JUST DO IT

Easier said than done, right? Some days you wake up and you don’t want to do anything. I take days off for sure when I get that feeling, but lately I’ve been challenging myself. It’s a new year and I want to push myself to new limits and just do that one thing I’ve been wanting to do. 

“Just do it” for me can mean painting all day, picking up more canvases than needed so I can have an excuse to paint more, do more yoga, or experiment with new art looks. I feel so much better when I look back at the work I did when I didn’t really feel like doing it in the first place. It has resulted in about 25 new pieces just this month! But what about those things that feel SO far in the distance you don’t even want to attempt to do that? I have those things - but I want to challenge myself, and everyone reading this, to become accountable for that one thing you are too afraid to do. I’ll add some pointers on how to do it.  Before we do that, I want you do write down either on your phone, paper, or on this post: something you are afraid to do, and WHY you are afraid to go through with it? 

I’ll admit some of mine. 

There are plenty of things I have not done yet. To name a few and the reasons behind why I haven’t done them yet -

Teach workshops: I don’t know if I am fully qualified to be a teacher of art yet. I am afraid people will scoop up my style and take it for their own. I don’t have the space to teach.  

Lead a yoga/art retreat: it seems too big of a task to complete. I am afraid no one will sign up. 

These fears I have can be justified all day long by myself. But if I were talking to someone else about my fears they would calm them by telling me “you worry too much”, “you can do it Bree”, “you are in control about how hard you think these things are”, and “how will you know until you try?” 

Mine will be different from yours, but the most common I’ve heard is, “I’m a mother and I don’t have time for anything else.” Or, "I’m not creative enough or don’t hold the skills needed to do it." Well, let’s go through some tips on how to combat that. 

GAIN THE SKILLS NEEDED: Take that dance class. Get friends together. Learn that song off YouTube. Ask mentors for help. Put the necessary tools in your life to motivate you or to bring you closer to achieving the one thing you want to do. 

I knew I wanted a career in art, so I went to college for it. It showed me all the avenues I could take, and, ultimately, led me to what I do now. It gave me the connections I needed to help further my creativity and know who I could go to for help. But, on a smaller scale, I am a teacher of yoga and when I go through phases of only teaching I find myself in a rut. When I want to grow as a yogi, I find more classes to go to and teachers to meet. I put the effort into the process knowing I can’t “just do it” without some personal connection/background in that skill. 

LET SOMEONE PUSH YOU: For a while I was afraid to paint a board. It was a process, but the one thing that got me into it was the shaper, Matty Raynor. He basically made it sound like, why not? Just do the board, and let’s get it going. Now I had someone to hold me accountable. He was in the process with me and I didn’t want to let him down. Do you find yourself standing at the edge of the cliff not wanting to make the jump? Maybe there is someone in your life or someone you will meet that will give you the push you need. Find that someone to keep you accountable.

GET A MENTOR: Not only will a mentor keep you accountable, he/she will be with you all the steps of the way. To celebrate the ups with you and to listen or be with you on the downs. Someone you can go to for questions. This person will be making sacrifices for you, so treat them well and give them as much love and respect as you can.  

MAKE A SCHEDULE: Write down your days and the things you want to get done. Shuffle your life around to make time for yourself and to find the time to get that project or endeavor done. Trust me, if you live for others you are the most selfless person, but you will be able to serve others better if you are serving yourself also. Say no to activities you “should” go to but don’t really want to go to. Use that time to say yes to yourself. 

This year I’ve been waking up earlier so I can get three layers of resin done opposed to two layers. It’s been very efficient for me. I’ve had to say no to some stuff, but this productivity is giving me life! I find balance on days off, and now I have a feeling of having earned those days for rest because I’ve been putting in that hard work.  

(Now I just gotta set aside time to carefully plan a yoga retreat) 

FIND YOURSELF A CRITIC/SUPPORTER: Mine is my husband. He gives me honest feedback and also supports/helps me complete the tasks needed. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from your loved ones. They may have skill sets that will help you more than you know. This person is very understanding and won’t push you over that cliff but will gently be there to bounce ideas, tell you to rest, and be the most fun person to celebrate with. Who knows, you might inspire each other at the same time!

So, I ask again, what is it that you want to do? Why haven’t you done it yet? What holds you back? 

Take it to the next level. What is the first step you can take to get closer to that one thing? 

Comment below or write it down and stick it on your bathroom mirror ;)