The Power of Daily Doing

The Power of Daily Doing When I speak about second acts, I often ask people what they might like to do after leaving their full-time jobs. Inevitably, I get a variety of responses: Id like to paint Id  like  to be a photographer Id  like  to write a book Id  like  to do something with baking. Its always fun to hear about peoples plans and dreams. But what I really love is when people tell me how they actually turned their dreams into reality: I sold my first painting I photographed a wedding I self-published my memoirs Im selling my key lime pies at our local farmers market Its always exciting to see their dreams take flight. Of course, the gap between dreaming and doing is a big one. And when youre just starting the transition into retirement, that leap can feel insurmountable. After a lifetime of being an accountant a doctor or a full-time mom its hard to adjust to seeing yourself in a different role. You may love to paint, but you dont identify as a painter. You enjoy woodworking, but you dont call yourself a crafter.  Thats why when asked that dreaded cocktail party starter, And what do you do? most new retirees are likely to default to, Well, I used to be a So how can you make the shift to your second act more real? Like any habit, developing a new identity works best when you chip away at it in small pieces. Exercise the power of daily doing. By taking small mini-actions every day (or if not every, consistently) youll create change: Want to be an author?  Journal for 15 minutes a day. Every day. Want to be a photographer? Spend a half-hour each day taking shots in your neighborhood. Film is cheap these days. There are no shortcuts to success.  It takes time and daily doing to test things out, build skills, and get comfortable in your new skin. To see the power of daily doing in action, I encourage you to watch David Litchfields TEDX video, How Doing a Drawing a Day Changed My life (posted above, with thanks to Magdalena Hurwitz for alerting me to this on LinkedIn). Its a wonderful story about how by drawing every day, 365 days a year, David was able to go from enjoying drawing  to seeing himself as an illustrator. When questioned about how he found the time and discipline to do this on a daily basis, he replied, You find time. If youre passionate about something you find time. I couldnt agree more. I hope youll take ten minutes to watch the video, and then ask,  What am I  willing to commit to doing this year to move closer to my  dream second act? No related posts at this time.