This month I learnt something new about the strength of my intuition: it really knows when something’s off.
I was working on a project that was bubbling along, and I was using my usual channels to bring it all together.
You might be wondering what my usual channels are. I’m happy to share a little about them now, and I’ll expand in another letter. First, I listen for new ideas. This means noticing the things that spark my interest and curiosity, then writing about them in my journal. When I feel ready to take action on an idea, I begin to create using Tracee Stanley’s Auspicious Mind Map.
It’s the most foolproof technique I’ve ever come across for getting things done. Anything I want to achieve seems to happen effortlessly with this tool. Tracee shares it in her book The Luminous Self, and I did a course with her a few years ago. I also share the technique with my mentoring clients, and they find it really helpful.
This time, though, it wasn’t flowing. The Auspicious Mind Map wasn’t doing its usual thing. I was procrastinating and finding any excuse not to follow the process: talking on the phone, scrolling social media for “inspo” (absolutely not a good idea!), dashing out to the supermarket, going out for a chai. At night I was binge-watching anything I could get my eyes on, which only dulled my creativity further. Does this sound familiar?
I’m so good at procrastinating, I thought to myself. But what I realised this time is that procrastination isn’t a sign that I’m lazy, uncommitted or lacking creativity.
This time was different. Instead of beating myself up, I got curious. I went into meditation, turned down the volume inside my head and found my safe place (you can find yours here). This is where clarity can emerge, where I get grounded and listen deeply to my intuition. I asked myself some simple questions about what I was working on, and my inner voice, my inner seeing and my inner knowing knew exactly what was going on and what needed to happen.
The project wasn’t happening because I wasn’t clear on it. It wasn’t coming from a place of genuine excitement and inspiration. Rick Rubin talks about this in his book The Creative Act: A Way of Being. He argues that the intention and state you bring to making something become embedded in the work itself. The way you make the work, with attention, truthfulness and devotion, matters as much as the finished form, because that energy travels through it.
While my inner wisdom told me not to continue with this particular project, another one came to the surface, and I instantly knew: this is what I want to work on. I could feel it in my bones. Every time I thought about it, I saw fireworks going off in my inner eye. When I thought about the first project, I saw it floating up into the sky until it disappeared from sight. This was a true sign. I immediately felt relief and excitement at the same time.
Procrastination was the catalyst: a sign, a message from my inner wisdom. So next time you find yourself procrastinating, instead of thinking you’re doing something wrong, stop and listen to what it’s trying to tell you.
It’s the same when setting an intention, or Sankalpa in Sanskrit. San refers to our connection to a greater truth, and kalpa means vow or wish. Your Sankalpa is a promise you make to your highest truth and purpose. It’s something deeply important to you. When you bring it to mind, it feels grounded in your body. Even if it hasn’t come true yet, you can feel that it’s something you want to commit to.
So, my question for you this month is: What quality would you like to grow and amplify in your life?
And remember, if you find yourself procrastinating, get curious and discover the wisdom it has to share with you.
Love,
Zoe 🧡