tiny bets no. 07 - end during momentum đ
Why working all the way through peak motivation may not be the answer.
If you want to have a long career as a creative, youâre going to have ups and downs -- the inevitable rollercoaster. đ˘ Even if you love it, youâll experience frustration and wanna throw in the towel.
What can help?
Itâs counter-intuitive, but stop while you have momentum.
When I unplugged last fall, I revisited a number of books (as I tend to do) focused on rewiring ourselves in all areas of life. Iâve found that the same book(s) can have a completely different impact depending on my season of life. And this most certainly did.
One of them (The Art of Impossible) had a paragraph that gave me pause in a chapter called âLong-Haul Creativity.â
âCreativity isnât a single battle; itâs an ongoing war. By quitting when youâre excited, youâre carrying momentum into the next dayâs work session. Momentum is the real key.
When you realize that you left off someplace both exciting and familiar â somewhere where you know the idea that comes next â you dive right back inâŚâ
What stuck out to me is, âby quitting when youâre excited, youâre carrying momentum into the next dayâs work session.â
Picture this: Youâre making great progress on a project. Youâre in the flow. Energy is HIGH. Youâre proud of the work youâre doing and are like âwell, just another hour or two, then Iâll call it quits for the day.â
You work until you hit a roadblock, are tired, or tapped out that glorious creative energy.
You get back into it the next day and youâre kinda like⌠meh⌠even though you know itâs something you made great progress just yesterday. Then that carries into the rest of the week, and suddenly youâre wondering why tf youâre even trying to be someone who creates for a living.
What if instead, you stop while youâre at peak momentum for the day?
If you pause on a high note, youâll be more excited to pick up where you left off rather than being frustrated or in âcreative burnoutâ mode from the day before.
Give yourself a small reset and try this strategy. Sometimes the smallest things can make the biggest difference.
Lemme know how it goes!
Cheers to tiny bets,
Sel
tiny bets are all the small things you do that stack up over time to craft a reality you love. These memos are a mix of woo, science, philosophy, and thought experiments to help you feel inspired to show up for yourself and your work daily.