What to look (and listen for) when setting your creative goals and intentions for the year
A discussion on resistance, fear, pressure in relation to your creative goals and intentions
(Continue reading or listen to the audio version of this blog post)
I spent a good chunk of time last week thinking about my vision, intentions and goals for the year.
Something I shared in my last email of 22’ was the reminder that…
there is no rush
It’s a theme I’ve continued to carry with me….because crafting a vision, setting goals and intentions and the habits and practices to support them isn’t a one and done kind of process.
Often revision and refinement is required and we need to allow time to pause to think and feel into our goals and intentions, because that process can reveals some important information (more on that later).
Why would we want to rush this process, when ultimately your goals, intentions and visions represent experiences that feel important enough to you that you want to commit your time, energy, creativity and attention to?!
“At the end of your life, looking back, whatever compelled your attention from moment to moment is simply what your life will have been.”
I want to talk about some common feelings that often arise from setting goals, how this information can help you and share a bit of my own experience of moving through them last week. From one creative to another. I hope you find it helpful.
Let’s get into it….
What’s the resistance trying to tell you?
“this feels like too much”
I was looking at my list of intentions and goals for my personal creative practice and that’s what kept running through my mind…..“this feels like too much.”
Instead of ignoring the resistance and charging ahead, I leaned into it. I explored it from different angles and was curious about what it was telling me. I reflected on it in my journal and even brought it to my peer coaching session to get coaching on it.
Was it fear or self-doubt?
Was it my body telling me to pair down because this was too much?
Or was it something else.
It turns out, it was something else.
I had initially written down that I wanted to write a draft of a novel this year in addition to completing multiple painting collections. It was true that I wanted to focus on writing and painting BUT what I really wanted was to combine these two mediums. I wanted to focus on the idea that came to me while I was doing the creative advent calendar in December - painting and then writing short stories inspired by the painting.
This is why not rushing the process of setting your intentions and goals is crucial, so you can pay attention to and notice any resistance or other sensations that come up for you. It can help us notice where maybe outside influences have directed our goals, where we’ve written down something we think we should create, rather than what we really want.
Had I went ahead with the intention of writing a draft of a novel this year, it likely would’ve felt like a burden, like it was pulling me away from what I REALLY wanted to create and I probably wouldn’t have made much progress on it.
As you write or reflect on your creative goals and intentions for the year….notice if any sensations or thoughts come up…and then whether you do it through a coaching call or your own self-inquiry or a combination of both, get curious about what’s going on there.
Fear + Doubt
There were other goals I’d written down that gave me a different kind of sensation when I thought of them….this time it was fear and doubt being activated.
It’s possible that fear, those butterflies in your stomach, the doubt is activated because this particular goal or thing you want to create feels both exciting AND challenging. That’s what was coming up for me.
Acknowledging the fear or doubt and noticing it is helpful, because it’s showing you where you likely need to put some extra care and support in place (ie tools and habits) so you can pursue this goal or intention.
For example
If you know that sitting down to write might evoke some stress or pressure or it has in the past, you can implement a practice/habit to help you get calm (breath work, dancing, going for a walk) before you begin to write. A practice/habit that will support you in rewiring your brain for a more positive experience and help you better access your creativity and be in a better position to problem solve if you’re not sure what to write.
Relieving + Reframing the PRESSURE
Have you ever had the experience of writing down your goals, making your vision board and you’re feeling so excited and motivated and then the next morning rolls around and it’s time to…
…record your first podcast..
...paint that first canvas of a new collection…
…start writing that novel…
And then suddenly the pressure replaces the excitement and all you’re thinking about is how am I going to create this? The gap between where you are, and your goal/vision feels too big, too scary.
I’m raising my hand here too.
How to relieve that pressure and focus on that first/next step…
1. Shift your perspective from the pressure or intensity of “these are the things I have to accomplish or achieve” to “these are things that I value, that are important to me”. Those perspectives feel so different right?!
2. See them as already in progress. Maybe you’re building on what you started creating last year - whether it’s a creative habit, skill or project. Maybe it’s new but the fact that you’re making it a goal and putting attention on it, is still some kind of progress. (s/o to Ashleigh Henry of The Cheetah Coalition, who I heard this perspective shift from originally).
3. Focus on (and trust) the process. When you’re uncertain of all the steps you need to take or how you’ll accomplish your goal or vision, when it feels like a lot of pressure, give yourself permission to set all of that aside for the moment and come back to: making time and space to create.
Focus on…
What will get you to your easel, sketchbook, camera or laptop?
What next line or layer can you add to what you’re creating?
How can you make the time you have set aside today to be creative, as enjoyable as possible?
I hope these were helpful for you. I’d love to know how you’re feeling in this new season and…..
What are you giving yourself permission to create this season (this year)?
Write back to me and share.