Create > Consume
Earlier this month I sent some simple instructions for an incredible 2023. Here they are again in case you missed them.
Instructions for a beautiful year:
Put. Your Phone. Down.
Create more than you consume.
Make new real life connections.
Slow the f down. There is no need to hurry.
Have fun every single day.
Be bold. Bolder than you've ever been before.
So many of you responded to share how these resonated with you. Today I want to focus on #2.
Create more than you consume.
During my 2023 Dream Year Workshop a few weeks ago, I asked everyone to reflect on what went well and also what didn't go so so well last year.
For me, 2022 was a year of a lot of change and with that came feelings of overwhelm. To cope, I found myself looking for distractions. I ended up often on social media (Linkedin, IG, Facebook) just checking…what? I’m not sure.
I know we've all been there. We sit down to pause for a minute, pick up our phone and the next thing you know an hour has gone by. Which is fine, if that's how you truly wanted to spend that hour. But really, is it how you wanted to spend that hour?
This year I made a commitment that I was going to shift the balance - I would create more on social media than I consume. Now, when I pick up my phone and open Instagram for example, I ask myself, am I here with the intention to create or consume? If it's to consume, I set a time for myself so I don't get lost in the algorithm. Otherwise, I am there to create and offer value in some way.
Then I started thinking about consumption vs creation in the rest of our lives.
It's actually quite easy to put all of our activities into either a "create" or "consume" bucket.
Here are some ways we consume:
Scrolling social media
Watching Netflix etc
Reading email newsletters
Listening to podcasts
Reading/listening to the news
Reading books
Online shopping
Eating mindlessly
The value of consuming varies depending on what we're consuming and our intentions behind the consumption.
For example, I love taking a day to binge watch a great show. It’s a way to give in, rest and turn off my mind (kind of wish I had more days to do this!). I’m also obsessed with podcasts and reading personal development and entrepreneurship books. When I absorb this kind of information I feel inspired, energized and motivated.
On the other hand, if I watch a show that brings on feelings of anxiety (no matter how entertaining it is), or become too absorbed in the news, or scroll mindlessly on social media, I often end up feeling fearful, disempowered, and sometimes even experience feelings of hopelessness.
When it comes to consuming, what and how much can really affect the quality of your life.
Now let's look at the ways we create:
Forging a new relationship or strengthening an old one
Doing something you’ve never done before
Writing to share what you’re learning
Meal planning or trying a new recipe
Organizing and decorating your home
Forming a stronger body through exercise and sports
Starting a side hustle or fun project
Creating, unlike consuming almost always leads to feelings of well-being.
When we create we're in the moment. We're focusing on something that feels good to us while we're doing it. Often it leads to something that we or others can benefit from or enjoy as well. Creating allows us to grow and expand. Creating allows us to express ourselves through action. Creating puts us in that coveted state of flow.
"Creating means living" - Dejan Stojanovic, in The Shape
This week, try doing an audit of your activities. How much time are you spending consuming vs creating?
And as you pick up your phone, switch on the TV or open your laptop ask yourself - what is my intention right now? Am I here to consume or create? If I’m consuming, will it feed my mind or deplete it? Try it and let me know how it goes.
With love,
Kena xo
Kena Paranjape, Founder, All You Are
PS. Thank you as always for reading. I love hearing from you and respond to every message. Hit reply anytime and share a thought, ask a question or just say hi! :)
PPS. How is 2023 going for you so far? Have you taken some time to reflect on your goals and dreams for this coming year? A few weeks ago I held a Dream Year 2023 workshop where I led a group of women through a beautiful planning exercise. If you'd like the workbook we used to help guide you, you can grab it here.