Someone wrote this to me a few days ago and I apologize for not being able to quickly find (and therefore identify) the wise person who sent this. She quoted the noted creativity writer SARK:
"Worrying is not preparation."
It is so, so true!
It's helped me get through the buzz-brain lately. When I can't sleep, or when I'm swimming (who said swimming is RELAXING??), and the worry demons are on overdrive, it's been helpful to realize it's just that--WORRYING. I'm not actually achieving anything constructive.
I'm trying to substitute happy thoughts instead of just thinking about what could go wrong. I'm visualizing what the show will actually LOOK like once it opens. That's a different focus that thinking, "What am I forgetting??!!"
It's helping me focus better on how to get ready for this show.
My ship date for the show is February 8, and now the rubber hits the road. There are so many new components for this show--retail AND wholesale, complete inventory to sell but no jewelry, how to ship components (hard walls) I've never used at an away show before.
I realized I hadn't created a NEW packing list for this show. I have a retail show packing list, and a wholesale show packing list. It was time to do something concrete. It was time to put them together.
It was just the concrete action I needed to take.
I edited the list, eliminating some things entirely and noticing the things which SEEMED like duplicates, but weren't... For example, "brochures". I have two versions--wholesale versions with no contact information, and retail versions WITH contact information.
Hmmmmm. More work!! I have to print out TWO versions. More stuff to pack. More things to do....
The one breakthrough thought I had last night as I tossed and turned was simple. "Stop fretting!" I thought. "it's not concrete action."
I relaxed. And it came to me.
Retail vs. wholesale.
It occurred to me I had to make preparations for both, but the preparations don't have to be done all at the same time. I can get my WHOLESALE support paper and materials packed and ready to got (and stock for retail, of course.)
THEN I can do the support paper and materials ready later and ship them to a friend who's offered to stash them for me. They don't even have to be in my booth until retail days.
That one little realization broke up the log jam, and I'm track again.
Worrying vs. preparation.
What a huge difference it's made this week!
