I have a habit of needing to keep myself busy.
I can always drum up new ideas for projects. Come up with things to add to my to-do list. I like need to feel like I’m always doing something. (Maybe that’s why I love being a solopreneur/course creator/online facilitator/online writer – it’s non-stop 😅).
In 2022 my need to be busy took on a life of its own.
It was one of my “busiest” years ever. And yet the busier I felt, the more I started to feel like I wasn’t doing enough. I wasn’t writing enough. I wasn’t posting enough. I wasn’t learning enough. And I started to feel like I wasn’t enough.
Then I hit a wall.
By the end of 2022, I felt exhausted. Ideas weren’t flowing as easily. I was crawling to the finish line on projects that before had made me excited. I found myself staring at my computer screen. Fingers on keys. And nothing would come.
I decided to take the last 6 weeks of 2022 off.
I unplugged from social media.
I didn’t publish this newsletter.
I turned down consulting work.
Instead, I focused on filling my creative well.
I traveled with my husband to see our geographically dispersed network of family and friends. Toronto -> Montreal -> Bogota -> Cartagena -> Miami -> Toronto -> Cancun. We caught up with friends who we hadn’t seen before the pandemic.
I switched up my routines and exposed myself to new things.
I went to museums. I saw the Jean-Michel Basquiat exhibit at the Montreal Museum of Fine Art. I experienced my first digital art exhibit at Superblue in Miami. I read fiction including the Sweetness of Water. I ate vegan Chinese. I talked to strangers. I took a salsa dance class. I did yoga. I relaxed in the sun.
New experiences gave me a whole new perspective on things.
Ideas that had been fuzzy became clear. I got my energy back. I realized that needing to be busy was crushing my productivity and creativity. And I became clearer on other habits I want to break so that I can do my best work in 2023.
How can you keep your creative well filled so you can do your best work in 2023?
That’s our Quest for this week🔎
👉 5 Bad Habits I Want to Break in 2023
👉6 Life Lessons for 2023 by Ali Abdaal
👉2023 Personal Planner Miro Board
🤔5 Bad Habits I Want to Break in 2023
Taking time off helped me realize that my need to be busy was wrapped up in several bad habits — habits I want to break this year. Here’s my list👇
 Gwyn Wansbrough |
What’s on your list? Let me know by hitting reply to this email. Or join the conversation on Twitter.
💡6 Life Lessons for 2023 by Ali Abdaal
A 60-second video by YouTuber, Podcaster, and ex-doctor Ali Abdaal. If you don’t know Ali Abdaal, he is a sensation in the course creation world. Ali’s newsletter is one of the few newsletters I read from start to finish each week. And his course Part-time YouTuber Academy is on my wishlist for this year.
I like Ali’s content because he’s a creator who openly shares his successes and his mistakes. And he gives you tips that help you succeed.
Check out his 1 min video with his 6 life lessons for 2023👇
Ali Abdaal on LinkedIn: 6 life lessons in under 60 seconds | 23 comments
✍️2023 Personal Planner Miro Board
From time to time, I like scrolling through Miro’s Miroverse for new ideas and inspiration. That’s how I found this 2023 Personal Planner by Ennis Chung.
Here are a few features that I like👇
✔️It’s visual so it’s easier to see connections between goals and projects.
✔️It includes space for a yearly personal playlist.
✔️It has a vision board where you can put things that inspire you – photos, quotes, videos, etc.
✔️It’s free:)
If you don’t have a Miro Account you can create one for free. It will give you access to the Planner and 1000s of templates that you can use in your online sessions.
Check it out on Miro.
💌Thanks for reading The Quest
I always love hearing your feedback and suggestions. Just hit reply to share your thoughts and ideas.
Visit my website for ways we can work together 👉 here.
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Creatively yours,
