Recently, I’ve found myself in a period without a bunch of flights zig zagging me all over the place to learn “just one more thing.” In order to move from Denver to St. Augustine, I had to clear my calendar to handle the logistics of the big move. Once completed, it took weeks to settle in, and even more to sell the Denver house. Now, friends and colleagues are shocked at the progress I’ve made in my new town – a place where only four months ago I knew no one. Last week, at exactly the four-month point, I was featured in the business section of the newspaper, I had a standing room only crowd to see my unscripted romantic comedy, I hosted a full house at my first improv workshop, and, I had a sold out room of students to kick off a 6-week improv basics class. If I had jumped onto another plane as soon as I got settled, I’m certain none of this would have happened, so I’m continuing with my self-imposed hiatus. Here’s why:
- Paralysis by analysis – Sometimes when we collect a bunch of information and we talk to a bunch of people, we have nothing but a big, overwhelming bunch of other people’s information that stops us from moving forward on our own journeys. What if we stopped analyzing everyone’s work and just starting doing our own?
- Getting gagged by a guru – Ever go to a conference or summit and suddenly feel like you can’t catch a breath when an expert is speaking? You’re getting gagged by a guru! We take in expert opinions who tell us we must do BLANK to achieve BLANK. However, what works for one person in one place with one type of personality may, or may not, work for another. It’s important to take in everyone’s experience that we’re being exposed to at these events and then create our own that’s unique to us.
- Social media shut down – I have notebooks full of information as well boxes full of business cards I’ve collected – yes, I’m old fashioned that way … I like paper. Finally saturation hits and it becomes impossible to process anything else, and, becoming a member of one more Facebook group can overload us to the point where we need a digital detox more than anything else.
- Love of laundry – OK, so I don’t really love laundry, but I love getting laundry done. When I’m running from airport to airport and conference to conference, it starts to pile up and it’s symbolic of all the other things at home that aren’t getting attention – like my own business, my own projects and maybe even my own adventures.
- Re-frame via a retreat – Maybe instead of meeting with 200 or 2,000 people in a high-energy whirlwind of experiences, we need to be with a small group of like-minded individuals – or even just ourselves – participating in reflective, quieter activities. This just may enable us to focus on where we are now, where we hope to be and the path we need to take to get us from here to there.
While I won’t stop have adventures, or ever stop traveling, I will continue on my self-imposed break from the conference circuit. Now that I’m in my new home and in my new town, I’m excited to apply the magic of improv to my own life by saying, “yes” to myself and my own adventure project.
What might you take a break from to concentrate on your own creative energy and intentions? Enjoy a still moment with yourself and think about it and then drop me a line and let me know.
RETREAT: Beach•Prov
A seaside Improv Weekend for Women
Play, learn, explore, connect and rejuvenate during a weekend of seaside improv just for women in St. Augustine, Florida – America’s oldest city.
April 1 – 4
Vilano Beach, St. Augustine, Florida
PLAYSHOP: Laughter Yoga
Enjoy a mind-body combination of laughter exercises, deep breathing and relaxation techniques to enhance your health — and happiness.
Wednesdays, noon – 1 pm
Now & Zen Yoga & Pilates Studio (St. Augustine, FL)
and
Wednesdays in May, 7 – 8 pm
Jewish Community Alliance (Jacksonville, FL)
