This week's newsletter comes to you from the tropical beaches of Bali. I'm thrilled to be here to do some preparation work for our writers' retreat here in October 2010. The Sydney Writers' Centre is taking 12 students on an amazing journey of "Writing for the Senses" and this year's retreat booked out about a month ago. So I'm busy scouting around for new ideas, possibly for an extended program in 2011.I've had a fairly hectic schedule lately. But a funny thing happens when you get really busy. Because you're doing more, you're usually achieving more. So you can sometimes suffer from OBYAATI ... an "Over-enhanced belief in your ability to achieve the impossible".
I blame self-help books, motivational gurus and talented speech writers for OBYAATI. "You can do anything! Yes we can!" "Walk over hot coals! Yes we can!" "Change the world! Yes we can!" These books and motivational rallies can leave us imbued with a sense of empowerment that's addictive.
Don't get me wrong. I DO think that anything is possible. But this way of thinking sometimes needs to be tempered with a good dose of measured, but optimistic, reality. For example, I arrived in Bali yesterday. So about six days ago, I pulled out an Indonesian phrase book and figured that if I could squeeze some time in to study the language (I identified some spare minutes in my week during the commercials in Underbelly and Gossip Girl) I could be fluent, or at least possessing some conversational skills, by the time I landed. Didn't happen.
OBYAATI on steroids
Similarly, as I was so busy before leaving Sydney anyway, I figured that we could squeeze in filming a video about our new writing course, recording the audio of another writing course, washing and drying two loads of laundry, cooking a pork roast and negotiating a lease on new office premises all on the day before leaving the country. My brain thought: since we're on a roll, let's just fill the day even more. Surprisingly, thanks to OBYAATI and a fair dose of adrenalin, all these tasks were actually achieved – but unsurprisingly, I not only got on the plane feeling totally and utterly exhausted, I also felt and looked like crap. Not ideal. And still not fluent in Indonesian, dammit.In fact, I was so tired I could barely even string a sentence together in English.
OBYAATI can do funny things to a person. I've seen this malaise affect other people and I look at them, shake my head and say under my breath: "Really, you gotta slow down or you're gonna have a heart attack." I realised this is the same tone my friend Luisa used on me when she said: "Try to relaaaaaax a bit when you're in Bali. Maybe only check your emails every SECOND day. At least take the weekend off."
It's an addiction
When you're building a business – one that you're passionate about – it can be easy to get caught up in it. Little wins can actually be addictive. They're like little shots in the arm that give you a temporary high. You score a client. Your product launch goes well. You forge a new business relationship. You find ideal premises. If your little wins happen often enough, you just want more. And more. But like any addiction, there is a down side if you don't manage it properly.That down side is different for everyone. It might affect your health, your relationships, or, indeed, negatively impact the very business you are trying to build. The key (borrowing from the famous "safe driving" slogan) is to: "Stop. Revive. Survive." Because that's really the only way you're going to thrive.
It's sage advice that I sometimes forget – even though I preach it to others. When you do take it, you are invariably physically refreshed. But, more importantly, you've given your brain a chance to tap into your creativity. Instead of feeding the adrenalin junkie inside you, it's about giving yourself a chance to let your inner genius emerge. And the results may amaze you.
So will I be doing that in Bali? Ok, I'll be honest. I find it hard to fully STOP. But I'll certainly take Luisa's advice and limit my email activity. And I'll definitely take the weekend off. But maybe I should keep that phrase book handy. After all, who knows? In between all that time waiting for my inner genius to emerge, I might finally get fluent in Indonesian.
Valerie recommends: Online Creative Writing
Do you want to unleash your creativity? Do you like story-telling and writing fiction? Do you dream of writing a novel one day?The online course in Creative Writing will help you kick-start your creativity and give you the tools you need in order to make progress on your writing journey. You'll learn how to:
- kick-start the creative writing process
- tap into your imagination
- draw from everyday experiences and memories
- examine different types of creative writing
- give structure to your writing
- use characters and dialogue
Comments
Post has no comments.