Why you should follow less and create more.

You are probably just like me. You get on your social network of choice and then get lost in the abyss of great and talented people doing amazing things. You can’t stop looking at all of it. It’ addicting.

Then you get to a point where you start to wish you were that person or you wish you had their skills. You start to become depressed, yet you still browse and keep on praying that you will wake up tomorrow and be as great as they are. You don’t even see why this is causing you to be depressed. You just let it take you for a nice unenjoyable emotional ride.

Stop doing that.

I’ve learned to let go of it. It took me a while and I’ll share how I did it. First want to tell you why you are already awesome.

1. You are just as important and as capable as they are. Why? Because there is only one you. There will be no other you. Ever. That’s something to be darn proud of. No one thinks like you. So don’t waste it.
2. You’ve got time to make a difference in your life. On average you have at least 18,000 days (50 years) to accomplish something in your life. That’s approximately 292,000 hours you will be awake to take action. That’s a lot of room for failure. Sure some things are time sensitive, but you shouldn’t being living your life on someone else’s time. That’s just crazy.
3. You live in a time where you can learn just about anything in the palm of your hand. If you have access to this blog post, you probably have access to YouTube. There are millions of people in this world that can teach you something through the internet. Whether it’s an article or a video, you can learn how to do almost anything with minimal cost. THAT IS INSANE. You have no excuses to learn somehting you are curious about. Be excited that you are alive to experience this.
4. You are surrounded by inspiring things your world. You are blessed to see, hear, taste, and feel the world you live in. Embrace that. There is much to learn about where you live. Trust me. Sometimes you have to learn to see your world in a new light. Learn to love where you live again.

There is way to much going on around the world to always be focused on what others are up to. You should be focused on you and the ones you love. With that mind set, you are able to find time to create things. Not only for yourself, but for the ones you love too. They will support you and appreciate what you create. Even if it’s not your day job, they can see it in your chest. Your heart beating loud and proud when you build something from nothing. They love seeing you glow when you finish a project.

And most of all, you’ll feel more content with yourself than ever when you spend more time creating. That’s something worth investing in.

How to create more often.

1. Remove social media apps from your phone. I am extremely addicted to my iPhone much like the rest of the world. Head down, on the couch, in the passenger seat, downtown. It’s stupid. I thought to myself why? Infinite scrolling on social apps is dangerous. Why? Because it’s infinite! It never ends. Remove that opportunity from your phone. I did and I’ve spent less time flipping my thumb on a piece of glass and more time creating thigns I love. It can be really tough, but it’s possible. They weren’t always around.
2. Disconnect from the internet and distractions. This can be in the same vain as social media. Being connected can be great, it can also be a distraction. There are great things to read, such as this post, but learn to limit your fun time online. The only necessary need for connection in this case is to learn and solve problems. Begin to use your phone and computer as a tool (as they were intended). If you are using the internet to learn, great. Just stay focused.
3. Commit Commit Commit. Mark some time on your calendar. Even if it’s in your mind. Forget Netflix, video games, and going out for the night. Make time to spend on your discipline. There is a reason why a skill or a hobby is also called a “discipline.” It takes a great commitment to get good at something. Bummed that you aren’t that good right now? Every disciplined person started from nothing and that is a fact. They decided to commit to a skill for good. When you teach yourself to invest your heart and time into something, it’s bound to grow and become great.
4. Make sure you enjoy the journey and laugh. It can be hard to understand that the pain of growth eventually turns into gratitude. When you fail it’s easy to just give up. Failure should be motivation not to fail again and you should enjoy that challenge. You should learn to laugh about it too. Some day you’ll just laugh at old work you did or the mistakes you made. If you can’t enjoy the journey, you’re on the wrong trail.

What will you create next? Write it down. Make it happen.

I took the photo in this post last summer. It’s my brother and we made it using a flashlight and a long exposure mode with my camera on the ground.