Create Whatever You Want With These Three Strategies

What wants to be created through me right now? When I asked myself that very question this morning, I could sense how much I wanted to write. I was ready to write an article for you, for myself and for anyone who likes to read what I have to say.

Most and for all, because I wanted to. That’s way more than enough reason to start writing right away. No one else I’m looking at to get permission from.

So here I am, sitting at my desk. Jeroen’s computer handy as mine decided to crash earlier this week. Thank God for Jeroen, who is technically savvy and has decided to take care of getting everything on a separate hard disc and to start to collaborate with the people from Cool Blue to take care of the rest. This is my number one area in my life I absolutely don’t know a thing about (Excel already drives me crazy), so I am super grateful for him taking care of all of this.

Back to writing, simply because I feel like it. The funny thing is, I have no topic! No topic whatsoever. But hey, it doesn’t matter.

I’m here, showing up. And that’s what matters. Whenever I want to create something, I just need to show up.

Alright. Let’s dive a little bit deeper now. So yes, I am here, showing up. And yes, I do know that that’s half of the work. But there’s more to creating. Let me share with you two of my other strategies: The Five Second Rule by Mel Robbins and base camping. Here we go.

Have you guys come across the work by Mel Robbins? If you’ve never watched any of her stuff, do jump on YouTube after you’ve finished reading this, because your effectiveness will immediately jump through the roof. Well, that’s what happened to mine.

Mel Robbins helped me understand why it is so incredibly hard to start working on a task when I don’t have a clue where I’m going. Which is always the case when creating something new! The brain just doesn’t want to be confronted with how uncomfortable this feels and it will do anything to avoid feeling just that.

This self-sabotage system is very active right now while writing, as of course there are parts in me that rather have a draft handy. Or even better, an outline for the entire article. Yes please! With an introduction that opens with a witty sentence, followed by the main part with three meaty arguments. It all ends with a provoking question for people to journal about.

What a beautiful plan! I wish it were true. But it’s not.

Right now, right here, there’s no plan. It feels highly uncomfortable. So, of course, there is this voice in me saying: “No way I’m going to publish this.”

But there is also another part in me waiting, sitting here, being patient, and also curious to just see what is going to happen and what will come. A voice that says: “Well, why don’t I surprise myself a little bit here?”

There’s a third voice, aggressively resisting the message I have in mind for myself and for you this morning. It is on creating what you want. So I do have a topic, the only thing was that it was hiding in the bushes. Major inner resistance alarm. And time to shift gears here and follow The 5 Second Rule.

Five, four, three, two, one… back to work. This simple countdown just got my brain back into action mode, which allowed me to keep writing. Thank you Mel Robbins.

Always showing up, no matter what. The 5 Second Rule in order to stop my brain from self-sabotage. Only recently, I fully grasped the full impact of my third strategy, which I call base camping.

A couple of weeks ago on a Thursday morning, I decided to go ahead and submit my documentary proposal with a philanthropist foundation. The deadline was pretty tight: the following Tuesday.

I had to take massive action and so I did. Approaching new board members, writing the proposal, doing the budget and finding and meeting with the right camerawoman: all within five days.

How I made this happen? I had my ‘base camp’ in place. I spent the entire Thursday morning with Martin, an excellent sparring partner. Martin was willing to listen to my concept and together we took all the time needed to talk the entire thing through. I did the talking while Martin kept asking me questions.

That was just what I needed. Because then, on that Thursday morning, I could see the entire picture of what I was creating and, even more important, why I was doing it. It also gave me the trust and self-confidence to start to do the work I needed to do in order to get the proposal done.

The best part was that base camping also gave me the spirit to take my next steps and put my board together with two of the most fabulous, visionary and bright women I know! Who would have thought that? On top of that, I found the right camerawoman, who is very well connected to the stuff I’m working on.

This all started with a solid base camp.

I’m really curious to learn what it is that wants to be created through you. I know we all have projects to do and things to create. I call it our life work and it is inherently connected to who we are. It is up to us whether we are showing up and willing to commit ourselves to this very work. If you know you are ready and willing and you want to get a head start, check out Breakthrough Day, a private 1-Day Intensive with me. Together we’ll get you beyond fear and self-doubt. Off you go! You can schedule a discovery session with me here.