Listening to your own advice.

I was in an online chat with a friend the other day. She needed someone to bounce her thoughts off. She’s creative, usually works solo, and sometimes needs to get thoughts out of her head in order to put thoughts into action.

As I typed back my off-the-cuff assessment, I realised I’d have to go back at a later point and think about my words again. Simply because I could have so easily been talking about what I needed.

I had spent just one moment being an independent observer to her thoughts and given her the value that we both needed. Some knowledge comes to us ironically and quite by accident.

She wanted to develop in 2019, her ideas, her designs, and her collaborations, but be sure that she stuck true to her own direction. She effectively did not want to be sidetracked by other exciting challenges.

I suggested mind-mapping with an artistic difference. Putting down what she wanted to achieve but make it in to piece of art that she could frame in her studio. Something she would enjoy looking at, but it would also remind her of what she wanted.

Change, review and revision is always a good idea, but it’s an even better idea to do it consciously. If she decided she needed to change direction, she would do it with consideration. Maybe even another piece of art to help her work out what she now wanted.

I am not the artist that she is, but I do need to think about where I’m going. I have spent 2018 putting others first. It has been necessary and the absolute right thing to do. 2019 might very well end up being the same, only time will tell, but I want to at least consider myself every day. I might still make the same decisions, but I want to at least consider myself.

In a space of five minutes peace, which is about all you get round here, and armed with a coffee I decided to have a go myself. What word encompassed what I needed in 2019?

I don’t do New Years resolutions, so this is as close as I’ll get.

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