Storyboarding for motivation

I don't know whether it was the changing weather that threatened rain, the discombobulation of some renovations at home, or what, but I was finding it really hard to get myself motivated to do anything over the last few days.

My muscles felt stiff, I decided to stop my exercise routine for a few days, and I felt like my body and my attitude was like a stubborn old mule. I could also feel some negative thoughts trying to gain a foothold in my mind and I felt a little blue and discouraged in addition to the lethargy.

When I feel like that, it's easy for me to stop believing in storyboarding because when I'm depressed it feels like I'm always going to be depressed.

One thing that helped was getting together with a good friend I haven't seen for a while. We went for a brisk walk, caught up on each other's news, then we sat together in my living room and prayed together, something we hadn't done together in a long time. What a lift that was. Sometimes we need to allow others to help us out of the doldrums, whether it's through a walk, through prayers, through spending time together.

Then, last night, I storyboarded today. I didn't schedule the day too closely, just wrote down a number of goals like a "to do" list, then I concentrated on envisioning my morning starting with prayer--and continuing with prayer while I made my husband's breakfast and packed his lunch. I pictured how it would go in a positive way and lo and behold, when the clock radio came on, I popped up, got dressed and came downstairs to pray first thing and loved it, just as I'd imagined.

It worked. I feel like I'm back on track and ready to tackle my to do list and I wonder why I ever put this off.

Time for creativity, for play

One of the beauties of storyboarding is its flexibility. I'm preparing some talks now for a conference in Edmonton in September, and I've just been asked to speak to a group of writers on storyboarding in Toronto in November.

Sometimes I used a storyboard to free my schedule. To open up time where I can free myself to play, to daydream, to pray and wait on inspiration and insight. If I know I need to write a first draft, it's better for me to free my schedule of many discrete items on a to do list because that seems to activate a different side of my brain.

I am envisioning the talk in Edmonton, envisioning the people that will come, the opportunity to share with them something that doesn't come from me, but comes from the God. That means, as I prepare, I need to spend more time waiting, listening, poring over the Bible, cultivating receptivity.

Sometimes we fly around too busy, too rushed, too pressured to be able to hear what God is trying to tell us. I know that if I want to share something that is more than just my own "cleverness", I need to be still.

When it comes to creating something, if I try to force it, I can sit in front of the computer and nothing will come. If I say, okay, it's play time, then I may find myself opening up the file and having fun and the results in my work are much better.
I'll find that while I'm relaxed, ideas and insights will flow while I'm making supper or going for a walk.

Getting back on board

Over the month of July, I worked on editing my first novel for what seems like the 1,000th time. I found that my motivation to do so was almost obsessive, so instead of storyboarding, I tried to manage my obsessions by slipping in the exercise and quiet time when I could, then knowing that once I got started on the editing, I would keep going until I could no longer sit at the computer any longer. I got it done.

I've found though that being off storyboarding, my attitude is not as positive. Thus, I'm ramping up to get back on as we roll into September.

My subconscious has become used to the status quo and is fighting me. So, I'm recalling how wonderful it was to be storyboarding, how much fun it was to envision my days, how blessed it was to see myself in the light of a Scripture verse I read this morning: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (II Cor. 5:17)

When I storyboard, I affirm this newness, this wonderful sense of life and possibility that God has given me, the empowerment of His grace if I depend wholly on Him, the goodness He has in store for me if I bring my thoughts in line with His, and lift the imagination of my heart to what is true, honest, just, pure, lovely and of good report. (Philippians 4:8)

I see myself storyboarding and loving the way it motivates me to do all the beneficial and wholesome things in my life as well as to do my work in a way that is "heartily unto the Lord".