Ariana leading a Journaling & Time Management Workshop
Getting in the zone, AKA the flow, is a desirable place for any creator to be. It’s where getting the work done comes with such ease that you don’t even notice the time passing. All of a sudden you look up and it’s dark out, or your stomach’s growling and you realized it’s hours past lunch time.
Getting in the zone, was one of the things we talked about in the journaling and time management workshop I just led. During our conversation the idea of With Ease came up. This is not the same as easy, but can sometimes be mistaken as such.
As we explored the idea of being in the zone, Stephen pointedly asked my about writing my book, “was it easy?” I said, “No, and yes. Looking back, it came With Ease. But I thought about giving up a number of times.”
I had to work at getting myself into the zone. Sometimes it was even hard to sit down and start writing. Once I did, there were moments I stared at my computer screen for prolonged periods of time, not sure where to start or what to say. But once I got rolling things would flow as I methodically went about writing and editing the manuscript.
As I was writing my book, I learned some interesting things about what it takes for me to get into the zone. To get in the zone, I need to sit with my computer in my lap – I can’t get in the flow for creative writing while sitting at a desk. And to get there, I need to write some stream of conscious reflections in response to questions like: What am I trying to say? What am I thinking about? Why is this important? Why do I feel the need to write about this? (There are A LOT of ideas that got written and never published)
Ariana facilitating for the Brendle Group
Then I needed to let go. To remember to trust myself. That everything I was writing about I knew within my bones yet came from beyond me. This approach I learned from Elizabeth Gilbert’s TED talk about creativity and her book, Big Magic. When I saw myself as a steward of A Misfit Entrepreneur’s Guide I could lean into the creative process and allow myself to get into the zone without being weighed down by the pressure to perform.
– When do you feel in the zone? – What’s going on? – What routines can you do to intentionally get yourself in the zone? – How does your creative work help to fulfill your greater purpose?
What’s Rosabella Consulting Up To?
Last week we had the pleasure of delighting clients with our facilitation services! Ariana conducted an introductory training for the Brendle Group on Participatory Facilitation. This is what Susan Blythe from Brendle Group had to say, “Thanks for the good work last Friday…and for being so responsive on short notice! We got positive feedback on the session and believe it was a good entre for many on our staff as they test their skills in one form or another.”