Yes, you could be the most ambitious and hard-working person out there, but does it mean you would’ve never felt overwhelmed and exhausted, felt the need to just take a break, stop, and get some motivation to keep going? It is quite common for all of us to feel down and stuck, in a phase where we feel no matter how hard we try, there’s nothing good coming out of it. Inspiration is a wayward lady that comes and goes as she pleases. This is something everyone struggles with at some point in their lives; it’s quite natural. While writing, I often find myself struggling to find inspiration or create new ideas. There are a few steps I follow as part of a routine to overcome any creative challenge I face.
“For me, becoming isn’t about arriving somewhere or achieving a certain aim. I see it instead as forward motion, a means of evolving, a way to reach continuously toward a better self. The journey doesn’t end.”
— Michelle Obama
Life is an on-going journey, not a destination. If you look around, explore, and observe, you will find so many tiny pieces of motivation, inspiration, and ideas surrounding you that you may feel like grabbing them all and doing everything at once. So, let’s take a more practical approach and go step-by-step through this. Let’s look at some things we can create a lifestyle out of to Take Inspiration From Every Day!
Create your custom vision board
Put up photos, quotes, list of things to achieve, places to visit, and so much more that you wish to do on your pin-board. Keep updating it each time you think of something new, something that excites you, inspires you. Now, look at it before you sleep every night and when you wake up every morning. Express gratitude for the things you have been able to accomplish and start afresh for the goals you would like to achieve. Look at this board whenever you need some inspiration, and it will not fail you.
#SneakPeakIntoMyLife – I have ‘One step at a time’ pinned to my board along with some photos of my friends and family, a list of places I want to travel to, and a bucket-list of things I want to do before my next birthday. In moments when I feel slightly lost or demotivated, I turn and stare at my visionary board (that’s what I call it) with some soft music in the background. It calms me down and gives me a kickstart to what I should do next.
Spend some time in nature
Nowadays, we’re so consumed by devices and screens that we’ve almost forgotten that nature has an amazing, unexplored healing energy. It can be different for each one of us. For some it can be the chirping of the birds, for other it can be the lush green lands, the sound of raindrops, the sun, open ground, or even just the joy of sitting on a bench by the lake. The idea is to go outside and explore the vastness of the world. It can truly change our perspective towards life.
#SneakPeakIntoMyLife – To be honest, I don’t even need a reason for this. I love taking walks by the lake, in a garden, or just on a quiet night. It helps me relax and gather my thoughts. I’ve come to realise that quite often a lot of questions and doubts are answered, or at least have meaning to, after the walk.
Introduce yourself to new things
Don’t hold yourself back from trying new things around you. It could be a new art form, recording a new podcast, starting a social media account for your small business, taking up a course, finding a new hobby, traveling to an unknown destination, anything that interests you. Push yourself out of your comfort zone occasionally to try something new, and you will see the magic unveil. The magic of learning, the thrill, excitement, the adrenaline, and the overall experience of your mind being exposed to the newness of so many things that this world has to offer.
#SneakPeakIntoMyLife – To try something new, I once went on a night trek in the rainy season. The new thing I wanted to try was camping and meeting new people, however, the night surprised me with tens of hundreds of trees lit up in gold by fireflies. Not just that, but, the morning after was so beautiful, it is inexplicable and so difficult to put into words. Certainly, an experience I’d never forget.
Write things down
It often happens that you read or hear something inspiring somewhere. It could be in classroom, a novel, a billboard, on the radio, lyrics of a song, some dialogue of a series, a movie recommendation, and so on. Always carry a small diary with you wherever you go and note these things in it. This may seem a very small and trivial thing to do, but sometime later when you need the motivation, this may prove very purposeful and resourceful. After all, it’s the little things like these that hold immense significance in uplifting one’s mood.
#SneakPeakIntoMyLife – I cannot emphasise enough on in how many ways this little habit has saved me. As a student, as a professional, and even personally, this one is such a saviour. I remember this one time while writing an article, I just couldn’t recollect a quote I’d read in Brida by Paulo Coelho. This is when I turned to my journal notes and there it was. It goes: ‘Nothing in the world is ever completely wrong, even a stopped clock is right twice a day’.
Take a breather
This is so underrated. In the fast-paced world that we live in, it is almost considered a crime to stop hustling and working before you are physically and mentally exhausted. For students, professionals, artists, anyone who is a part of this race — please, pause. Go on that holiday that you’ve been planning for so long or have that lunch with friends you have been constantly cancelling. Plan some outdoorsy activities like attending a musical, taking a pottery class, or book the much-needed spa appointment. If you want to internalize, just sit back, light some candles, and watch that movie you always wanted to or do a re-run of your favorite series. Pause, breathe, rejuvenate, restart!
#SneakPeakIntoMyLife – My most favourite thing to do! It is a must and I try and take one day off every week to do nothing. Yeah, I know. Doing absolutely nothing in today’s time is so difficult, there’s always something to be done. But this is the day I keep to myself, to meet some friends, go to new places, watch my favourite shows, or simply lay in bed with a book I’ve wanted to read. This makes it so much easier for me to go into the next week, refreshed and energised.
We’re all so caught up in a routine that we almost forget to give ourselves a pat on the back for how much we have achieved. This may lead to burnout, demotivation, and restlessness leaving us with an empty feeling or being unable to do better. It is in times like this, we need to pick ourselves up and start again, perhaps with smaller steps, taking one day at a time. Hence, it would be beautiful to inculcate some of these habits as part of our daily chaos to keep us sane and happy.
There’s inspiration in everything you see, wherever you go, whatever you do. Even outside of your activities, there’s so much inspiration in the outside world, your friends, family, and strangers too. Observe someone reading a book, look carefully at your parents’ smiles, notice that new haircut on your friend, gaze into the depths of the horizon, look at the raindrops roll down the window; inspiration is everywhere!
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About the Author
Hey there,
My name is Hemisha Shah. I am a master’s student pursuing Digital Marketing and Channel Management. Since childhood, I’ve had a very keen interest towards writing. I believe it soothes me and helps me to give a language to my thoughts and emotions on paper. My favourite phrase is ‘Cogito, Ergo Sum’, that translates to ‘I think, therefore I am’.
Hope you enjoyed the read.
Surrey New Writers Festival 