Parents With Careers

Parents with Careers empowers working parents on their journey of working parenthood through workshops, a blog, education and resources.

Inspired? If not, then schedule it!

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It’s hard to find time to “unplug” in today’s world—many of us are just moving from one thing to the next. That isn’t healthy for many reasons, and one of them is that it doesn’t give us the chance to be fully present, notice, and absorb moments of inspiration.

Where can you find inspiration? There are many sources, but here are some suggestions. You can find inspiration in…

  • Casual walk through a local spot that calms you
  • Meditation
  • “Intentional observation” moments
    • Option 1: Stop “thinking” and fully experience what is happing around you
    • Option 2: Close your eyes and “observe” what is happening around through using your other senses
  • Attending a networking/alumni event 
  • Serving others through  volunteer or charity
  • Seeing a movie or reading a book — especially on a topic that is unfamiliar to you
  • Trying new things (see previous blog post: The Power of trying new things for you and your kids)
  • Scheduled thinking time (see previous blog post: When’s your thinking time) 
  • Vacation (see previous blog post: No, Now is not a good time to take a vacation. Do it anyway)

All of those above options may seem obvious. And they are. But in our busy, schedule-packed lives, they are easy to forget. So why remind you of them? Why is inspiration even important?

  • Because it can recharge us. Inspiration gives us a dose of optimism and energy. It can also help us realize when we’re “stuck” personal or professionally by giving us a vision of where we could be.
  • Because it can spark innovation. Many great product ideas came from people stopping and observing. I’ve often applied solutions that I’ve learned by watching and reflecting on something that I’ve seen or experienced in an un-related process.

The hard part about inspiration, however, is not convincing yourself of why you need it, it’s making it happen. If inspiration isn’t happening in your daily life, then you need to schedule it. It could be as simple as spending the first 15 mins of your day mediating, or as involved as planning an annual personal retreat. Each month, however, you should schedule at least a few activities that can be a source of inspiration.

Even better, supplement your “scheduled inspiration” with a shift in your mindset to look for inspiration in life’s smaller moments. 

So go ahead, schedule some inspiration, and see where it takes you!