sjsmith.com.au - blog

Showing up even when you don't feel like it

The Power Of Positivity

There's a lot to be said for faking it till you make it. When you're the one running the show it's not always easy to be filled with positivity all the time.  There are times of doubt, "will it sell?", "is it good enough?", and, there are times of self-doubt, "can I do this?", "am I good enough?" How do you keep going when the negativity starts nipping at your mojo. At times like those I try to remind myself of the words of Chuck Close (portrait artist extraordinaire), "Inspiration is for amateurs. The rest of us just show up and get to work". Many of the things we do day to day we don't wait to feel like doing. Cleaning your teeth, having a shower, eating a meal. We do these things because they need to be done. When the negatives strike just do the next thing on the list. Take those product photos, do your shop listings, draft the next blog, schedule your newsletters. Whatever it is just do it. Self employed people need to learn this lesson because we all know that at some time there are things we do not feel like doing. Maybe it's chasing debtors, doing the accounts or sometimes starting the next creative piece. We can tell ourselves we'll wait, leave it till tomorrow or next week but unless you have some assistant angels it's still going to be you that has to do it.  Soooo, just do it!

I'm all for using positivity. I think a healthy can-do attitude can take you a long way. It certainly makes you much more likeable to deal with, and work with, but if you aren't feeling the love sometimes you just gotta suck it up, slap on a smile and get it done. At worst, you've at least made some progress to getting something done instead of nothing.  Don't forget though, that when the moon is right and you're  in your zone, to give a big fat thank you. That's when we really fly, when we don't have to fake it any more!

Till next time,

Sarah-Jane X