Every so often, there are days when we feel like we could’ve done better and been more productive but we either have other commitments or feeling low, not inspired or just not in the right headspace.
Often, situations are not in our control & we must give ourselves grace, but it is possible to turn the situation around all the other times.
One of my mantras in situations like this is…
…Always remember why you started.
- Always remember why you started
This mantra is my own (I think) & it is something I told myself after starting my business, leaving a thriving architectural career, to follow my love for food styling & photography.
A few months back I was on an emotional roller coaster. My daughter wasn’t well, I was battling a sore throat & had a huge business turmoil – something I had invested in emotionally & financially did not go as expected.
I was angry at myself & the other party. I tried everything but still felt miserable.
So, I cooked a recipe & forced myself to photograph it. The creativity brought out a positive energy in me & I finished the shoot feeling energised.
As I packed up & walked into my workroom, my eyes fell on a writing on my inspiration wall which said, always remember why you started this.
How easily I’d forgotten that.
I’d started photography because it brought me joy, it spoke to me, but I’d let a failure in business come in the way.
The moment I reminded myself of why I do what I do, the emotions subsided & I felt inspired to work again, to be productive & get over the negative situation, which was anyway out of my control.
No matter what situation we are in, if we can bring back our attention to why we made that choice, it just makes it easier to remain contended, not double-guess ourselves & also, bring our best to whatever we do.
Even when you’re caught in the bubble of comparison, you see others growing faster than yourself on social media, you see their business moving forward quicker, just remind yourself why you started doing what you’re doing and you’ll remember how the beginning had nothing to do with comparison or a fight for followers or to bring in more revenue.
It is only natural to have phases of low productivity, but as long as we can centre ourselves towards the positive mindset that made us start in the first place, we can always overcome the slump to move forward efficiently.
There is another big emotion that inhibits our efficiency & many times, creativity. It is the fear of making a mistake, which truly impacts productivity.
- YOU CAN DO NOTHING WRONG, IF YOU DO NOTHING
I gathered this from the CEO of the architectural firm I worked at before switching careers.
In that role, I was not only a healthcare architect designing healthcare facilities, but also the lead researcher. I used to write papers for journals, attend conferences & do hard-core research.
The problem was that publishing research can be nerve wrecking. And I would often be in a dilemma. To which our CEO would say “Don’t be afraid. You can do nothing wrong, if you do nothing.”
And I loved hearing that. I would go back to my desk & share my findings irrespective of the fear of disruption, but I always needed to hear those words.
I apply these words all the time whenever I fear making a mistake.
Over time I have learned that it is good to make mistakes. It is also good to be wrong. It is good to fail too. It means we are moving forward. We are doing something.
Mistakes & failure are the foundation of success. If you don’t make one mistake, you’ll make another. The fear of failure inhibits productivity & stops us from unleashing our full potential.
So, every time I feel discouraged or doubtful, I tell myself, what’s the worst that can happen. If I don’t try at all, I’ll never know & live with fear. I might not do anything wrong but then I won’t be doing anything at all.
We need to constantly remind ourselves of everything positive that inspires us to give our 100% and bounce back from the unproductive phase we might be in. That way we can live our productive creative lives to the fullest, just like we had envisioned when we started.
These mantras are drawn from real-life experiences & I’ve applied them not only to my personal life but to build my business & feel inspired. Hope you find them useful too.
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