Right Now: What sparks you? What are you doing about it?

Today is Epiphany in the Christian church calendar.

Now, I’ve already mentioned the significance of this in terms of holiday decorations, but today I refer to Epiphany for an entirely different reason: It marks the start of a new Wednesday feature called Right Now.

This new feature is all about productivity, time management, and energy management. Essentially, it’s taking a butt-in-chair approach to getting projects done.

Which is where I am this year. I’m on a dedicated mission to get my articles and other assignments filed, my blog posts posted, my books written, my ebooks published, and my screenplays to “fade out.”

But you and I both know that those words aren’t going to write themselves. It’s going to take management to do it, and by that, I mean serious management of my time and energy.

So what does this have to do with Epiphany?

This holiday, in the Christian church calendar, is also known as Three Kings’ Day, when the magi visited the Christ child, bearing gifts. So, metaphorically, this focus on industrious use of time and energy can be a gift to myself and my projects.

Or, without delving too much into the theological aspect, the word epiphany also means manifestation or showing forth, a sudden revelation or insight, a transmuting of a belief into a realistic experience.

Which is a bit like taking thoughts and making a blog post or an article or a novel out of them, right?

Or, to narrow it further, it’s an emphasis on light and vitality: the spark! And when there’s a spark, energy naturally flows.

In these Wednesday posts, I’m going to talk a lot about sparks and energy management. There’s a connection between enthusiasm (the spark) and energy. Have you ever noticed that when you’re pumped about a project, the energy to get it done is almost self-generating? It’s true.

I believe maintaining positive energy is the key to seeing a project through all the way to completion, especially long-term projects like novels and screenplays.

And that’s how the mission gets accomplished.

If you choose to come along on these Wednesday adventures, and I hope you do, here’s your first assignment. Give some serious thought to these two questions:

1. What sparks you?
   
2. What are you doing about it?

Search your heart. Journal about it. Throw the questions out to the universe. Ask close friends what they think the answers are.

And then come back next week for more ideas and insights on how to keep the creativity flowing.

By the way, why am calling this feature “Right Now”?

Because there is no time like the present, as the saying goes.

Because putting off your creativity does not serve you or anyone else.

Because the world is waiting for your work, and there is not a moment to waste.