PP 013: 4 Ways to Find Time & Motivation Outside Your Day Job to Create
Your Dream is Possible When Quit Making Excuses and Start Taking Action
Wouldn’t it be great if you could find time and motivation to pursue your creativity outside your day job?
I get it, you work hard and when you punch out the last thing you want to do is “work” more.
Instead, you seek comfort in some Netflix or video games while putting the passion project on hold for another day. Maybe you’ll have some more motivation and time tomorrow?
I’ve been in your shoes and these were the same excuses I used for years.
Excuses will always be readily available. It’s easier to hit the snooze button on your creative goals than it is to actually grind for something you truly want.
Stop living in an excuse driven world. Here are 4 ways to find the motivation and time necessary to pursue your creativity outside your day.
1. Begin Your Work
Getting started in something is the hardest part of anything.
It took me months to start blogging and podcasting. They were things I realized I needed to do for my personal creative goals, yet I had no motivation to start them.
That’s the thing, motivation is not a source of energy—it comes from the act of doing.
[ctt template="2" link="Km30e" via="no" ]Motivation is not a source of energy—it comes from the act of doing.[/ctt]
Motivation will find you when you commit and begin your work. It steadily flows when the rubber meets the road.
The more progress you make, the more present motivation becomes. It’s up to you to take the first step and act.
What helps me take action is by setting a hard date to work towards. This creates a sense of urgency and accountability as having nothing to work towards creates more opportunities for excuses.
A more recent example is how long it took me to start podcasting. I stated I wanted to start one this past May but by July I didn't have much to show for it. I set a hard date of August 19th to have it launched and sure enough, I hit publish that day. It was terrifying but it was a monumental shift moving forward as podcasting is now just another part of my routine which I will discuss later.
2. Trim the Fat
Let’s be real for a second.
We all have the same 24 hours in a day. The reason why other creatives are accomplishing their goals is because they trim the fat.
I don't mean trimming the fat as in physical appearance, more in a time consumption aspect.
So how do you trim the fat and find more time?
You find more time by saying no and killing your time wasters.
What are you consuming that’s taking up your precious bandwidth?
Are you:
Watching hours of Netflix each night?
Playing endless rounds of video games?
Scavenging YouTube for the best cat videos?
Socialize with friends each night?
Hanging with unmotivated influences?
Straight up, you have to trim the fat.
Realize entertainment through devices only exist to grab your attention for as long as possible and monetize it. By assuming the role of consumer when you punch out, you are giving up on your ability to produce your creative dream.
By seeking out a thrill each night or hanging out with the wrong crowd, you are draining your energy and attention towards taking the first step of acting on your goals.
Other than the wrong crowd, I’m not saying all these things are bad. It’s great to have an escape but these should all be done in moderation or as rewards for busting your ass and being productive.
You definitely appreciate them so much more when you’ve earned it.
Save the ‘not having the time excuse’ when you clearly have plenty of fat to trim in your consuming schedule.
3. Develop Routines and Rituals
Routines and rituals allow you to mindlessly act on your creative goals.
I’m a normal human just like you, yet in a week I:
Work a 40 hour day job
Hit the gym 4–5 days per week
Produce a weekly blog
Produce a weekly podcast
Produce a weekly drawing (October I’m doing a daily drawing!)
Manage to promote my content through social media
Respond to every message and email people send me
Listen to podcasts and audio books to develop my mind and business
Spend time with my wife and two cats
This isn’t me bragging—I’m showing you what is capable when you stop using excuses as a crutch and take action through a routine. I say this because using excuses was like breathing oxygen to me, it was just a default tendency.
All of this is possible due to a routine. I have morning rituals, lunch rituals, after work rituals and before bed rituals. These rituals have trained me to get in the zone and ditch the thinking. All I have to do is react as each action becomes second nature—they are just things I do.
4. Gut Check Yourself
It really boils down to how badly do you want it?
If you can look yourself in the mirror and say you want it badly, then your actions need to speak louder than your words.
I hear your next objection, “But Scotty, what if I have kids?”
I can’t relate to having kids, but I promise you it's possible.
I know plenty of creatives who have kids yet they are still making their dreams come true. For example, my close friends Bob Ewing, Terance Tang, Daniel Palacios and Colin Tierney all have kids yet they manage to grind on the daily and make time for their families.
I have so much respect for creatives who can produce and still be a rock star parent.
There are no excuses—either you want it or you don’t.
Saying you don’t have time needs to stop. If you’re sitting on the couch each night glued to a tv or out socializing, you have no room to complain.
I promise you, nobody wants to hear it.
What’s Your Next Move?
I relentlessly pursue Perspective-Collective outside my day job because it doesn't even feel like work. I found something I love to do within my sweet spot.
Being in the sweet spot allows me to find time and motivation more easily.
The more time you make for your dream, the closer your dream becomes a reality. The more I see progress, the more the motivation grows.
My goal is to help people like you discover that one thing you love and I want to show you it’s possible to pursue it.
So what’s your next move?
Are you tired of making the excuses?
No one is going to hand you your dream.
If you want to pursue your creativity outside your day job, it comes down to taking action and getting started.
Figure out the first step now and stop “putting it off until tomorrow.” We all know how that works.
Key Takeaways
Excuses will always be readily available
motivation is not a source of energy—it comes from the act of doing
Motivation will find you when you commit and begin your work.
You can never find time but you can make more time by saying no and killing your time wasters.
Routines and rituals allow you to mindlessly act on your creative goals.
There are no excuses—either you want it or you don’t.
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CREDITS
Music - Blookah
Executive Assistant - Paige Garland
Photo & Video Specialist - Colton Bachar
Social Media Coordinator - Hannah Schick
Animation Specialist - Greg D'Amico