I never believed in writer’s block, but for the last three months of 2019 I had one. I felt resistance to finish my book, even to write a blog. I created a mind map for my publishing goals, a 2020 clear vision plan.
My social media followers were inspired. “Do you have more mind map examples?”
I sure did. I dug for them in the storage section of my writer’s studio, which I have never time to organize. I just add to the top. The pile of creative chaos contained dozens of detailed mind maps on big sketch pads, hundreds of orderly lists in notebooks and many powerful “framing my day” exercises in my Ageless Rebel planners. I took pictures for my fans when reality slapped me.
My book was unpublished after two years of intense writing. Romantic love stayed locked in my medieval fantasy script and true independence or freedom? My BIG plans had not manifested the way I had hammered them out on paper. Even my vision boards hung unfulfilled in the corners. I saw Woody Allen grin. “’If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans.”
My plans were soap bubbles. My vision boards were wallflowers.
My small plans hadn’t panned out either. I’m not running around the lake, regularly engage in vlogging or blogging and only in my head am I committed to intermittent fasting. I’ve got a bunch of social media calendars but as an rebelliously intuitive content creator I change posts according to my moods.
Help! I browsed and found Joseph.
“Writer’s block results from too much head. Cut off your head. Pegasus, poetry, was born of Medusa when her head was cut off. You have to be reckless when writing. Be as crazy as your conscience allows.”
Joseph Campbell - A Joseph Campbell Companion: Reflections on the Art of Living
The director of my recent months had been Madame Ego. She kept my in control with doubts. I texted my friend, “To make plans work we need mind maps of why they don’t.”
Every MANIFESTING PLAN needs an OBSTACLE MAP.
I put “obstacles to my book” in the middle of the page. The arrow pointing to the bottom described my stuck reality and what got me there. The arrow upwards was for the subcategory of my negative expectations, the side arrow to the right pointed to limiting beliefs and to the left to messages from my inner bullies.
Questions I asked myself
do I give my plans a real chance?
what has hindered me before to stick to it?
what are the messages , the voices I am listening to?
when and how did structure fizzle into mush before? How did that feel?
what’s the payoff not achieving my goals?
which old messages and mindset do I need to erase?
where does my motivation come from? My truth or society’s demands?
how does “need” influence my steps?
how many real life steps did I truly make towards my goal before giving up?
“To make plans work they have to be aligned with all we are”
Every MANIFESTING PLAN needs an overhaul by our inner team.
I reviewed my plan for 2020, asking my spirit, mind, body and soul for their input. I observed and asked;
how my body reacted when FEELING the steps and goal of my plan (resistance or welcome)
how my plan matters to my deepest desires
if I felt passionate about it
did my spirit agree to my intentions?
is my mind satisfied with how I position myself in the world?
what does my goal matter to my bigger picture?
After its revision, I turned my obstacles into their opposite. Some of them needed suspension of disbelief. Luckily our brains don’t care about our doubts, for them, the sentence is a reality. Observing limitations turn into powers even if only on paper can cause a giggle of mischievous satisfaction.
One of my obstacles had been that I had to do everything by myself. I changed it to the affirmation; “I am open to receive support.” The reward for my fierce appeared with the Bing! of a text. My friend Wendi invited me to a class, a women’s circle about epiphanies. I went without checking it out, mainly to see and support her.
The concept of epiphanies turned out to be a sparkly new angle to look at my life, which I see as a movie script; epiphanies as foreshadowing powers. At the end of the discussions each of us opened Elise’ planner on a page “meant for us”. Mine said
“Don’t worry about making it all perfect, because it’s never going to be perfect. Not-so-perfect is just as beautiful.” (Rachel Blaylock) I changed “beautiful” into “meaningful,” as I am a recovering perfectionist. I adore when things click and align.
I left with the epiphany that soul-and mindful plans are part of a never-ending journey towards perfection of beautifully flawed humans. Our actions and baby steps are to fill our cracks with gold.
My muse says she’s happy that I made a plan.
My ego sulks.