FOCUS YOUR ENERGY ON THE SOLUTION, NOT THE PROBLEM.

Sometimes we constantly think about the problem instead of how we’re going to solve the problem. Meaning we get deep in our emotions and get stuck on worry mode instead of throwing all our energy into looking for the way around, over, or below.

Photographer example: you’ve got a bill coming up, but not enough money to cover it, and no gigs on the horizon. Instead of thinking of possible solutions (like new ways to advertise, reaching out to a previous client to see if they need new work, producing new social media content, etc), you obsess about what will happen if the bill doesn’t get paid, worrying yourself sick, sometimes spiraling into “ignore mode”, where you can focus only on what’s going wrong. And when that happens, you can miss the easy answer. Because there is often an easy answer – sometimes the smallest movement forward will help you break out of a slump, or avoid one altogether.

So, the next time you catch yourself starting to get sucked into that “I can’t do anything” zone, stand up, walk outside, look at the sky, breathe in some fresh air and think to yourself, “What are some small things I can do right now so I can move FORWARD?”

Simple sometimes works best.

(photo of excellent lighting assistant Marian and I taking a simple step to get ready for a big work day – brushing our teeth!)