Encouragement to keep it together.

Photo by Maximiliano Cesar from Pexels

The past 12-15 months has proven to be one big lesson on keeping our balance on shaky ground. We are all searching for ways to adapt, recalibrate, and thrive in the face of COVID-19, social injustice, economic pressures, and…well…life.

I wrote a little rant of encouragement a while back called “Your Plans May Fall Apart, But You Shouldn’t” over on Medium. I don’t proclaim to have all the answers, but I think you may discover some insight on remaining strong in the face of the pandemic and other uncertainties.

https://medium.com/an-idea/your-plans-may-fall-apart-but-you-shouldnt-cedd39135a39?sk=7f96b88fade8acc6ce49807fb61d8783

Stop Before You Start

My newest post for The Secondhand Inspiration Project over on Medium is focused on Avoiding Bad Habits that Die Hard with Warren Buffett

The quote that I used as kindle for my flame is: “Chains of habit are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken.”

Develop enough discipline to avoid any new bad habits. And stay inspired.

https://medium.com/datadriveninvestor/stop-before-you-start-8fa1b683d766?source=friends_link&sk=d696a50d7bbd0167acf50ae67745f970

Inspire Your Inner Lion

My newest post for The Secondhand Inspiration Project over on Medium is titled Being Brave with Mary Tyler Moore.

The quote that I used as kindle for my flame is: “Take chances, make mistakes. That’s how you grow. Pain nourishes your courage. You have to fail in order to practice being brave.”

Stay inspired.

https://medium.com/@adrianpotter/inspire-your-inner-lion-f99f1dd92740?source=friends_link&sk=9477d2e4dd7e22379dd0571136ecd5af

Introducing…The Secondhand Inspiration Project!

What is The Secondhand Inspiration Project?

It’s a new mission I’ve developed over on Medium. Periodically, I pull together a post that starts with a motivational quote and goes wherever my musings lead. The idea was born out of my obsession with inspirational quotes and self-help books. This, mixed with a need to sometimes use prompts for my daily writing practice, sparked this initiative.

I already have several entries at Medium for The Secondhand Inspiration Project. My goal is to post some links to catch everyone up on this relatively new pet project. From there, I’ll be sure to update this blog after every new entry.

The first entry of The Secondhand Inspiration Project, Go Farther, was based on a famous quote by Wayne Dyer: "It's never crowded along the extra mile." Check out this post and just maybe it will provide you with a little secondhand inspiration.

https://medium.com/@adrianpotter/go-further-a7413df120a4?source=friends_link&sk=fbf834d3db736379c3c4c5ff057bec48

Motivation & Writing

My motivation comes from acknowledging my writing has value, making a commitment to write, and making sure I find time to do it. This has culminated in me building good habits that help me write consistently, whether I feel a surge of inspiration or not.

It’s easy to blab about writing you’re going to do someday. I’m guilty of talking about a novel I claim I want to write, but doesn’t exist even in outline form. But if you’re always yapping about writing and never actually doing it, then your goals will never get accomplished. You must sit down and write consistently to build a habit.

Some experts say you need to write daily. That’s a good idea and one that makes it harder to forget to write, but it isn’t easy. Other habits can also work. Choose to write every other day, on a half day on a weekend, for thirty minutes of weekday nights after everyone else is in bed, or as part of a lunch break at work.

It’s not about following someone else’s concept of when and how much you should write. It’s more about building a routine that works for you and keeps you writing consistently. Once you build this habit, writing gets easier, and you’ll fall into a productive mode more quickly and easily – which is a beautiful thing.

At times motivation arrives with fanfare and magical forces guide my pen or keystrokes. But those times are fleeting and rare. If I waited around for that blessed inspiration, I’d never produce new material or content. My advice is to develop an ongoing habit as a substitute for an emotional flurry, then take advantage of your uber-motivated moments when they do happen. Developing a consistent routine is a practical form of motivation that pays dividends.