STEP 1
Have you ever felt overwhelmed with all the things on your plate… or unsettled about something or things which are unresolved, unfinished… or uncompleted??? ……All these stale things hanging around which clutter your mind….clutter your space…clutter your thoughts…clutter your energy! I have. Often – but this is becoming less and less as I realise the importance of completion… and how in completing things I don’t feel overwhelmed and actually I feel so much more liberated to get on with filling my life with so much more of the new and fresh; without being encumbered and stuck by the staleness of everything which is just hanging and uncompleted.
Getting things done…getting things completed – allows me to experience so much more – and feel more fulfilled – and could for you too; if you learn to complete things.
I have recognised and implemented strategies to enable me to complete things; and can be applied to both one’s photography or life in general; which I will share with you over the coming weeks – so keep popping back to get some ideas which may help you.
Here is how to start.
- Make a list – Start writing ! This is a great way to actually identify and have something to work with to complete things and move into the new. And it feels so amazing
crossing things off a list!!!!
Get a nice book… (leave some space or a page beside to write some notes as explained in next post) or make a specific folder on your computer where you could call it “Completion and Opening to the New”; and the first heading – “THINGS I WISHED OR WANTED TO HAVE DONE, SAID, FINISHED OR COMPLETED; or even AVOIDED DOING!”
Write down firstly what is overwhelming or bothering you that you just haven’t got around to doing, but you really want to do and is causing you frustration because you just can’t seem to get them done. Put on the list all the things you wished you had finished – but are sort of left unresolved, unfinished or uncompleted. Put on your list all the things which you have even avoided doing. Don’t analyse and reasons… or work on solutions – just make the list.
Write down everything that comes into your mind; from not cataloguing and putting keywords on to your last photo excursion; wishing you could get to the bottom of the laundry folding pile; wishing you could finish mowing the lawn; cleaning your sensor; printing out a series of images; making an album of your images for your friend/family; publishing a book; having an exhibition; writing a critique of an image for a friend or colleague; completing conversations or dialogue with a friend or colleague; catching up with a friend for lunch; printing or framing an image for your own home; entering a photographic award; attending a workshop or class; going to the gallery or anothers opening of their exhibition; being more involved in internet forum dialogue; making the time to go to a special place you have through about taking some photographs at.
Above are just some ideas to get you started. They don’t have to relate or be limited just to photography…all aspects of your life can be included in this list, because the approach to completion is exactly the same regardless.
Allocate some time each day over the next few days to let that list grow. Have it handy and add to it every time you feel like you wished that you had finished something…or recognise that you haven’t ‘got around’ to doing it. Record when you have said to yourself “I’ll do that later”… or you have recognised you are avoiding doing something.
Remember, no analysis or solutions – just write the list.
Next Post…. what to do with the list you have created.
