Whilst 2020 was in many ways a really difficult year it was also the year when I finally discovered my purpose. Discovering my purpose created a snowball effect; my goals became clear to me and I knew I needed to put writing at the core of everything I did. Out went YouTube and Instagram and in came newsletters, increased writing on Patreon and an ebook called Journaling Your Goals.
For ten years I would flit from one project to another but never actually see anything through. I’ve tried so many things but was reluctant to pursue any of them to completion. Or, if I did, I’d shy away from taking it to the next level.
Each time I’d start a project with excitement. I’d think about it, start laying the groundwork, work non-stop on it for a while, talk about it on social media and then suddenly run out of steam and question what I was doing. I’d convince myself that this wasn’t the right path for me. I’d reverse quickly then quietly unpick all the progress I’d made. I’ve done this so many times.
I’ve wasted time and money and it’s played havoc with my confidence. I’ve ended up feeling directionless with all the stress and anxiety that creates.
I was picking projects and tasks on an ad-hoc basis. There was no purpose to my actions and my goal was superficial. I felt empty and uncertain. I felt like a fraud. I convinced myself I had a business but I was making pennies and the money I was making wasn’t through my writing. I felt useless.
My days would be disorganised. I’d sit at my desk and do whatever I felt like. I’d waste hours on setting up the perfect flat lay for Instagram believing it was work. I got together with a friend and recorded a podcast - spent more hours editing it and adding music until I abandoned it, I’d go months without writing my novel and it could take me an entire day to write a simple blog post because my attention span was minimal. I felt busy. I felt like I was multi-tasking and getting lots done. Almost to the point of being stressed: my chest was tight, my breathing was shallow and my shoulders were sore.
Completely fed up I decided to make changes.
I created a Post It Task Board for my projects and tasks based on the Kanban Boards I’d seen on YouTube. It helped me become more creative and productive. But this board was only as useful as the data I was inputting. I needed to go deeper.
So I turned to my journal…and that’s when everything changed. All of this progress I have made in the last couple of years has stemmed from journaling. It has been imperative. It has enabled me to discover what I really love to do, how mental blocks were holding me back - and what I could do about it, and how I can productively plan my work on a monthly, weekly and daily basis.
I’ve now distilled all of this knowledge and lessons learned into an ebook.
In eight chapters I talk about:
Journaling for your Creativity or Creative Business
Your Creative Purpose
Journaling to Understand Your Mental Blocks
Journaling to Uncover Your Goals
Getting Practical & Identifying Projects
How to Plan for Increased Productivity
The Merits of Tracking Your Progress
Removing Distractions
My ebook is now on sale. You can click here to read more or simply order below.