10 Minutes A Day To A Fulfilled You

I write because it feels good to express myself.

I write because it allows me to capture and make sense of the wisdom that is in front of me.

I write because it inspires others.

I write because it is the tool and gift God gave me to brighten up this world.

I write because I have something to say.

I write because I am a writer.

I wrote the above during a journaling session at Hay House Writer’s Workshop this past weekend in Portland, Oregon. We were asked to get clear on our “because,” or why we write, to ensure we stay motivated when the practice becomes challenging (because, like anything worth doing, it will at some point).

While doing this exercise, speaker Robert Holden was trying to get a very simple message across to us: Writers write.

Yet so many of us don’t.

We tell ourselves we don’t have time. We approach the blank page and get writer’s block. We begin to write and our inner critic kicks in saying “who are you to write this message?” or any number of doubts that leave us stuck.

So we don’t write.

But we must.

If you are a writer, you must write.

If you are a chef, you must cook.

If you are a mother, you must love.

If you are an artist, you must create.

If you have a message, you must inspire.

If you want to help, you must serve.

I believe that these feelings are implanted into us by Spirit, God, Source, the Universe – whatever you call the higher power that makes the flowers bloom and the seasons change and your fingernails grow.

And so we must answer the call, or a nagging, unfulfilled longing will fill our days and take us out of presence, out of truly experiencing the beauty of life that surrounds us.

What got in my way of writing daily was the comment around time. While I am expanding my coaching business while thriving in my career while being a mom and wife and friend and daughter and on and on and on, I let myself believe that there was no time to write. But this is not true.

If we are living intentionally, vs. just reacting day after day to what the world throws at us, we make time for what we view as important. I was letting myself believe that in order to write, I had to block out 1 to 2-hour chunks in my day to write an entire blog or another chapter of my book.

Then speaker Nancy Levin shared at the Writer’s Workshop that an author she knows wrote his book in 15-minute increments every day completing it in 6 months. We can all find 15 minutes.

I tell my clients something similar: Once you uncover your passion and what excites you, you only need to spend 10 minutes a day on it to go to bed feeling fulfilled every night, and to wake up excited to take on the day and make your mark in the world. It’s these 10 minute action steps towards your goal that add up to big changes in your life. It’s 10 minutes of exploration that guide you left or right as you weave your path in this world. It’s 10 minutes of baby steps that add up to over 60 hours a year that can create something significant in your quickly moving life.

What’s cool about starting at 10 minutes a day is that our new focus shortly becomes habit and something we crave. As we remain intentional with our time, we find ourselves creating more space for these actions. But to start, remember, you only need to commit to 10 – 15 minutes a day.

I wrote the first draft of this blog in 15 minutes. And will be continuing 15 minutes of writing – any writing – every morning after my 10-minute meditation and grounding ritual. (There’s that 10 minutes again!) These consistent short chunks of time align me with what is important, they affirm to myself that I am, indeed, a writer, and they remind me to share what I have to say.

The other reason I love the 10 or 15 minute rule is that our activity expands to fill the time we allot for something. If we allot one hour for a meeting or project, that meeting can fill the whole hour. If we allot 20 minutes for that same meeting, we’ll achieve what we need to achieve in 20 minutes. With my allotting just 15 minutes to write the first draft of this blog, it forced me to get down and dirty and done in 15 minutes.

Now your turn. Journal and act on the following:

1. What has been tugging at your heart to explore? Who do you say you are, but don’t regularly take action to make this so? Example: Maybe you say you are a yogi, but don’t regularly practice yoga. Or maybe you want to start a nonprofit, but are stuck in idea mode.

2. What is your why or because that is so important to what you identified above? Get grounded and say in your head “I _____ because…” (Like “I am a yogi because…” or “I want to start this nonprofit because…” or “I write because…” Then get silent and listen to what comes up.

3. Identify how you can start taking 10 or 15-minute baby step actions to fulfill this desire. Think small and simple. Like making a phone call, researching then enrolling in a class, doing a few stretches before bed every night or putting a little paint to canvas for 10 minutes, and so on.

4. Plan and block the daily 10 or 15-minute increments in your calendar.

5. Begin!

Cheers to your fulfillment and the beautiful mark you will make on this world!

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