Creating Your Day

By Richard Russey

“Carve each day as if it were a sculpture,” is a paraphrase of a brilliant line written by Tennessee Williams for his play Suddenly Last Summer.

Tennessee Williams was speaking from the depth of his soul when he conjured up that phrase, one of the many lines of dialogue that made that play a classic. Certainly we can imagine ways to apply such wise advice to our personal lives. But, what application is there for our daily world of work, of our professional activities and pursuits?

There are a number of concepts that are applicable to the understanding of just exactly how we might “carve” each day … treating it as a sculpture of our own creation. Artists, be they playwrights, actors, painters, dancers, or sculptors “carve” their expressive pursuits with hearts and minds that we as business entrepreneurs, non-profit leaders, laborers, and professionals would be smart to mirror.

What are these concepts that enable us to “carve” each day as if it were our own personal living sculpture? Let’s explore a few of the approaches that we may apply to make each day truly of our own making, whatever particular storm of gladness or challenge we may be experiencing:

Purposefulness
One simply cannot look back on a day’s engagement in work or play and call it a success or a disappointment if the day didn’t begin with a purpose. We are allotted only a few short hours of wakeful activity each day. We may consider the purpose of our work or our lives writ large, but to the extent that we consider the purpose of each day, indeed each moment of each day, we are then creating our day – carving it as if it were a sculpture. The purpose can be simple or it may be complex; it may be riddled with challenges or an easy romp to the finish line. Nonetheless, to start out one’s day without a sense of purpose is like trying to live without food and water. Purpose provides the basic fuel for our direction forward.

Intentionality
A corollary to purpose is intentionality, but with added specificity. Intention provides the nuanced thinking that may result in action that helps us wield the carving tools necessary to successfully create each day. Intention involves complexities such as “meaning” and “objectives.” It is necessary to suffuse the broader purpose of each day with the details necessary to bring your daily purpose into fruition. What are the steps you will need to take to carve your day with both purpose and intentionality? In its most simple application, this may take the form of a “to-do” list. I remember when I was very young, perhaps no older than 9 or 10 years old; I kept copious “to-do” lists, and taped them to my small bedroom mirror. I began to worry that this was a sign of weakness; that my reliance of notes to myself must be an indication of a lack of memory. Worried enough to go to my father with my concern, his wisdom has helped me to this day. He said, “Son, the most successful people write, and work from, daily ‘to-do’ lists … keep your list, check off your successful completion of tasks, and you will be on your way to a lifetime of success.” So, we are wise to target each day with intention, lest we miss the mark at the end of the day.

Goal-orientation
Clearly goal-orientation takes purpose and intentionality one step further. Goals turn our daily ambitions and aspirations into concrete concepts that may include objectives as a sub-set. This is not to say that we need to actually write a specific list of goals for each day, but they should certainly be considered in one’s mind (and heart) in order to even begin to carve each day as our own creation. But, where is the time to engage in this thoughtful pursuit? One way to achieve this is to begin thinking about the next day’s intentions and goals as one prepares to rest and sleep at the end of the day prior. By setting into motion the powerful forces of purpose and intent, we allow our very complex brains to begin to plan and plot the goals and activities that will be necessary to carry out a successful day come morning. Another way one may approach goal-orientation is to take a few moments in the morning upon awaking and before getting involved in the myriad of goings-on that begin to rapidly steal our time. Over a cup of coffee or tea, as you are awaking to a fresh new day (a fresh new untouched piece of stone, a fresh new canvas), take a moment to jot a few notes that may serve as the blueprint for the day ahead. Formal objectives need not be written … a list of simple words may suffice. Your own personality and needs with dictate what your goal blueprint might look like.

Organization
Once your daily goals have been considered an even more challenging task lies ahead. That is, how do you organize your day so that your goals may be realized? There are about as many methodologies for organizing as there are people on the planet. That is to say, the only way that will really lead to successful application of organization techniques is to utilize those that work for you, considering your personality, style, manner, belief system, and approach to life. Your organizational system may be inspired by others, indeed it may be taken whole cloth from one of the thousands of books written on organizational techniques, or it may be your own unique version. I suggest perhaps a hybrid of the two would be the best path. One of the reasons that we devour book after book on organizing and time management and the like, and still find ourselves not quite hitting the mark is that we attempt to apply a system that works for someone else. I would advise that we be open to learn from the wisdom of others, but apply the principles of organization that work best for us and in our own personal and professional environments. Time management is a piece of the concept or organization as well. Consider how you use your time, and consider whether each action of your day is serving to move your sculpture forward towards satisfying completion.

Adaptability
Once you’ve approached your day with purpose and intentionality, and you’ve organized those broader concepts into actions, be ready for the unexpected. The old adage says that “the only constant there is in life is change.” The ever present possibility of being taken off track makes some people extremely uncomfortable. It is in this realm where our “sculpture per diem” is threatened the most. But, it doesn’t have to be that way. There are going to be many external, or indeed, internal forces at work that will challenge your neatly considered concept, purpose, intentionality, and organization of your day. Your response to those forces that come upon your well-considered purposes is what matters most. Be prepared to adapt. You must be willing to change to meet new requirements, to be willing to work the sculpting of your day with a different approach. Adaptability does not mean letting go of your greater purpose, intentions, or organization. It does mean that you must be at the ready to react to a changing environment, to new conditions, and to the unexpected. Remember, change is the only constant there is, so rather than being taken off track when change raises its head, use it with creativity and ingenuity to add meaning and flourishes to your sculpture in the making, that is, your day in the making. The thing is, with a solid grounding in purpose, intention, and organization it will be easier to adapt to the ever changing environment in which we operate and work, without throwing up our hands in utter despair. We can use the change that we are confronted with by adapting our plan to include it rather than to react by fighting it or fleeing to the relative comfort of old patterns.

Passion
Intense emotion and enthusiasm are two definitions of passion. Each unique individual relates to the concept and reality of passion in their own personal way. Yet, it is important to recognize that to truly create your day to day life with success; passion must be an ingredient in the mix. That is why it has been said, “follow your passion, and the money (read: success) will follow.” I encourage you to pick up any one of the thousands of motivational or instructive books written on business, professional development, and/or self-growth. You will find some aspect of “passion” within the pages. The word passion may not be used, but its definition will certainly be part of the text. It is precisely because you cannot have a truly satisfying work life absent the element of passion, of excitement, or enthusiasm. Sure, you can work. Sure, you can even achieve a certain modicum of success. But, at the end of the day, to be able to kick back in that easy chair or favorite place of comfort and reflect on your day with a sense of deep satisfaction, passion will have played a part in the creation and successful realization of that day. So, the key is to find some aspect of your work that you can and do truly feel passionate about. If passion is there, you’ll know it – it shines forth from you like a beacon to others (refer back to my earlier blog on leadership). Passion will give you the fuel to burn away the myriad of distractions and distracters that could serve to take you off track. The embodiment of passion will remind you that each moment is precious, that your goal completion for the day is paramount, and that the clock is ticking. Passion is also a quality of the heart that will allow a tear to come to your eye even after years of involvement in a particular endeavor. For example, I recently attended a press event for a major arts education initiative in my community. As the politicians and leaders made their speeches, I began to feel the emotion surge. But, when a group of first graders read their own letters of gratitude to the mayor, the tears flowed. Was I embarrassed? No! Rather, I was I deeply grateful to have such strong feeling about my life’s work even after decades “in the trenches.” Embrace passion; it is like booster fuel to energize your work and your life.

Inspiration
Finally, there is the elusive element of inspiration. Clearly one can only place all these concepts utilized to create your day into so much of a hierarchy. They are a complex set of concepts that are in actuality inextricably linked to one another. So, some may argue that inspiration must be at the top of the list. Perhaps that is true. But, as I’ve written here, much of this must be personalized, and adapted to fit your particular personal and work environment. For me, inspiration comes at me constantly. It is the “chicken and egg” enigma. I do not necessarily start with inspiration, and work through my day to its completion. I do start with purpose, and allow myself to be open to the small and large inspirations that flow forth almost constantly. What is required to be open to inspiration? Alertness, openness, and the willingness to learn from what you see, hear, feel, and experience is all that is required. A single word can inspire. A song can inspire. A conversation with a friend or colleague can inspire. Inspiration is often linked with beauty, as in “that beautiful flower inspires me to recognize my own beauty.” But, let me be very clear, inspiration can come from just about anything in your life. Trials and tribulations which are a part of life we all experience can certainly inspire. Experiencing negativity can inspire thoughts about ways to live in a world where all is not necessarily peaceful and beautiful. The important point about inspiration is that it is available to all of us, every day, and in many forms. With the simple intention of being open to inspiration we allow it to at the very least to drip into our consciousness in a gentle manner; but you may find a fire hose of powerful inspirations coming at you with such force that you may be knocked off your feet momentarily. In either case, grab a hold of that inspiration to create your reality.

Now, go out and create your day, and all of your days!