcome his fears by jumping into a tank of sharks. I definitely was not planning to confront my bee fear. But it happened anyway and I am thankful because I let go of a part of myself that was really limiting.

We all have opportunities on a daily basis to do things that feel “uncomfortable” that might ultimately help us. I’m not telling you to go drive down some dark, country road with your lights off. I’m talking about the kind of things that are keeping you from doing, being and having what you want.

I feel like I have a new resolve to approach my fears with this experience over the weekend because the bee phobia was huge for me. So, go ahead and try something you’ve always wanted to do but were too afraid, or honestly tell someone how you feel, or just follow your bliss. It probably won’t sting as badly as you imagine when you decide to do it.