#206 – Why does this Ghost want you to give your time away?

Maybe you've had this experience: you say yes to people's asks or invitations and then spend the whole time regretting it. You really don't want to do that or be there, yet you don't leave.

That's your Ghost of Giving Our Time Away (GoGoTA) "helping" you out.

"Helping me out?" you're asking, on the brink of outrage. "How is making me waste my (precious and scarce) time helping me?"

GoGoTA's reasoning is simple:

1 – You want to engage in this project [write a book, film a documentary, compose a song, make a batch of beer mugs], ergo

2 – This project matters to you, ergo

3 – It's going to be really hard if you don't succeed, ergo

4 – It's better if you don't even start the project, ergo

5 – I (GoGoTA) am going to push you to say yes to any and all irrelevant invitations and random asks to engage in activities that you don't care about, don't bring you joy, or don't even help you learn anything (you'll thank me later).

Because that way, you won't be facing the possibility of failing (which I, GoGoTA, define as "not being able to bring to fruition the project in the exact way you see it in your mind.")

That's why it's best if you keep the project as is, all cozy inside your mind, instead of out there, open to criticism. Because, poor thing, you don't deserve criticism but we all know how mean some people are.

So, yeah, here are some reasons for you not to engage in that project that matters so much to you (because failing would be disastrous). Let's have you Give Your Time Away to:

• Conferences/meetings/events that are irrelevant to you and your growth, professional and/or personal

• Other people's projects (which you get no learning or growth out of)

• Work you're overqualified and underpaid for

Because it's easier to hide behind "I don't have time" (the Ghost took it away) than to show up for what really matters to you – which is to risk failure.

What will you say no to, to take your time back and with it, your creative power?

Love,

Carolina