OK, relax your shoulders and take a deep breath – WAIT, maybe the deep breath isn’t a good idea, but then again either is holding your breath. It seems hard to imagine, even with my vivid imagination, to see the world the way it is today. In less than 14 days we went from being concerned about the Corona Virus to having to change our very lives because of it.
I get it, in a world of instant information, right or wrong, it’s hard to know what to feel other than what everyone else is feeling. So let’s skip the discussion of panic versus reasonable concern and let me introduce you to a unique Coronona Virus by-product, a gem hidden in the midst of confusion, TIME. Yeah, TIME.
What will you do with your time?
There are no sporting events (who would have thought I would miss hockey), no concerts, no plays, no meetings, just you and time. The shift in our cultural practices frees something we might have thought we wouldn’t have again, time, free time. Here is something different, the acknowledgment that all of a sudden, you might have nothing to do. I am a constant imperfect beginner and dedicate a big chunk of my time to learning a lot of things. I’ve been playing the guitar since I was in high school, yet I’m still really a beginner. Laura and I took up golf about 3 years ago and though I am fully addicted I am, at best, a beginner. A year ago I took up abstract acrylic painting. Despite the avalanche of videos I have watched I am miles below a beginner. I have taken a hard look at this new found time, this gift, and have decided to make the best of it. Here is my plan:
- GUITAR – I will learn one new song a week. This week it was the great Blind Faith song; I Can’t Find My Way Home. Check out this version by Stevie Winwood: https://tinyurl.com/je45u4f
- ABSTRACT PAINTING: I will learn a new technique every week and practice it. Here are a few of my early hack jobs.
- WRITING: Colin and I are creating scripts and support material to create a MASTER class in sales using all the research that formed our bestselling book – THE 21 SECRETS OF MILLION DOLLAR SELLERS.
- LEARN, LEARN, LEARN: Guitar songs, painting techniques and so much more are available online and YouTube is my favorite source. Here are some places you can go to really add value to your online time:
- The History Guy: This guy is FANTASTIC. A history professor that gives you 10-minute lessons on so many fascinating things you will easily fall down this rabbit hole.
- Answers With Joe: Joe has the unique ability to make complex ideas accessible. This means you will gain an understanding of something any time you watch a video.
- MASTERCLASS: This is a paid site, around $180 a year for unlimited selection. If you’ve not heard of this before, check out the website. It’s a bunch of classes from acclaimed experts. So worth it if and I mean IF you take advantage of the resource. Instead of binging a Netflix show watch one of the one-hour classes. Oh, TAKE NOTES!
Time has always been a very tangible resource for me and I tend to use every morsel of it. So here is the challenge, find something that you want to learn and take advantage of this new found resource, free time. You will be shocked at what time can give you when you grab it with intent!
We at Creative Ventures hope that you do everything you can to assure your safety and the safety of those around you during these troubling times. Stay safe, be smart, and if you find yourself with an abundance of free time because of the Corona Virus, use it wisely.
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