It's Time to PABLO PICASSO Your Life

Do you sometime find it hard to stay focused on your priorities? Have you started a project - but then set it aside because you got busy, tired, or distracted?

You might want to follow Poet Laureate W.S. Merwin's example and get serious about what matters vs. frittering away your time and talent on things that won't matter in the long run.

As Executive Director of the Maui Writers Conference, I had an opportunity to spend time with Merwin at our Presenters Reception. Under a full moon shining through the palm trees on a Kapalua beach, I asked, "What is an important lesson-learned from your career?”

I'm paraphrasing here because I did not write down what he said (that’ll teach me), however the gist of his remarks was choosing to concentrate on his craft was the best decision he ever made on behalf of his career and life satisfaction.

As the winner of a Pulitzer Prize, Merwin received dozens of invitations every week. He realized it would be oh-so easy to become part of the “glitterati” and that his work would suffer if he said yes to every request. He and his wife Paula got clear that continuing to live in NYC meant they would continue to be surrounded by temptations that would pull him away from the work he was born to do.

So, they moved to Maui to raise palm trees and live a simpler life where he was freer to concentrate on his true priorities.

I thought, "There’s a man who knows what is important to him."

You may be thinking, "I agree with this in theory, but I've got bills to pay. Kids to feed."

I understand.

I call this The Creative/Commerce Conundrum. We are constantly torn between making art and making a living - between making money and making a difference.

Here's the thing. There will always be distractions. Interruptions. Temptations.

If we don't get take the time right now to clarity what's most important - and dedicate ourselves to it, even for an hour a week - we'll end up leading a life that will lead to regrets.

We will have lost sight of the forest and the trees.

It is up to us to be discerning and disciplined - to take charge of our circumstances like Merwin did - so we produce results not regrets.

Question. Are you taking your "heart art" seriously?

Or, are you frittering away your days on things that fill your time, but not your soul?

If you believe your art will add value, it's time to devote yourself to it instead of wasting time on lesser priorities that don’t honor the greater good.

You may be thinking, “I agree with this in theory; it’s tough to do in practice.”

Agreed. Which is it is so important to establish boundaries around what you will and won't do. Here are a few best-practice tips on how to do that.

1. Drastically reduce time on social media. 67% of people admit they are addicted to their digital devices. To what purpose? How much time do you spend online every day? When you look back at the end of your life, will those thousands of hours have made an enduring difference? Commit right now to social media policies that have metrics so you can hold yourself accountable for them. For example, check social media only AFTER you finish a certain amount of work. A study by MIT reveals we check our phone every four minutes. What a misuse of time that could and should be spent on completing legacy work that can make a positive difference for others and a prosperous living for you.

2. Wake and Work. Wake and Work means exactly what you think it means. Do not pass GO. Do not collect $200. Get up, grab your cup of coffee or tea, sit down and apply what Power of One author Bryce Courtenay called, "Bum glue." Tackle other tasks only after you have produced something tangible to show for your efforts. The Psychology of Completion says we get a boost in self esteem every time we finish something. And, as you know, rewarded behavior gets repeated. So, if every time you sit down to write, you complete two new pages, you set up what I call FLOWmentum and feel you're making progress. This feeling of achievement makes you eager to come back and continue.

3. Find your Third Place. The science of Ergonomics (the study of how our environment influences our effectiveness) says your home is your First Place and your office is your Second Place. Ergonomic experts say it’s almost impossible to stay focused on creative projects in your First and Second Place because your environment keeps reminding you of the laundry, bills, client business or household chores you customarily do in there.

Your Third Place (a nearby coffee shop? local library?) is a public place where you can work in private. Working there kick-starts creativity because you get to feed off the energy in the room and no one interrupts you. I checked myself into a hotel the final week of writing Talking on Eggshells? and got more done in four days than I had in four weeks.

4. Does the name Pavlov ring a bell? If working on your creative project is the only thing you do in your Third Place, it sets up a ritual where the faucet of focus opens up every time you work there because THAT's what's associated with that environment. Many clients tell me their Third Place is their saving grace. It is the only time they can escape other responsibilities and make their creative priority their top priority.

5. Put boundaries around your accessibility. Are people constantly asking to get together for a "cup of coffee" so they can pick your brain? Yes, it's important to give back, so go ahead and set aside certain times you are available for public appointments. However, instead of letting someone buy you lunch, suggest a walk/talk - a fit instead of a sit - so at least you're outside and getting some fresh air while supporting and mentoring others.

You may worry you'll offend people by taking yourself off the grid and limiting access. Ask yourself, “What is the long-term cost of being available to others 24/7? Am I supporting everyone else’s dreams at the cost of my own?

Pablo Picasso said, "The purpose of life is to find our gifts, the meaning is to give them away." It's time to Pablo Picasso your life.

It's time to clarify your gifts and concentrate on contributing them.

I am not suggesting you become an anti-social recluse. W.S. Merwin wasn't a hermit; he was an ambivert who balanced his solitude and socialization, his private time with public time.

He triaged requests for his time and mind so he could stay focused on his poetry, which kept him contributing at his highest level.

W. S. Merwin said, "On the last day of the world, I would want to plant a tree."

Don't wait to the last day of the world to plant your tree, start planting it now.