4 reasons to start your dream project today.
Do you have a project that you’ve always dreamed of? Maybe it’s writing a book, starting a podcast, running a small business, having a large garden…whatever it is you’ve probably had the thought, “I’d love to do that someday.”
But today I want to give you 4 reasons why you should think about starting your dream project now!
There are some seasons of life that might not be the best time to focus all your attention on your dream project. You of course will be the best judge for when the time is right for you and your family. But most of the time it’s better to start it sooner than later. Here’s why…
Starting your dream project can bring more joy into your life.
Our brains are programmed to look for problems. It’s a wonderful tool but can work against us if we’re not careful. The thing I love most about creativity is that it gives my brain wonderful problems to focus on and solve. And when your brain is busy solving problems in your creative work it has less time to find problems elsewhere.
You may have noticed this if you’ve experienced a time when most things in your life are going pretty well. Your brain will still be on the hunt for something that isn’t working, something that’s missing, something that could be better. So let’s use that beautiful brain of yours to focus on problems that you want to be solved. When your brain is busy working on a creative project it has less time to nit-pick other areas of your life.
Whenever I’m creating I am always much more happy and content with how my home and the people in it. Why? Because my brain is focusing on fixing the problems that I’m giving it. It’s not looking for problems in other places.
So many times we think, “Now’s not the time to work on that creative project. I’m too busy, I have little ones at home, I don’t have enough money etc…” but working on that creative project might be just what you need during this stage of life!
Working on your creative project is not selfish. It’s actually one of the best things you can do for yourself and your family! Just ask any of my clients!
Starting your dream project allows for more personal growth.
Nothing invites self-doubt like creativity. (Trust me I know!) As soon as you start to work on your dream project all the feelings of self-doubt will come up. “Who are you to do this? You’re not good enough. You don’t know how to do this? Why are you doing this? This isn’t working or this won’t work!..”
Your self-doubt will go on and on if you let it. But if you choose to start your dream project AND keep going you’ll learn how to work through your self-doubt. You’ll get past all those negative thoughts and start learning wonderful things about yourself!
Working on a project that seems scary is a wonderful way to learn more about yourself. Can you trust yourself? Can you follow through on things? Can you keep going even when it feels hard? Working on your creative project can help you get past that self-doubt and become the person you want to be! A person who is more organized, more creative, more trustworthy and more confident!
Starting your dream project teaches you the skills you need for your next project.
When it’s finally time for you to sit down and do your project you might not have the skills you need to create something great. That’s why you start creating now!
Write that bad novel first, record that awful first podcast episode, and kill a few plants and flowers the first season. You won’t know how to do something until you’ve learned how not to do something. So now’s the time to write, create, plan, visualize and do! Because you never know what you’re missing out on.
I know it can be scary (trust me I know!) but you can either be scared of doing the thing or scared of not doing anything. As my good friend Kristin Brown once said, “It’s better to choose the type of scared that gets you closer to your goals.”
Allowing yourself to be vulnerable, to be uncomfortable can open up new possibilities that you never before thought were possible. When I first started my photography business in New York City I thought that’s what I would be doing for a very long time. I didn’t know that running that business would teach me the skills I needed to start a podcast and personal growth business with my friend from college. And I didn’t know that working on that project would lead me to start this coaching business!
You just never know where your creative projects will take you. Yes, that’s scary, but isn’t it also exciting?! If you start your project today I promise there are some skills you’ll learn that will help you in the future!
Starting your dream project gets you closer to helping others.
The sooner you start, the sooner you’ll be able to help others.
No, the first book you write, might not be “the one” that everyone reads and loves. (Actually, maybe no one is allowed to read the first one you wrote!) and the same goes with anything else you create. But I promise that your first project will get you closer to the next one and the next one. And you never know when or which creative project will help others. Maybe there will be a blog post, an email, a podcast, a product, a painting, a video — SOMETHING that resonates with others. Something that has an impact on others and makes the world a little brighter.
There were so many times that self-doubt tried to hold me back from creating or putting things out into the world. I was almost too scared to start my photography business, too scared to record a video for a webinar, and too scared to sell a product I had made, but I’m so glad I was able to get past that self-doubt and put my creative work out into the world!
You just won’t know until you start creating and put your work out there! If you need a boost of confidence you can grab your confidence starter kit here!
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Take Away
Maybe you don’t start your dream project today, but maybe you start A project.
Anything is better than nothing. Start where you are and go from there. You never know where your efforts will take you!
xoxo, Laura
Your Action Step To Take
Make a decision right now.
Are you going to start your dream project this week? Or are you going to save it for another day?There’s no right or wrong answer, but go forward having decided yes or no so you can move forward! If the answer is yes, then find some time to work on it and find the first thing you’d like to do with your project.
If you’re needing help starting your project, finding the time or following through I’m always here to help coach you through this!
