My mother went to a holiday gift exchange party with a group of ladies in their ‘70s who paint together (they call themselves the ‘Art Tarts’). She came home having been gifted a crappy T-shirt from one of her fellow women in the group. The T-shirt was black with cheesy lettering read: “Art Attack: What happens when an artist gets too many good ideas and doesn’t know which one to choose?”
First, how unfortunate that a gifted painter decided to gift a corny T-shirt instead of one of her own pieces. Second, when I saw that phrase, here’s what struck me:
That’s not an “attack”… that’s simply the reality of being a human who is in touch with inspiration!
Let’s talk about this conundrum of “too many good ideas.” It’s one that I think causes unnecessary confusion for us. Because here’s the reality: There will never be a shortage of good ideas. If you’re an artist, creator, or entrepreneur, then you know that you’ve always got a backlog of brilliant ideas. The question isn’t how to fit them all into our time as living breathing humans. The question is:
Which are worthy of your time?
I call this conundrum “Muse Management.” In her book Big Magic, author Elizabeth Gilbert suggests that ideas are like little fairies, flying around, tapping folks on the shoulder, and looking for someone to bring them to life. If this is true, I imagine the unseen realm of space to be a veritable rush hour of ideas.
What are five amazing ideas you’ve had in the past year? Take a moment to think about it. I bet you’ve had several million-dollar ideas, not to mention many others that you’d love to take on if only you “had the time.” Of course, that’s when reality sets in. Life is precious, time is precious, and your life force energy is precious. If you’re going to say yes to one of these ideas, it better be worth your while…
Here are five questions to help you decide whether to say yes to an idea:
1. Am I deeply moved by this idea and willing to commit and devote myself to its completion?
2. Am I wholehearted in my commitment to this idea? (If there’s even a lick of half-heartedness, leave it be!)
3. Does this idea require me to level up and work in an area of my mastery and genius? (if not, why bother?)
4. Will this idea create prosperity and generate financial resources?
5. Will it bring me unspeakable satisfaction, joy, and expansion?
In the most ideal scenario, any idea you say yes to checks at least 4 of these boxes.
Now, let’s shift our gaze a bit…
What are five ideas you have for the year ahead? Creative projects you want to take on. Books you want to write. Courses you want to create. New programs you desire to launch. Topics you wish to study. How will you decide which of those ideas genuinely matches your highest potential this year?
The five questions above are a great start. And, as we begin to take on some of our ideas, we inevitably run into the next conundrum of time, productivity, and completing the tasks we start.
As a next step, hop over to my website and check out my “Optimize your Energy” training. It's a free guidebook and audio download to help you identify where your energy is going and how to create a life of productivity, prosperity, and peace of mind. To be a human touched by the Muse is a gift!
And, let’s not confuse this gift with an expectation to actualize each and every great idea that comes our way. Our time in these bodies is limited.
Let's permit ourselves to create high standards for how we spend our time and where we focus our precious life force energy.
To your productivity, prosperity, and peace of mind,
Personal Coach
