Once upon a time, there was a personal article about work and yoga. It started with this quote:
“Let your concern be with the action alone, and never with the fruits of the action. Do not let the results of your action be your motive, and do not be attached to inaction” Bhagavad Gita
Then I clicked on the wrong button and it all disappeared. Puf. Just like that.
I chose to let go and not to get mad or frustrated about something I can’t change. This is the way I have to practise Samtosha (contentment) and Aparigraha (non-attachment) for the yoga teacher training I am taking. No bs talk here; I am actually amazed at how I have managed not to get enraged about this episode. I mean, I’m struggling with the flu plus dealing with inner demons on occasion so enough to keep me busy. But let’s go back to the original subject that brought me to the blog.
In the lost text, I had written about how our approach to yoga and our passion work can be the same. We don’t need to obsess about either of them as long as we keep on going back to it. So instead of forcing ourselves into stuff, designing tyrannic timetables, or measuring everything in terms of numbers and achievements, we just need to keep on showing up. “Practice and all is coming”, said the yoga guru Pattabhi Jois, and I couldn’t feel more identified with the quote. Knowing you’re always returning to whatever is important to you is a realisation that allows for much-needed peace of mind. The challenge is when your passion work becomes your job. If I want to keep on doing what I love for a living, having a solid structure to it is imperative, whatever the nature of that structure. It could be an agenda, reminders on the mobile phone, to-do lists, drawings, it could be mental notes if you have an extraordinary memory or a personal assistant if you’re rich. I am the creative type, the improvisation beast, the free bird who dislikes frames and cages and anything too predictable. I have already talked about my approach to work and I think the general principles serve me well. BUT. Without bringing in some more structure, I am as good as stagnated at this point. I need to create the conditions to keep on coming back consistently and make sure I progress. As much as I tend to dislike schedules and plans and methodical agendas, this is possibly how I can enhance both the product of my efforts and my self-development. I need a system.
Let me give you an example: in the month of February, I haven’t written my beloved ‘When What Where’, the cultural agenda for which this blog is the most known. I’d love to tell you a story about how busy I’ve been and market my way out of the situation. But that wouldn’t be honest. I’ve been as busy as the next person. These cultural agendas are one of the blog’s core and I love how they allow me an overview of what I’m excited about for the upcoming month. I love sharing them with my friends. I love promoting art and initiatives in which I believe. I love that my efforts can be useful to my readers. Putting the agendas together can be a tedious task though, especially when I depend on Facebook for the research (a medium I am not fond of), but that can’t be the excuse not to do it. Nor being busy, for that matter.
CONSISTENCY is the word for the upcoming months. On this note, I have turned to a business mentor, in the hopes that I can better organise my workflow and lessen the highs of compulsive working and the lows of lack of motivation and focus (maybe create a system?). She will also help me tackle the business side of what I do so as to make sure I have enough work that actually pays, allowing for my bank account to become a source of tranquillity instead of a scary rollercoaster. I am planning on updating you on the developments (need to actually schedule this, ha!). Funnily enough, the first time Bianca and I worked together was on a photo shoot for Tula Amsterdam, the yoga school where I practise / host / do social media and attend a teacher training. And the same way that even a yoga practice follows a structure, so will I.
Do you guys have ideas on the subject of how to structure when working for yourself? How do you keep consistency, focus & motivation? Do you have a system? Please, do share your golden tips for surfing the waves of freelance chaos! Thank you in advance.
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