Sure Signs You’re Still Passionate About Design
Does this sound like you? You are eager to start each day. You still get juiced when faced with a tough design challenge. You are always on the lookout for new products, new ideas, and new approaches. When you travel to somewhere new or scan through the latest design publications you still get inspired by what you see. You love hearing from former clients and are always on the lookout for new ones. When you someone asks you what your retirement plans are, you realize that you almost never think about retirement, only how your business can continue to grow in the years ahead. Your vision has no horizon.
Not you? How about this?
Your work has become a chore. You worry all the time that your business is not doing as well as you’d like. You’re tired of hassling with clients and vendors. You feel like your design solutions are running on automatic pilot. When you look through the latest design publications you just get depressed. You have a hard time getting enthusiastic when someone refers you to a possible lead. You spend more of your creativity on imaging your next vacation or what you will do when you retire than on your projects. You wonder if you will still be in business a year from now.
I hope that most of you reading this identify with the first scenario. After all, that’s what we signed up for when we decided to follow our passion and become designers. If, however, over time your passion for design has dwindled and your day-to-day work life has slid more toward the second scenario, then it’s time to take some corrective action. Those are sure signs you are feeling burned out and that your life is out of balance.
It may be hard for you to imagine now, but you can rekindle your passion for design and your enthusiasm for your work. And though it may sound counter-intuitive, one of the best ways to do that is to work less and make more time for other things in your life that give you pleasure, enhance your health and well being, and rejuvenate your spirit.
Remember what you learned back in grammar school. You need three things to start a fire: fuel, oxygen and a flame. Your work is your fuel, your creativity is your oxygen, and your passion is your flame. Give yourself permission to renew your spark, and see what kind of fire will result. Believe me, brighter days are still ahead.
If inspiration and insight is what you’re craving, join us for our next Genius Exchange, “Success Intensive,” August 3–5, 2017, at The Ritz-Carlton, Denver, CO. Deadline to purchase tickets is Sunday, July 16th at midnight Eastern Time. Register Now!
