If you can't be bothered, get a little closer...

How to easily return to projects that brought you lots of resistance.

Created with my mate Jason, who is a MidJourney AI with a very mild case of shingles.

Mastery Den, Saturday Edition, 3-min read.

—

Join us for free at the Mastery Den Telegram for daily content ideas so you never run out of ideas.

—

Many projects died when they could have thrived because the creator removed themselves (you?) too far from the work.

This is what happens when you leave your manuscript in a box to gather dust. 

It happens when you allow your documents or files to get lost in a labyrinth of desktop folders you know you won't be able to find again in three months.

We create resistance that stops us in our tracks when we allow a trench to form, separating us from the intimacy we could have with our art.

Think of it this way: it's early January, and you're psyched to get a regular gym habit going. 

You're pumping steel for three weeks. On the fourth week, you lose that enthusiasm you had when you made that deal with Jacob to exercise this year on New Year's Eve. So you skip a day. Then you go once a week instead of three. Then it's twice a month. Distance. Gaps. Trenches appear.

The more time you leave between sessions, the harder it gets to recommit and show up.

The same applies to creative projects. If you want to be a prolific maniac, or even just sanely consistent, you want to minimise these gaps and keep the consistency up.

But often, this can be overwhelming, especially if we've left it a good while. 

Here's what you do:

Get a little closer.

Let's say you had a book you started writing that you left in a folder somewhere. And now, the idea of continuing the book fills you with frustration and low-level anxiety.

Do this: Find the folder. Open it. Peruse the text for a bit. Get a bit more intimate again. Just be there with it. Now you can see it. You can scan some of it. Heck, sniff it if you need to. It doesn’t matter how little you spend initially with the project, as long as you’re with it some.

You've opened the door a crack, and some particles are floating in, carried on a ray of light.

This, friend, is what I mean by getting a bit closer. Close the gap. Much of this has to do with fear, and this is what I say about fear:

Your fear will diminish when you look directly and calmly at the thing you fear.

You will be more productive than most people when you take those first steps in the initially bracing cold towards your goals.

One step at a time.

Once you warm up, you may not be able to stop.

Identify one thing that needs a little more love and care and attention today.

Find it and get a little closer.

—

Comment below with something you’ve been holding off that you’re going to fire back up again.

—

Thanks for reading.

Join us today for extra member’s perks:

You receive instant free access to my $290 course on learning how I improved my online writing to attract a readership of over 160,000: Online Writing Alchemy (and community access).

You also get weekly Thursday exclusive video content for members to help get you an unfair advantage in growing your brand fast and being a powerful writer.

You also get access to all the hundreds of locked posts to accelerate your brand.

Hit the subscribe button below to join.

—

Contact Alex if you’d like direct coaching to help you reach your biggest goals here.

Check out Alex’s books on Amazon here.