The Weekly Proof: Mark Out, Devise And Choose
If you’d asked me a year ago if I were a designer, I would’ve laughed at you and said, “nah, I can’t draw.”
While design might include some drawing, it involves a lot more than just lines on a page. The word design has a lot of meanings, whether it’s used as a verb or a noun.
As a verb, it means to plan and create a detailed sketch or blueprint for something that will be built or made.
As a noun, it means the actual plan, the way something is arranged, or a decorative pattern.
It comes from the Latin word designare, which means to “mark out, devise, or choose.” This is closer to the definition I’ve adopted because the aim is now to design my life for the success I want.
I’m learning I have to stop running on autopilot and letting things get behind.
The Tension
A few weeks ago, I downsized my load of projects.
Instead of focusing on 14, I narrowed it down to 3. This was the first major decision I made when embarking on this new direction. I was tired of feeling like I didn’t have enough time in the day to do everything I wanted.
Narrowing everything down to just 3 major projects was a herculean task.
But it’s not like I won’t go back to what awaits my attention.
This week, I find myself focusing mostly on the Potential Paradox. As I’ve focused more on it, I’ve been neglecting what should be my number one priority (e.g., studying for my CompTIA Certifications).
Simultaneously, I haven’t looked at the short story I’m working on once in the last two weeks.
On top of that...I’m behind on my reading goal, and I work in-office 40 hours a week.
What am I to do?
Well, this week’s flagship issue is the philosophy behind the solution, plus the solution.
I have to make the right actions easier to perform.
The Lesson
We are the architects of our lives.
Through our thoughts, words, actions, and beliefs, we construct the world we exist in. You might think that the world holds meaning, but really, everything is meaningless. We give it meaning.
It’s not about what happens to you; it’s about what you do after.
Everything that happens to us has a positive, neutral, and negative meaning ascribed to it by us. For example, if you were to look at a list of familiar words, each word would invoke an emotion, image, or idea. Words that you don’t know, don’t do that.
Why?
Because we don’t know the definition, or at the very least, we’d try to bring meaning into the conversation, right?
The point is, what you think is right—every time.
So if you can’t write today, you’re right. If you can’t read today, you’re right. If you can’t study today, you’re right.
However, eventually, who do you become?
Not the type of person who writes, reads, or studies.
So if you want to do something, make the time even if it’s just a little bit of time until you get started.
Usually, I’ll play this game with myself.
I’ll commit to 5 minutes of a task. After the five minutes, I’m usually in flow and ready to keep going. Works 98% of the time.
Try it out.
The Proof
Life is going to get in the way.
Becoming a designer of your life is key to becoming who you want to be.
The first thing I did was look for opportunities.
Where could I squeeze out a little more time throughout the day? Is it possible to bring my personal computer to work so I can work before going in and during lunch? Could I read on the bus?
Before I knew it, I had reclaimed about five hours.
Once I had some time back, I started planning it out like anything every week.
Tuesday to Saturday, I would mostly use those five hours to work on each of my projects (including reading and working). That’s 25 hours a week.
Now that I had the time, the next step was to spread out the load and make it easy.
The night before, I pack my bag with everything I need so when I get to work, life is easy.
On my computer, I always have my CompTIA course website open on one desktop, my short stories on another, and The Potential Paradox work on its own. So all I have to do is open my computer, pick a desktop, and get to work.
On that front, I try to get 1 hour of work done on The Potential Paradox, 1 hour of writing and editing short stories, 1 hour of reading, and 2 hours of study, with time for breaks.
I’ve spent the week testing portions of this plan, and the results are really nice so far.
The Forward Motion
Next week, I plan to execute on all three of my projects, and that way, I can deliver some goodies while also making inroads on my final course.
I can’t keep letting things get away from me because I’m stuck on autopilot just trying to get through the week.
I need to be active in my pursuits, you know?
In next Tuesday’s issue, we’ll dive into the Hidden Ambition Problem.
Final Thoughts
Be a designer.
Mark out, devise, or choose the life you want.
Life isn’t happening to you; you are happening to life.
The biggest thing I got from this was the idea that designing your life is really about designing your choices. I hadn’t thought of it that way before. Instead of asking myself why I’m not making more art, I’m going to start asking what keeps getting in the way of starting. That feels like a much more useful question. Thank you Idris Elijah for sharing another honest look at your process and Happy Friday to you!
One thing I took away from this is that creative work doesn’t just happen because we care about it. It needs a place in our lives. I spend a lot of time thinking about what I want to write, but not always enough time making it easier to actually sit down and do it. Your example of preparing everything the night before showed me how much energy I waste before I even start. Thank you Idris Elijah for sharing what you’re learning as you build your own routine and have a great weekend!