When inspiration strikes, you must act on it. Inspiration, to me, is more than just a random thought. It is your subconscious coming to a solution on something you’ve been ruminating on. When that “hmm”, “ohh” or “ah-ha” hits, it’s your universal access pass. You get to try and experiment with thoughts and ideas and processes that sometimes surpass comprehension. Defies logic.

This is also where we can get in our own way. When this happens, our “rational” conditioned thought process will tell us why it won’t work and how many other things you could be doing instead of wasting time. Your “rational” mind will tell you it’s a waste of time because it doesn’t conveniently fit into a space of your or anyone’s else’s understanding.

The more we move toward needing a solution, we are granted additional moments of access and clarity. For some, this resource turns on a like a light switch. For others, it might be a slow, methodic opening of a door to that space. It may be granting you time to think about what you’re doing and giving you time to figure out if it’s even worth your effort. Inspiration, coupled with passion and effort, has moved so many of us to create greatness and enrich society as a whole.

Cheers to the risk takers.

Existing as a creative is challenging. When we discover these abilities, we’re excited to exhibit them. We want, hey need, our mortal enemy (time) to explore them. Many don’t understand, so they try to disavow or destroy the non-tangible. If one is fortunate enough to garner any semblance of success in this space, the goal posts are moved, the circle gets smaller and at times, unfamiliar. The allure of your abilities and infinite potential is what fuels you through the endless sea of sharks, snakes, and politics.

A mentor of mine once said, “I just wish we could fly without the additional weight of the BS.” I couldn’t understand then, because I was too caught up in the excitement of actually being in the spaces. I get it now.

A quiet life, thought and reflection spaces are the goals. Your gifts bless others and you are then taken care of. But the machine needs it fuel. The business needs us. We need markets, communities and partnerships in order to thrive. We also need the limited resource of time to rest, reset, plan, strategize and get back to the masses, lest we lose market value if we are not unique enough in what we provide. The game is find your tribe that will grant you time to create invaluable content for long-term consumption. Or partner with a machine that may find a tribe for termed gains and market opportunities.

A quiet life is earned… and expensive.

In my experience, being 85% prepared is a great place to begin your battle. We are never 100% prepared for anything. 100% percent preparedness implies that you “know” all outcomes and possibilities. We don not. Variables are at times, infinite. The best we can do is analyze and anticipate based on past actions, point and subject references, and experiences. You will never be 100% percent prepared for anything.

To me, 85% is the sweet spot.

Enough to confidently set out on a course of action. The 15% percent is where we flourish and grow. Unforeseen circumstances, variants of what you anticipated and shocking twists all imbue us with knowledge and experiences that we wouldn’t or could never come up with ourselves. So, we set out to slay the dragon, armored and weaponed down, only to discover we’re fighting something else entirely.

Set out anyway. Pivot when necessary. Finish the task.

What is absolutely fascinating to me is that, on thsi linear construct we call TIME, we can choose how to spend it. With friends, with family, alone. Spend it with established relationships, or venture into the unknown and seek new ones, unsure if the currency will have been well spent adventuring. Spend it attempting to try everything, or spend it doing nothing at all. The caveat is that every purchase is expensive. We’re using the most valuable currency known to man. Every purchase has terms and conditions that may benefit or hurt you or someone else.

At times, I might be sitting at a red light and catch a glimpse of another driver peering deep into space, or planting their face into their palms between the moment it takes the ruby light to turn emerald. I imagine the battle(s) they might be facing that is causing that physical response, and think if they have the tools to combat and come out of it on top. Then I realize that I too, exist on this plane and should be accounting for my “spending” habits.

My conditioning was one of servitude. I am to want for nothing. Anything I did or accomplished was, and always should be, for the benefit of someone else. If I “won”, my guilt was triggered. The only way to free myself of the “burden of success” was to absolve myself of any and all spoils of victory. Deep conditioning.

So with the time remaining, which none of us know exactlty how much of it we truly have, what does one pursue when your programming constantly fights against “winning”?

It’s easier to watch and criticize and ponder than it is to participate, stumble, regroup and win.

The thing is, if you choose to spend your precious currency in the watch/criticize/ponder department for too long, assessing everyone else, soon you’ll discover your account is empty and your choices amounted to nothing (unless that’s your calling. Then rock-rock on).

Spend this currency wisely. Worry is the cousin of fear. Seek to spend it on uplifting, motivating and enriched experiences, even if that’s just doing nothing when needed. Do nothing richly.

One day, we’ll want to look at our empty accounts and be proud of our diverse portfolio of a life.

Well spent. Fully enjoyed.

Work backwards, fall forward.

I have found this to be the most effective way to work for me. I find my target, then strategize and plan on what tool(s) to use to hit or get me close to hitting the target. Then, I take the steps and execute. Bullseye is always the goal. Ballpark is the next best thing. The great thing about the ballpark is that I can adjust the strategy, aim again and fire with the understanding that I am at least in contention. But if I were to to forego the strategizing and planning phases, then I’m just wasting ammo and more importantly, time. Wide-spraying hoping that something sticks. The “fall forward” is the ballpark. If what I do doesn’t make it into the ballpark, then it let’s me know that I missed something(s) in my planning. Or maybe I wasn’t listening to the market with intent.

But even with the best of strategies, timing, market climate analysis, consumer tastes and attitudes still determine the success of any product or service.

Work backwards by setting the goal, then plan the attack. Fall forward if you misfire, but keep timing, climate and value in  mind.

I have been blessed and fortunate to be in the presence of great minds, thoughtful leaders, and gracious spirits. On the other hand, I have been in the thick of things (blessed?) to be in the presence of the insecure, fearful, and inept. The danger with the latter group was that that group lacked empathy and accountability (literally ran from it), were narcissistic, and was quick to transfer their flaws and issues to anyone that would bare them. They feared being discovered as frauds in their entitled positions. If and when the time came for their house of cards to come crashing down, they would make every desperate attempt to fault others, blame the world, and in many instances, would attempt to burn it all down to feed their ego.

Be mindful of your North star. It might actually be pointing you and yours in the wrong direction. The beacon may leading you astray.